Capability Building Programme
Scaling Up Innovation in the Public Sector
Final report of the Capability Building Programme Project Group
April 2011
This report was produced as a result of a twelve week project undertaken by a team drawn
from across the public service. It is not a statement of Government policy. Rather, it comprises
a set of ideas and propositions to inform and support future policy and service delivery across
the wider public sector.
1
Executive Summary
2
Project context, objectives,
approach
Discover
3
4
Distil
5
6
7
Design
Taking this forward
Annexes
2
Executive Summary
•This report sets out proposals to support scaling up innovation in the public sector.
•The challenge is complex: there is no shortage of good ideas, big and small, within and outside of the
public sector, yet, there is a failure to scale them up and spread innovative solutions. We are in an era
of public service reform with pressures on resources and major structural change across the public
sector and this may constrain the opportunities and enthusiasm for scaling up.
•However, the shift away from ‘Big Government’, towards the ‘Big Society’, including an emphasis on
social reform, localism and community empowerment, presents a genuine opportunity to be more
radical in galvanising the scaling up of innovation across the Public Sector.
•We reviewed the literature on scaling up innovation and spoke to both ‘catalysts’ (those who fund,
support or design solutions in scaling up) and ‘practitioners’ (those who do it). We distilled everything
they told us into 8 key themes which highlight the conditions necessary to successfully scale up
innovation across the public sector:
Culture: build a culture that rewards and encourages scaling up innovation
Evidence: make the business case and demonstrate the social return
Skills: embed skills needed for scaling up and understand that skills to innovate and to scale up are different
Networks: develop and use networks to make connections, provide advice, share knowledge and create
dialogue
Processes: embed processes and mechanisms that facilitate scaling up
Ownership: recognise that a feeling of ownership acts as an incentive to share learning about what works
Resources: manage resources, funding, expertise and support to actively encourage scaling up.
Credibility: credibility, endorsement and reputation provide the business case for scaling up
We took the eight themes and reviewed them in the light of the Open Public Services White
Paper to design our overarching bold recommendation.
Culture
Overall bold recommendation
Evidence,
Social Returns,
Outcomes
CULTURE
Skills
Networks and
Knowledge
Sharing
Processes and
Mechanisms
Open Public
Services
White
Paper
EVALUATION INNOVATION NETWORKS
Ownership
CAPACITY
Resources
Credibility
To achieve this, work is needed in four key areas.
Executive Summary
•To create the systemic change required under our bold recommendation, we identified four areas for
priority action:

Create the conditions that maximise the capacity for innovative ideas to scale across the public sector;

Ensure that the public sector has the organisational culture, leadership, and people conducive to
supporting the scaling up of innovative ideas.

Establish networks that facilitate the dissemination of innovative ideas that could be scaled, supporting
the spread of knowledge; and

Use appraisal and evaluation of innovative ideas to provide the business case for scaling, to ensure the
right ideas are implemented and driven forward.
•We have proposed nine recommendations in response to these four areas:
1.
Government should consider the merit of drawing together a small central resource to co-ordinate
support for the scaling up activity needed to bring about the required organisational and cultural change at
the centre. This should also include linking in to the Open Public Services White Paper recommendations
on common evaluation.
2.
Central and local government should work together to establish a programme to facilitate and
encourage public sector organisations at all levels to proactively come together to scale up
specific innovations or areas of good practice from any source or sector. This should include: finding a
way to pull together cross-agency teams to work on specific time-limited scaling projects; establishing
Action Learning Sets; developing evaluation to suit different organisational circumstances; and support to
make a business case for scaling up.
3.
Establish an expert learning network in outcome-based commissioning for those working in both
policy and practical delivery.
Executive Summary
4a. Design a model for portfolio management of resources whereby a number of ideas are funded in
parallel and funding form those that fail is diverted to those that succeed. Test the model and document
the learning.
4b. Adopt the learning from the testing of the portfolio funding model and implement the model.
5.
Explore whether the tested model /process for scaling up digital innovations can be applied more
widely and apply it.
6.
Use corporate tools, skills development and leadership activity to encourage effective scaling up of
innovation.
7.
Establish a mentor or buddy scheme for individuals who have an idea they want to scale, offering oneto-one support to establish that the idea can be scaled and the best method for doing so. In turn, those
supported are actively developed as change agents by the mentor to support others in the cycle.
8.
Establish an one stop online shop for public sector innovators to find out about innovative ideas that
could be or have been adopted or adapted elsewhere.
9.
Add a category to existing Civil Service Awards to incentivise scaling up activity to both reward effective
scaling up activity and provide an opportunity to articulate the range of ideas that can be successfully
scaled in future.
In designing our recommendations, we considered the need to both facilitate scaling up
from the centre and find ways to provide dynamic support at the point where scaling up is
happening
CORPORATE INTERVENTIONS
AT THE CENTRE
to co-ordinate support and drive culture
change
INTERMEDIARIES
Support and guidance to innovators who have
ideas with potential to scale up
INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM ANY LOCATION OR ORGANISATION
A change is needed at a range of levels: central, local, individual
Here are our nine key recommendations in more detail. The first two concern central
support for innovators.
For each of the recommendations below, we set out what should be done, by whom and when. Where we
can, we also link to the work done by the team to test or start acting on the recommendations and set out the
longer term improvement we expect to be the result of acting on the recommendation.
1. Central coordination
Government should consider the merit of drawing together a small central resource to co-ordinate
support for the scaling up activity needed to bring about the required organisational and cultural
change at the centre. This streamlining will simplify overall co-ordination of support while allowing
for individual differences in approach. This should also include linking in to the Open Public Services
White Paper recommendations on common evaluation.
