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Facets (and toolkits) of innovation from the Observatory for Public Sector Innovation
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The OECD’s Observatory for Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) describes itself as a global forum for public sector innovation, and provides analysis and toolkits for change to the sector worldwide. Among its recent offers is the “Public Sector Innovation Facets” framework, an attempt to broadly categorise the wide variety of forms or aspects which innovations make take.
The four facets are defined by their initiating question, as follows:
- Enhancement-oriented innovation often starts with the question of “How might we do X better?” It is not about questioning what is being done, but rather how it is done and whether it can be done differently, and hopefully better.
- Mission-oriented innovation is about asking “How might we achieve X?”, with X ranging from the world-changing (going to the moon) to the significant but relatively contained (ensuring better services). It starts with a driving ambition to achieve an articulated goal, though the specifics of how it might be done are still unclear or are not set in stone.
- Adaptive innovation starts with the question “How might our evolved situation change how we do X?” Adaptive innovation is essentially about a realisation that things are happening that don’t fit with what is expected.
- Anticipatory innovation starts with the question of “How might emerging possibilities fundamentally change what X could or should be?”, with X being the relevant government response or activity. Anticipatory innovation is essentially about recognising and engaging with significant uncertainty about not only what works, but also what is appropriate or possible.
There’s a video explainer, too:
Commissioning change-agents may also be interested in the OPSI Toolkit Navigator — a “toolkit of toolkits” that provides basic support in deciding how to get started on an innovation journey. More information on the Toolkit Navigator can be found here.