Public Administration Innovations

Adaptive Innovation

• In environments demanding both stability and the need to act quickly, adaptive innovation supports public administrations by simultaneously strengthening resilience and building adaptive capacity.

Anticipatory Innovation

• Governments need to consider a variety of scenarios and act upon them in real-time
• Public sector needs to prepare for what is coming next, continuously identify, test and implement innovative solutions to benefit from future opportunities while reducing the risks through increased resilience of their public systems

VUCA

• Volatility refers to the frequency and magnitude of change
• Uncertainty reflects the lack of predictability about the future
• Complexity involves the multitude of factors that affect decision-making
• Ambiguity describes vague or unclear situations that can lead to misinterpretation

Messy Wicked Issues

• Wicked problems seem incomprehensible and resistant to solution
• Every problem interacts with other problems and is therefore part of a system of interrelated problems
• The solution to a mess can seldom be obtained by independently solving each of the problems of which it is composed

Types of Problems

• Type 1 - both the definition of the problem and the likely solution are clear to the decision maker
• Type 2 - definition of the problem is clear, but the solution is not - learning and discussion are required by both the governmental managers and the stakeholders
• Type 3 - both the problem definition and the solution are unclear - more extensive learning and discussion are required

Tuckman's Stages

Behavioral Insights

• Governments around the world are using behavioral insights in the development of public policies
• Combining knowledge and research methods from behavioral science fields such as psychology, economics, sociology, and neuroscience
• Insights gained can help inform public policy levers, potentially yielding more effective and representative policies and programs
• Messenger - we are heavily influenced by who communicates information
• Norms - we are strongly influenced by what others do
• Defaults - we “go with the flow” of pre-set options
• Salience - our attention is drawn to what is novel and seems relevant to us
• Priming - we are influenced by unconscious cues
• Affect - our emotional associations can powerfully shape our actions
• Commitment - we seek to be consistent with our public promises, and reciprocate acts
• Ego - we act in ways that make us feel better about ourselves

Crisis

• An unexpected and significant event or situation that creates a high level of uncertainty, poses a serious threat to the stability or functioning of individuals, organizations, or communities, and requires immediate response and decision-making to mitigate its impact
• Crises typically involve risks that can lead to severe consequences if not addressed promptly and effectively

Crisis Management Plan

• Risk assessment
• Communication Plan
• Training and drills
• Resource allocation

Differences in Public and Private Sector

Kotter's Changes

• Establish a Sense of Urgency
• Examine market and competitive realities for potential crises and untapped opportunities
• Convince at least 75% of your managers that the status quo is more dangerous than the unknown
• Form a Powerful Guiding Coalition
• Assemble a group with shared commitment and enough power to lead the change effort
• Encourage them to work as a team outside the normal hierarchy
• Create a Vision
• Create a vision to direct the change effort
• Develop strategies for realizing that vision
• Communicate the Vision
• Use every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies for achieving it
• Teach new behaviors by the example of the guiding coalition
• Empower Others to Act on the Vision
• Remove or alter systems or structures undermining the vision
• Encourage risk-taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions
• Failing to remove powerful individuals who resist the change effort

This quiz explores adaptive and anticipatory innovation within public administrations, especially in volatile and complex environments. It discusses how governments can prepare for future uncertainties while addressing wicked problems. Test your knowledge on these crucial strategies for resilience and adaptability in public systems.