Who implements: Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result
BIS / DCLG
2. Expert
resource
pool
2011
Not tested
Central and local government should work together to establish a programme to facilitate and
encourage public sector organisations at all levels to proactively come together to scale up specific
innovations or areas of good practice from any source or sector. This should include: finding a way
to pull together cross-agency teams to work on specific time-limited scaling projects; establishing
Action Learning Sets; developing evaluation to suit different organisational circumstances; and
support to make a business case for scaling up.
Who implements: Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team:
BIS / LGID
It will be clearer where to get support for those with good
ideas to both assess the potential to scale and how best to do
so. As scaling up becomes the norm, it becomes natural to
embed it into policy design and delivery.
2011
Project team process is itself
an example of running a
time-limited scaling project
How the world will be different as a result:
Better and more cross-government working leads to: more
effective sharing and application of learning; development of
a public sector innovation mindset; a strong evidence base.
Our next three recommendations concern commissioning and funding
Establish an expert learning network in outcome-based commissioning for those working both in
3. Outcome-based
policy and practical delivery. This should include talking to Local Authorities and LGID. It will help
commissioning
those involved understand the range of approaches being used and share learning about what works
best and in what circumstances.
Who implements: Proposed timescale:
Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result:
DH
4a. Portfolio
Funding: develop
December 2011
Design a model for portfolio management of resources whereby a number of ideas are funded in
parallel and funding from those that fail can be diverted to those that succeed. This allows innovators
to ‘test it, prove it, grow it and adopt it’. Test the model with practitioners both within DH structures
and with a range of Local Authorities.
Who implements: Proposed timescale:
DH National
Innovation
Fund
4b. Portfolio
funding: adopt
Who implements:
(TBC)
Not tested
Clearer commissioning processes and increased
accessibility to more potential applicants which in turn will
lead to better outcomes. Clear evaluation processes and
outcomes.
Model developed:
Sept 2011
Testing starts: Jan 2012
Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result
Team identified potential
attendees for a co-design
session but were not able to
complete in time.
Fear of failure and risk are reduced so more people are
more likely to scale up more good ideas.
Adopt learning from the testing at recommendation 4 and implement the model
Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result
2012
Not tested
Risk is reduced by application to the most suitable kind of
resource funding
We also have recommendations about making best use of tools, frameworks and individual
support
5. Scaling up
framework
Who implements:
DCLG / BIS / LGID
6. Corporate tools
Who implements:
HMG: CO lead
7. Mentor scheme
Who implements:
HMG: DCLG lead
Explore whether the tested model / process for scaling up digital innovation can be applied more
widely and apply it.
Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team:
December 2011
Digital Scaling Up framework
(see Annex J)
How the world will be different as a result:
Innovators ‘new to market’ find it easier to scale up.
Can be used in conjunction with mentor or other
expert resource
Government should use corporate tools (e.g. Include scaling in Business plans and individual
objectives); skills development (e.g. Include in CSL Skills Strategy and competency framework); and
leadership activity (e.g. Cabinet Secretary champions scaling up in guidance and speeches) to
encourage effective scaling up of innovation
Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team:
2011
Talked to Defra about
mainstreaming scaling up into
Government's crowd-sourcing
approach to e.g. prevent regulation
that works against scaling up
How the world will be different as a result:
Principles and process of scaling up become
embedded in Civil Service culture and policy
through senior buy-in, recognition of value of
scaling up and better staff engagement
Establish a mentor or buddy scheme for individuals who have an idea they want to scale. The mentor
provides one-to-one support to establish that the idea is scalable and what support is needed to make
it happen. In turn, those supported are actively developed as change agents by the mentor to support
others in the cycle. This requires explicit support from the employing organisation e.g. Allowing time
for meetings
Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team:
How the world will be different as a result:
2011
Natural Value Ambassadors at
Defra are a network of credible
change agents who will include a
focus on scaling up ideas
A virtuous circle of support and active learning
ensures a constant stream of developed and scaled
ideas to improve public service.
Our final two recommendations will help innovators find ideas or advice on and offer an
incentive for scaling up
8. One-stop shop
Who implements:
DCLG / BIS
9. Award
Who implements:
HMG: BIS with CO
lead
Establish a one-stop online shop for public sector innovators to find out about ideas that could be or
have been adopted or adapted elsewhere. This should signpost existing sources of advice (e.g.
Business Link, the Innovation Launch Pad and LGID's Community of Practice), be in a searchable
format and capture examples of successful scaling up in an interactive way.
Proposed timescale:
December 2011
Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result:
Identified current platforms and
sources of support and have
started talks to establish a
single platform.
Simpler and more consistent means of finding out
about ideas and tools that might help individuals
scale up and benefit from existing practice. Networks
develop to offer additional peer support.
Add a category to existing Civil Service Awards to incentivise scaling up activity. This will both reward
effective scaling up activity and provide an opportunity to articulate the range of ideas that can be
successfully scaled in future. It can also be used to help identify a network of Scaling Up Champions
or future mentors.
Proposed timescale:
2011
Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result:
Initial conversation with
awards team was positive
Successful scaling up and the people who do it are
recognised and become role models for others
which leads to more successful scaling up.
Executive Summary
•
Finally, we have reviewed the learning for team members as future change agents and
highlighted some examples of how this has helped them improve their working practice. We
have also organised a number of events or other means of disseminating the learning from the
project:

Civil Service Live workshop on scaling up innovation in July 2011

Post-project diffusion event to share recommendations with interviewees and workshop attendees

Share report with the BIS Public Sector Innovation Delivery Group which includes organisations
interested in public sector innovation

DCLG Policy Picnic to highlight project findings and what this means for the Civil Service

Blog post on the Public Sector Innovation portal

Project LinkedIn group: taking forward conversations about scaling up

Innovate! Newsletter: dedicated edition to scaling up innovation project.

