Dependence risk
Dependence risk occurs when your idea must rely upon some other public sector organisation, business organisation, voluntary organisation, process, service, system or individual for its implementation. High dependence risk means loss of authority over your idea because you have to rely on something or someone you cannot control.
Public sector organisations, and individual units within them, are often characterised as silos. They tend to operate with different cultures, different procedures and different standards. Dependence risk in the public sector starts with coordination inside your own organisation, increases with coordination amongst other public sector organisations, and is especially high for initiatives requiring whole-of-government coordination.
Gatekeepers are a special category of dependence risk in the public sector. Traditionally, gatekeepers have stood guard over us in order to provide guidance and protection. Their job is usually to say ‘no’ and they say ‘no’ a lot. We are sometimes faced with gatekeepers who try to decide things like what stakeholders should or should not have and sometimes who has the right to be a stakeholder. For example, treasury is usually the gatekeeper for procedures and policies in budgeting, and Crown law is usually the gatekeeper for the oversight of contracts.
Technology is the basis for many public sector innovations, but it also represents a significant source of dependence risk. The hype surrounding the benefits of new technology is not always matched by the reality. Sometimes the technology is not mature, the infrastructure is not in place or it is simply too complicated to be easily installed and used.
The extent to which my idea will depend on another public sector agency, process, system, or outside organisation is