This Toolkit provides information about the innovation process from a public sector perspective. There are a number of other resources on the subject of innovation and public sector innovation. Some publications, sites and resources that may be of interest or assistance in helping you to learn more about innovation have been identified.

• Reading resources
• Related innovation blogs
• A deeper look
• Other online resources

Reading resources

The following are some suggested readings and web resources that provide an introduction to innovation and public sector innovation.

• Ready or not? Taking innovation in the public sector seriously (2007) is a paper by Geoff Mulgan on the innovation capacity of the public sector.
• The Public Innovator’s Playbook: Nurturing bold ideas in Government (2009) is a joint publication between Deloitte Research in the US with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation. It looks at the innovation process, innovation strategies and how to sustain a culture of innovation in a public sector organisation.
• Innovation in the Public Sector: Enabling Better Performance, Driving New Directions (2009) is the Australian National Audit Office Better Practice Guide to public sector innovation.
• Co-creating for a better society – a video of Christian Bason, Innovation Director at Denmark’s MindLab, talking about how design thinking can help drive public sector innovation.
• Capital Ideas: How to Generate Innovation in the Public Sector and Scaling New Heights: How to Spot Small Successes in the Public Sector and Make Them Big (2010) are two papers by Geoff Mulgan of the Young Foundation and Jitinder Kohli of the Center for American Progress looking at encouraging innovation in the public sector.
• The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal is an international journal looking at public sector innovation.

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Related innovation blogs

There are a number of blogs on innovation and related topics, though not necessarily with a public sector focus which may assist in understanding innovation issues more broadly. These include:

• AGIMO blog – the blog of the Australian Government Information Management Office which includes posts on Gov 2.0 matters
• eGov AU – a blog on eGovernment and Gov 2.0 thoughts and speculations from an Australian perspective
• Innovation Leadership Network blog – a blog on innovation written by two academics from the Technology & Innovation Management Centre in the School of Business at the University of Queensland touching on many issues of managing innovation
• Public Sector Innovation blog – news and information from the Innovation Capability Team at the UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills
• Public Services Lab blog and Policy Innovation blog – two blogs from the UK’s National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) on innovation in services and policy.

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A deeper look

For a more in-depth understanding of public sector innovation, some relevant books and articles include:

• Leading Public Sector Innovation: Co-creating for a better society by Christian Bason
• If We Can Put a Man on the Moon: Getting Big Things Done in Government by William Eggers and John O’Leary
• Innovations in Government: Research, Recognition and Replication edited by Sandford Borins
• Managing Change and Innovation in Public Service Organizations by Stephen P. Osborne and Kerry Brown
• Beyond Lightbulbs and Pipelines: Leading and Nurturing Innovation in the Public Sector (2010) is a paper by the UK Sunningdale Institute looking at different types of innovation and the different types of support needed for each of them
• Annex 1 to Empowering Change:Fostering Innovation in the Australian Public Service – Assessing Policy, Programs and Other Initiatives to Promote Innovation in the Public Sector: International Case Studies (2009) by Don Scott-Kemmis

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Other online resources

There are also a number of online resources, networks and groups looking at public sector innovation or related issues that may be of interest or assistance.

• Gov 2.0 – The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) run a network of Australian public servants interested in Government 2.0 matters. Public servants from all levels of government can email gov2@finance.gov.au to arrange an invitation to the Gov 2.0 govdex community
• Strategic Policy Toolkit – an online Australian Government resource which provides easy access to essential policy guidance
• IKEN – the Local Government Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Network is an interactive online space that provides a range of tools, resources and support for information exchange, collaboration, mutual learning and shared insights
• OZLoop – an Australian social network of interested public servants and community colleagues expressing and exchanging ideas and knowledge to help build an engaged Australian public sector
• GovLoop – an international social network of over 40,000 government innovators
• CAPAM – The Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management, based in Canada, looks to promote the practical requirements of good governance, just and honest government across the Commonwealth countries and beyond. CAPAM provides a forum for the active exchange of innovations, knowledge and practice in citizen-centred service delivery, leadership development and growth, and public service management and renewal. CAPAM also manages the CAPAM International Innovation Awards
• UNPAN – The United Nations Public Administration Network looks at a range of matters including public sector innovation
• Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation – a marketplace of ideas and examples of government innovation from the Ash Center at the Harvard Kennedy School.

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