DCLG Executive team meeting item
1
Executive Summary
2
Project context, objectives,
approach
Discover
3
4
Distil
5
6
7
Design
Taking this forward
Annexes
13
Embedding innovation within public sector organisations benefits policy making, service
design, and service delivery.
What is public sector innovation?
Innovation is generating new ideas that work in practice –
and being willing to learn from those that don’t.
More broadly, innovation within the public sector is about
working with our customers and the frontline to apply new
ways of thinking to public sector challenges; and new
ways of working to public sector organisations.
A conducive culture plays an important role: structures
and leadership need to support innovation to make it
happen systematically in an organisations
“Successful innovation is the creation and
implementation of new processes, products, services
and methods of delivery which result in significant
improvements in outcomes, efficiency, effectiveness
or quality”.[2]
Mulgan & Albury, 2003
Project definitions
So, we defined innovation as the processes and ideas
about how to do things differently that work to create or
improve public value and outcomes.
But what happens next after we’ve worked to develop,
test, refine, prototype, and implement the great idea?
“Doing things as we have always done them won’t
be good enough. We must find new insights and
develop new ways of working. In short we need to
build on our capacity to innovate, to make
innovation central to our work.”[1]
Sir Gus O’Donnell, 2009
[1] http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/docs/b/bis-package-of-support-prospectus.pdf
[2] Mulgan, G. and Albury, D. (2003) Innovation in the Public Sector. The Strategy Unit. p23
This is where the scaling up of innovation matters.
This means we disseminate, diffuse, exchange, share,
and apply the lessons learned from innovative ideas more
widely. If something works, it should be adopted
elsewhere (inside the same or another organisation) or, if
not directly applicable, adapted to deliver similar benefits
elsewhere.
There is no shortage of good ideas, big and small, within and outside of the public sector. Yet,
there is a failure to scale them up and spread innovative solutions.
President Clinton is often cited in this context: “Nearly every problem has been solved by someone somewhere. The
challenge of the twenty-first century is to find out what works and scale it up”.
As the public sector seeks to generate more innovative solutions to policy problems and challenges, it is clear that
we still have a lot to learn in how to scale up successes and apply the lessons learned from innovative ideas more
widely.
To address this challenge, DCLG and BIS commissioned a project
team to explore the questions set out below.
How can we effectively ‘scale
up’ & disseminate the lessons
learned from good and
innovative ideas within and
across the public sector?
What are the opportunities
brought about by the Big
Society and Localism;
moving control away from
the centre?
What are the mechanisms
and processes that help
translate innovations from
one locality, tailor and then
embed them in another?
How can we share
knowledge laterally across
the public sector?
Rather than explore what innovation is, or what conditions are required to
stimulate it within the public sector, the focus was on scaling up. However,
some of our findings on barriers and enablers to scaling up innovation
clearly illuminate innovation more generally
“Our public services desperately
need an injection of openness,
creativity and innovation…”
Prime Minister,
David Cameron
Scaling up is essential to ensuring that the public sector meets its policy challenges. Successful
innovations that are not scaled up are a lost opportunity to meet the challenges the public
sector faces. The public sector needs to develop the tools and expertise to scale up.
But why is it
essential to
scale up?
The Australian Public Service suggests that dissemination
of innovative ideas and approaches “can help governments
to avoid ‘reinventing the wheel’ and maximise the value of
investments”[1]. In turn, if widely encouraged, such a
systemic approach to diffusing innovation can “lead to new
services or service delivery modes, the development of
new concepts, new policy or administrative approaches,
and new systems”.
And why is it essential to scale up now?
We are in an era of public service reform with pressures on resources and major structural
change across the public sector and this may constrain the opportunities and enthusiasm for
scaling up.
The shift away from ‘Big Government’, towards the ‘Big Society’, including an emphasis on
social reform, localism and community empowerment, presents a genuine opportunity to be
more radical in galvanising the scaling up of innovation across the public sector.
Case study examples of scaling up innovation in practice can be found at Annex G
(international) and Annex H (UK)
[1] Empowering Change, p7, http://www.apsc.gov.au/mac/empoweringchange.htm
Within the new model for public service reform there are new drivers and levers to enable
scaling up across the public sector.
Scaling up in the ‘new world’ of open
public services
citizens
The new model for public service delivery involves a
shift away from central and local government
regulation and funding; top down targets; and audit
and inspection.
Instead, the drivers and levers for scaling up in the
new world that stretches beyond the usual service
providers, include: behaviour change, collaboration,
co-production, openness, transparency, incentives, deregulation, enabling and influencing. Central
government becomes the catalyst for change and
stimulator of innovation – firstly by building the
structures for localism and open public services; and
secondly, by mobilising people and organisations to
take forward opportunities created by the new
landscape.
This makes the challenge to scale up – the need to
identify success and find ways to disseminate it – all
the more important.
service users
WHY
Big Society
budget reduction
public service reform
growth agenda
decentralisation
localism
transparency
local government
private sector
central government
health care providers
HOW
social enterprises
third sector
enabling
influencing
co-production
collaboration
marketplace
openness
incentives
mutuals and co-ops
SMEs
localism and community empowerment
opening up of public services
social action
To make the most of these levers to tackle the challenge of scaling up, DCLG and BIS
commissioned a Breakthrough Solutions cross-government project to develop
recommendations and practical solutions.
Project team membership
Capability Building Programme
Sponsored jointly by DCLG and BIS, and facilitated by the Capability
Building Programme in the National School of Government, the project
provided a unique opportunity to challenge the ‘silo’ stereotype of central
government working, and create the space for productive cross-public
sector working. An in-house public sector ‘consultancy team’ was recruited
to tackle the policy challenge, for a day a week for twelve weeks.
Our team was also challenged to take an
innovative approach to this project as
individuals.
From the start, the team was clear that we needed to take a crossgovernment and cross-sector approach to the scaling up challenge.
Emphasis was placed on the value of collaboration, constructive
challenge, and creativity in generating innovative solutions.
We were encouraged to think about how we
could ourselves become a network of
change agents beyond the end of the
project.
Our thirteen strong team was recruited from across central and local
government from wide variety of roles and departments including…
By taking this approach, we would be
equipped with ideas to implement different
ways of working and thinking, and be more
motivated to share these more widely with
our partners.
• Public sector innovation
• Finance
•Strategy and policy
• IT and digital innovation
•Human resources
•Change management
• Employment
• Statistical profession
A list of team members is at Annex A
See slide 43 for examples of how this
learning has already been applied by team
members or will be in future.
To understand scaling up and address the challenge, we broke the work down into three main
stages.
1. Discover
2. Distil
fact finding, researching,
interviewing, developing
workstreams, and looking
beyond the usual suspects
reflecting, discussing
findings, identifying
emerging themes, and
analysing what this means
Catalysts
Practitioners
WHAT
DOES
IT
MEAN?
3. Design
developing ideas for
action, prototyping them,
and putting forward bold
recommendations
IDEAS
FOR
ACTION
1
Executive Summary
2
Project context, objectives,
approach
Discover
3
4
Distil
5
6
7
Design
Taking this forward
Annexes
20
There is a wealth of published research on fostering innovation but less on
scaling up. However, the literature review we carried out did lead us to some
conclusions on scaling up.
1.
Discover
* Evidence was gathered from a literature review of over 25 bodies of work. The literature review looked beyond scaling up
innovation to related phenomena, for example, scaling up good practice and knowledge sharing.
Need to resource “roll-outs”
and local adoption properly –
tend to have heavily
resourced pilots vs thinly
resourced replication
Innovation in context –
local applicability, scale
or relevance is key to
scaling up
Active transfer of
experience amongst
the right community
including mentors
Understanding the
adverse impact of
regulation on the local
adoption of innovative
solutions
A ruthless sifting process
to determine which ideas
are really worth scaling up
and where focus should be
Champions to be responsible for
scaling-up and reinforcing
commitment, enthusiasm and
confidence
Responsive, outcomefocused funding
models (e.g. stage gate
funding)
Evaluation using credible
and consistent metrics,
designed with scaling up
in mind, showing what
works in what
circumstances and why
We identified 3 ways of looking at scaling up at this stage: push-pull, adapt-adopt and
horizontal-vertical. See Annex C for more detail.
See Annex B for a full reference list.
Having looked at the literature, we wanted to understand more about the
conditions required to scale up. We ran a workshop with think tanks, funders
and academics, who stimulate, support, invest in and advise on scaling up
1.
Discover
* Data was gathered from an interactive workshop with 12 ‘innovation expert’ attendees. Discussions were organised around
the themes of people, processes, resources and organisations.
Resources – successful
scaling up requires
different skills to the
original pilot or
innovation. A pilot is often
heavily resourced in a
way that any subsequent
roll out can’t be
Organisational culture
– reluctance to accept
and discuss failure is
more common in larger
organisations and can
prevent learning and the
sharing of experience
which leads to
successful scaling-up
Efficient Processes –
mechanisms for scaling up
and credible, accessible
sources for sharing and
listening to experience
Risk management –
being able to manage risk
effectively and feel able to
“pull the plug” on activity
when things don’t work
These ‘catalysts’
told us what
they think is
needed and
what the
barriers are
Making the most of
marketing and
competition – using
reward, access to
resources and
pooled funding to
achieve success and
attract the right skills
mix at the right times
See Annex D for list of organisations attended and the purpose.
Before the workshop, the
‘catalysts’ were asked
what the key three
features of scaling up
were. Here are the top 6.
Know clearly when
something should
be scaled up, using
metrics and cost
benefit analysis
Pool and align
funding across
organisations to allow
them to adopt
innovations or scale
them up
Refine success
(outcomes not
outputs) to
understand what to
scale up
Listen to the
local voices
quietly saying
what works
Needs to be
evaluation of
existing innovations
to establish if rolling
them out elsewhere
is worthwhile
Ensure diffusion
plans and
strategies for
scaling up are in
place from
inception
We also spoke to innovators and practitioners to understand the practical
opportunities and challenges faced by those attempting to scale up innovative
ideas. Here is what they told us:
1.
Discover
* Data was gathered from over 30 one-to-one interviews with a range of innovators, including social entrepreneurs and
enterprises, representatives of the voluntary and community sector, individuals from private sector organisations, and public
sector employees from both central and local government. For further examples of what our interviewees said, see Annex E
“Access to the right
people – connections
are the most important
factor. We often ask – ‘If
we could open five doors
for you, what would they
be?’”
“Bureaucracy needs to
be removed and there
needs to be a greater
focus on outcomes
rather than the process.”
“The culture of many
public bodies is very
risk adverse…it is a
mentality that stops
things happening.”
“Almost all ideas need a
degree of trialling and
contesting before ‘going
to market’ – once a model
has evolved and is tried
and tested, the ‘pedigree’
promotes confidence.”
“Solutions need to be
tailored to a local area
but, the lessons learnt
from developing those
solutions are completely
transferable.”
“You need good
evaluation of the
inception / feasibility
phase so that you know
what works and can
extrapolate to predict
some of the challenges.”
“Working alongside
people makes a real
difference… find the
bright sparks, put them
in a room together and
they can have a chat.”
“Government needs to
provide specific points
of contact that
enterprises can approach
and connect with; the
current systems,
bureaucracy and culture
hinder worthwhile
engagement.”
“We need to
fundamentally redefine
the relationship that
we have with
citizens… we must
ensure that citizens
understand our
processes and systems”.
“Innovation often means
working in a new and
different way –
attempting to operate
under old structures just
wastes significant
amounts of time and
money.”
“There must be an
internal narrative in the
organisation that follows
through innovation as
part of the core
objectives, otherwise the
trust that scaling up
will occur will be
lacking.”
See Annex E for a list of those interviewed, and the interview questions used.
“It [scaling up innovation]
needs clarity of
rationale and
objectives and a strong
evidence base to
succeed.”
1
Executive Summary
2
Project context, objectives,
approach
Discover
3
4
Distil
5
6
7
Design
Taking this forward
Annexes
24
2.
Distil
The information gathered in our discover phase was distilled into eight core themes that highlight
the pre-requisites for, and barriers to, successfully scaling up innovation across the public sector.
Culture
Building open and “supportive culture [that] reward[s] and encourage[s] innovation” provides the
public sector with “both the means and the permission to innovate”[1]. Requires: shift in attitudes,
move away from risk adversity, senior buy in and mandate, credible champions, and collective will.
Evidence,
Social Returns,
Outcomes
Importance of evidence in demonstrating the social return and positive outcomes of an innovative
idea to provide the business case for scalability. Requires: horizon scanning, prototyping to gather
evidence, evaluation of what’s out there, upscaling as a business tool.
Skills
Being innovative and understanding how to scale up good ideas should be embedded into the skill
set of every public sector worker. Requires: public sector skill set focusing on being open,
collaborative, creative, innovative; co-designing; creating a network of mentors and buddies.
Networks and
Knowledge
Sharing
Having in place networks (formal and informal) to: make connections, provide peer advice, link up
those who have done it before, share learning and knowledge, share tools, provide platforms, provide
leverage, create relationships and dialogue, act as change agents, and support bright sparks.
Processes and
Mechanisms
Without organised processes and structures in place to encourage the sharing of information across
the public sector, it is difficult to facilitate and support the roll out of innovative ideas. Requires: open
source policy making framework, flexibility to try and pilot, adaption of external ideas internally.
Ownership
‘Owning’ an idea and being seen to own it acts as an incentive that helps facilitate knowledge
sharing. There is also a role here for considering the role of community ownership of an idea, and
listening to the local voice.
Resources
Manage the resources, funding, expertise and support for scaling up. Without resources in place to
support an innovative idea, it’s unlikely to get to a prototype stage, or achieve the recognition it
deserves to be adopted elsewhere. However, to over-resource at the start makes scaling up harder.
Credibility
Credibility, endorsement, and reputation all provide the business case for scaling up an innovative
idea; alongside proof of concept and proof that it ‘works’. This generates trust, and helps bring in
potential investors or service ‘buyers’ to diffuse the idea.
[1] Empowering Change, 2010, p63
Public sector organisations need to develop a supportive culture that shifts
behaviours to value risk-taking and to build the evidence base to show what
can be achieved by scaling up innovation
Culture
Evidence,
Social Returns,
Outcomes
Committing time and
resources to scaling
up of innovation – and
having rewards,
incentives, and
recognition in place
to facilitate scaling up
Overcoming the
barriers and
procurement practices
that make it hard to fail
(a) with public money,
(b) in performance
terms; and (c) in political
terms
Credible champions
at all levels across the
organisation, that have
the personality and
ability to raise
awareness of the
agenda, endorse ideas
and provide the push
for them to be scaled
[1] Empowering Change, 2010, p63
A shift in
organisational
attitudes and
behaviours to a
culture that provides
permission to try
and fail, less risk
adversity, and senior
buy in to mandate
prototyping new ideas
Importance of evidence in demonstrating the social return and positive outcomes of an innovative
idea to provide the business case for scalability. Requires: horizon scanning, prototyping to gather
evidence, evaluation of what’s out there, upscaling as a business tool.
Our evidence highlighted the following areas to focus on:
Sustainability, and
finding alternative
forms of funding to
supplement start up
capital (especially in
the new marketplace)
Distil
Building open and “supportive culture [that] reward[s] and encourage[s] innovation” provides the
public sector with “both the means and the permission to innovate”[1]. Requires: shift in attitudes,
move away from risk adversity, senior by in and mandate, credible champions, and collective will.
Our evidence highlighted the following areas to focus on:
A collective will to
address the problems
at hand, and generate
innovative solutions to
challenges
2.
Having a long term
strategy for the
innovation, and
understand the
potential of the idea to
transform the public
service arena
Pilots and prototyping
of new and innovative
ideas to gather the
evidence that
demonstrates successful
outcomes, and to learn
lessons from the failures
and successes
Horizon scanning,
and exploring potential
threats, challenges,
opportunities, and likely
future developments to
improve the robustness
of our future policy
decisions
Better evaluation of
what else is out there
to establish whether
there are ideas to
adapt or adopt
elsewhere, and having
the evidence to
demonstrate whether
this would be
worthwhile
Scaling up is more likely to succeed with the right skills base and support in
place, using both individual mentors and networks to make connections
Skills
Networks and
Knowledge
Sharing
Putting in place
training that
facilitates and
encourages the
aforementioned public
sector skill set
Co-designing, to work
with service users (not
for them) to develop the
best solutions to
challenges
Creating a network of
mentors and buddies
whose skills,
experience and remit
includes scaling up of
innovation
Having empowered
and skilled public
servants who have the
freedom to take an
idea and deliver it
(this does not
necessarily mean they
are the same people
that generate the
ideas)
Having in place networks (formal and informal) to: make connections, provide peer advice, link up
those who have done it before, share learning and knowledge, share tools, provide platforms, provide
leverage, create relationships and dialogue, act as change agents, and support bright sparks.
Our evidence highlighted the following areas to focus on:
Using new media to bring
case studies alive, and
enable real time learning
and for visible progress to
be demonstrated which will
transfer lessons learned
and knowledge
Distil
Being innovative and understanding how to scale up good ideas should be embedded into the skill
set of every public sector worker. Requires: public sector skill set focusing on being open,
collaborative, creative, innovative; co-designing; creating a network of mentors and buddies.
Our evidence highlighted the following areas to focus on:
Public servant skill
set that focuses on
the importance of
being open,
collaborative, creative,
innovation, networked,
and seeing links
2.
Encouraging innovators to
talk about their
experience and show
others the context,
including failures and set
backs, rather than simply
writing case studies with a
bias towards success
Overcoming the boundaries of
not having a network of contacts.
Where a contact is needed to
facilitate the scaling up of an
innovative idea, it’s often difficult
to find the right person, and
gain access to networks within
the public sector
Horizon scanning, and building
links with academia, think tanks,
public intellectuals and others to
proactively seek out new
innovative ideas and approaches
that might inspire new policies,
new ways of solving or tackling
problems and/or new ways of
delivering desired outcomes
2.
Distil
The right processes or structures and developing a sense of ownership can
both facilitate rolling out or scaling up of successful innovations.
Processes and
Mechanisms
Without organised processes and structures in place to encourage the sharing of information across
the public sector, it is difficult to facilitate and support the roll out of innovative ideas. Requires: open
source policy making framework, flexibility to try and pilot, adaption of external ideas internally.
Our evidence highlighted the following areas to focus on:
Flexibility within
structures and
processes to try, pilot,
prototype, adapt and
tailor innovative ideas
to develop solutions
locally
Building external
influences into internal
structures and
processes to ensure
that the outside ideas
are consistently being
brought in and made
the most of
Providing market
access to the public
sector, and having the
processes in place that
actively encourage the
innovators to bring their
ideas to the table
Having a policymaking framework in
place that actively
encourages and
improves processes
and opportunity for
internal and external
challenge to scaling
up
Ensuring that users
and providers can
influence priorities,
which means the
Government explains
the rationale for their
strategic priorities and
is more flexible about
how to (and who can)
achieve them
For the following three core themes, written research evidence was not as strong. Instead, their importance was
highlighted in the qualitative research gathered from the workshop, and one-to-one interviews.
Ownership
‘Owning’ an idea and being seen to own it acts as an incentive that helps facilitate knowledge
sharing. There is also a role here for considering the role of community ownership of an idea, and
listening to the local voice.
Feedback from our interviewees included:
“Ownership of an idea
can often build
capacity and the
ability to scale.”
“Community
ownership of an idea
will encourage
diffusion.”
“Somebody needs to be
listening to the quiet (local)
voices that are saying “we’ve
got a good idea and it works!”
“Importance of ‘ownership’ in
encouraging the dissemination and
take up of ideas – this can be facilitated
by making the process visible and
transparent.”
2.
Distil
More can be done to think creatively about how to resource scaling up and to
find a way to endorse ideas for scaling from the centre.
Resources
Manage the resources, funding, expertise and support for scaling up. Without resources in place to
support an innovative idea, it’s unlikely to get to a prototype stage, or achieve the recognition it
deserves to be adopted elsewhere. However, to over-resource at the start makes scaling up harder.
Feedback from our interviewees included:
“Not having
funding or
resources is
a technical
barrier to
scaling up.”
Credibility
“How can you
pool or align
resources across
organisations to
help them scale
up?”
“Consider how you could make
funding more tailored to enable local
authorities to trial the more radical
innovative ideas… Ringfencing and
siloed localism often means that
multiple agencies have split incentives
– there should be central government
backing to tackle this.“
“You need to provide support, access to
expertise, knowledge on how to pilot
and test, and provide understanding of
how evidence works... All of this will
create the environment for continuous
improvement (they will feel empower
and obligated to scale up as the tools,
skills, and resources are there).”
Credibility, endorsement, and reputation are all essential factors for providing a good business case
for scaling up an innovative idea; alongside proof of concept and proof that it ‘works’. This generates
trust, and helps bring in potential investors or service ‘buyers’ to diffuse the idea.
Feedback from our interviewees included:
“Need to have a
proven business
model to enable
effective sales
and marketing.”
“How can you
centrally
endorse
organisations to
help them scale
up?”
“Credibility can be
showcased by
maintaining a key
quality of service
and demonstrating
past success.”
“Publicly support
good initiatives –
talk about good
examples to give
projects a better
chance of getting
partners, resources,
or recognition”.
“Innovation needs visibility and
accountability for it to be a
success. If people don’t
understand it, it’s unlikely to be
scaled up. There needs to be a
level of reputation, trust and
openness (which can be facilitated
by interpersonal behaviours).”
1
Executive Summary
2
Project context, objectives,
approach
Discover
3
4
Distil
5
6
7
Design
Taking this forward
Annexes
30
Our overarching bold recommendation is that to create the systemic change
required, we need to design the conditions for our systems, processes, and
institutions to actively support the scaling up of innovation.
Overall bold recommendation
3.
Design
To achieve this, we must:
1.
Create the conditions that maximise the
capacity for innovative ideas to scale across the
public sector; and
2.
Ensure that the public sector has the
organisational culture, leadership, and people
conducive to supporting the scaling up of
innovative ideas.
CULTURE
By embracing this systemic change, we can in turn
facilitate the conditions for:
EVALUATION
INNOVATION
CAPACITY
NETWORKS
3.
Establishing networks that facilitate the
dissemination of innovative ideas that could be
scaled, supporting the spread of knowledge; and
4.
Using appraisal and evaluation of innovative
ideas to provide the business case for scaling, to
ensure the right ideas are implemented and
driven forward.
These conditions, in turn, will drive further improvements
in capability and culture.
Drawing on our evidence, we identified some underlying assumptions about how public services
need to operate (within a model that embraces systemic change) for scaling up to occur in each of
the 4 areas.
We must create the conditions that maximise the capacity for innovative ideas to
scale across the public sector.
We must have:
Open Public
Services
Within the new model for open public services, for scaling up to occur we must:
• decommission poor providers, enabling market entry for others
• provide flexibility to develop solutions and target outputs at local areas
• be transparent, and provide data and information in one location
• ensure there is freedom to implement what is right
• take an open source approach to challenges to develop solutions & digital applications
• enable users and providers to influence policy priorities and outcomes
• publicly support and acknowledge what works: providing credibility for scaling
This in turn will mean our internal central Government processes and structures:
Processes
and
structures
that support
scaling up
• provide flexibility to prototype innovative ideas
• provide reward, recognition, and incentives for adoption (e.g. awards)
• remove burdens and barriers that prevent the adoption of innovative ideas
• de-regulate to create systemic change that encourages innovation at a local level
• provide endorsement and support structures for innovative ideas
• create a conducive policy environment for scaling up to occur
• capture and share ideas more widely
Our focus must be to create the capacity to make best use of limited resources,
and:
Flexible
resource
mechanisms
• implement funding models and mechanisms that encourage scaling (e.g. stage-gating)
• encourage resources to be pooled and aligned at a local level
• provide new forms of resources (e.g. social impact bonds, payment by results)
• provide new clarity on profit making in service provision
• enable opportunities for portfolio approaches to piloting
• encourage sustainability through alternative forms of funding start up capital
• enable more diverse commissioning approaches
3.
Design
Led by
central
Gvmt
through
work on:
OPS
Big Society Bank
Big Society Awards
Transparency
Business Plans
Decentralisation
Social Financing
Barrier Busting
Better Regulations
Digital by Default
Right to…
Payment By Results
Mutuals
3.
Design
We must ensure that the public sector has in place the organisational culture,
leadership, and people supporting the scaling up of innovative ideas.
We must have:
Proactive
Leadership
support
Our leaders must actively support the scaling up agenda, and:
• provide permission to innovate
• be tolerant of failure and risk
• provide senior buy in of the agenda and mandate for prototyping ideas
• act as positive role models and champion what works
• provide proactive support for the switch to digital delivery
Sitting above this must be an organisation culture and environment, that:
Flexible
organisational
culture and
environment
• creates the space to think and work differently
• provides collective will to generate innovative solutions to problems
• removes barriers to scaling up innovation within structures and processes
• has flexible and flatter organisational structures (focus on networks and
• is transparent in learning (and sharing) lessons from failure and success
• commits space, time, and resources to the scaling up of innovation
• provides credible champions that have the personality and ability to raise
awareness of the agenda, endorse ideas and provide the push for them to be scaled
And the skill set of people within the public sector, must highlight…
• importance of co-designing and collaboration
• focus on being empowered, open, creative, innovative, and networked
The right
people
skills
+ ensure…
• staff consistently scan the horizons, make connections and links across policy areas
• we provide support, skills, and expertise to facilitate scaling up of ideas
• we avoid complex and unnecessary language which discourages scaling up
• there is an active learning environment
• skills are in place to take forward public sector mutuals
Must be
driven
throughout
the wider
public
sector
We must encourage the establishing of networks that facilitate the
dissemination of innovative ideas that could be scaled, supporting the spread of
knowledge.
We must have:
Platforms that
support scaling
up
• embed innovation hubs with feedback loops
• utilise digital agenda and social media to share information
• ensure there is open access to networks within the public sector
• ensure vertical and horizontal process are in place to facilitate sharing of information
• provide the space for networks to grow
• encourage conversations and dialogue to disseminate ideas
• provide opportunities to actively share knowledge and reflect on lessons learned
• collaborate and co-produce in the policy design, implementation, and delivery process
• facilitate trust between the sectors
• horizon scan, and build links to proactively seek out and implement new ideas
• enable critical challenge within a safe space
• provide peer to peer advice, learning and support
• host dissemination and learning events
As part of this, emphasis must be placed on active learning, which can, and
must:
Active
Learning
Design
Physical and digital platforms must be implemented across and beyond the
public sector, that:
The power of collaboration to facilitate scaling up must be highlighted, with the
platforms providing opportunities to:
Collaboration
to facilitate
scaling up
3.
• enable real time learning for visible progress to be demonstrated
• discard case studies that have an inherent bias toward success
• encourage self learning knowledge management
• be clear that it is as vital to learn from failure, as it is from success
Must be
owned by
the whole
sector and
interested
parties
The fourth element in this process is to ensure that the public sector focuses on
appraisal and evaluation of innovative ideas to provide the business case for
scaling, to ensure the right ideas are implemented and driven forward.
We must have:
A scalable
business
model
• develop a scalable business model with clear strategy for implementation
• have a strong narrative about what works (with evidence) to interest and motivate
partners
• address a clear need and fill a gap within the public service market
• understand where the gaps in the market are to adopt an idea
• demonstrate the value, social return and positive outcomes of innovative ideas for users
• prototype innovative models – test it, prove it, grow it, adopt it
• plan intention to upscale when designing prototype of the original ideas
• gather the evidence that demonstrates successful outcomes
• learn lessons from failures and successes
Evidence must also be embedded into our policy making processes, by
encouraging others to:
Scaling up
embedded into
policy-making
Design
In identifying solutions to policy challenges commissioners and innovators must be
encouraged to:
Prototyping is essential in gathering the critical evidence that demonstrates a
business case, and innovators must:
Prototyping
3.
• take forward more evidence based policy making that is future focused
• redefine success in policy to focus on outcomes (rather than outputs)
• horizon scan to improve robustness of future policy decisions
• have a long term policy strategy that focuses on scalability of design and implementation
• use better evaluation of what else it out there to adopt or adapt
• take forward open source policy making and crowdsource ideas
• learn lessons and understand what works, what hasn’t, and why not
Must be
driven by
commissioners
and
innovators
In designing our recommendations, we considered the need to both facilitate scaling up
from the centre and find ways to provide dynamic support at the point where scaling up
is happening
CORPORATE INTERVENTIONS
AT THE CENTRE
to co-ordinate support and drive culture
change
INTERMEDIARIES
Support and guidance to innovators who have
ideas with potential to scale up
INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM ANY LOCATION OR ORGANISATION
A change is needed at a range of levels: central, local, individual
Here are our nine key recommendations in more detail. The first two concern central
support for innovators.
For each of the recommendations below, we set out what should be done, by whom and when. Where we
can, we also link to the work done by the team to test or start acting on the recommendations and set out the
longer term improvement we expect to be the result of acting on the recommendation.
1. Central coordination
Government should consider the merit of drawing together a small central resource to co-ordinate
support for the scaling up activity needed to bring about the required organisational and cultural
change at the centre. This streamlining will simplify overall co-ordination of support while allowing
for individual differences in approach. This should also include linking in to the Open Public Services
White Paper recommendations on common evaluation.
Who implements: Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result
BIS / DCLG
2. Expert
resource
pool
2011
Not tested
Central and local government should work together to establish a programme to facilitate and
encourage public sector organisations at all levels to proactively come together to scale up specific
innovations or areas of good practice from any source or sector. This should include: finding a way
to pull together cross-agency teams to work on specific time-limited scaling projects; establishing
Action Learning Sets; developing evaluation to suit different organisational circumstances; and
support to make a business case for scaling up.
Who implements: Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team:
BIS / LGID
It will be clearer where to get support for those with good
ideas to both assess the potential to scale and how best to do
so. As scaling up becomes the norm, it becomes natural to
embed it into policy design and delivery.
2011
Project team process is itself
an example of running a
time-limited scaling project
How the world will be different as a result:
Better and more cross-government working leads to: more
effective sharing and application of learning; development of
a public sector innovation mindset; a strong evidence base.
Our next three recommendations concern commissioning and funding
Establish an expert learning network in outcome-based commissioning for those working both in
3. Outcome-based
policy and practical delivery. This should include talking to Local Authorities and LGID. It will help
commissioning
those involved understand the range of approaches being used and share learning about what works
best and in what circumstances.
Who implements: Proposed timescale:
Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result:
DH
4a. Portfolio
Funding: develop
December 2011
Design a model for portfolio management of resources whereby a number of ideas are funded in
parallel and funding from those that fail can be diverted to those that succeed. This allows innovators
to ‘test it, prove it, grow it and adopt it’. Test the model with practitioners both within DH structures
and with a range of Local Authorities.
Who implements: Proposed timescale:
DH National
Innovation
Fund
4b. Portfolio
funding: adopt
Who implements:
(TBC)
Not tested
Clearer commissioning processes and increased
accessibility to more potential applicants which in turn will
lead to better outcomes. Clear evaluation processes and
outcomes.
Model developed:
Sept 2011
Testing starts: Jan 2012
Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result
Team identified potential
attendees for a co-design
session but were not able to
complete in time.
Fear of failure and risk are reduced so more people are
more likely to scale up more good ideas.
Adopt learning from the testing at recommendation 4 and implement the model
Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result
2012
Not tested
Risk is reduced by application to the most suitable kind of
resource funding
We also have recommendations about making best use of tools, frameworks and individual
support
5. Scaling up
framework
Who implements:
DCLG / BIS / LGID
6. Corporate tools
Who implements:
HMG: CO lead
7. Mentor scheme
Who implements:
HMG: DCLG lead
Explore whether the tested model / process for scaling up digital innovation can be applied more
widely and apply it.
Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team:
December 2011
Digital Scaling Up framework
(see Annex J)
How the world will be different as a result:
Innovators ‘new to market’ find it easier to scale up.
Can be used in conjunction with mentor or other
expert resource
Government should use corporate tools (e.g. Include scaling in Business plans and individual
objectives); skills development (e.g. Include in CSL Skills Strategy and competency framework); and
leadership activity (e.g. Cabinet Secretary champions scaling up in guidance and speeches) to
encourage effective scaling up of innovation
Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team:
2011
Talked to Defra about
mainstreaming scaling up into
Government's crowd-sourcing
approach to e.g. prevent regulation
that works against scaling up
How the world will be different as a result:
Principles and process of scaling up become
embedded in Civil Service culture and policy
through senior buy-in, recognition of value of
scaling up and better staff engagement
Establish a mentor or buddy scheme for individuals who have an idea they want to scale. The mentor
provides one-to-one support to establish that the idea is scalable and what support is needed to make
it happen. In turn, those supported are actively developed as change agents by the mentor to support
others in the cycle. This requires explicit support from the employing organisation e.g. Allowing time
for meetings
Proposed timescale: Areas tested by project team:
How the world will be different as a result:
2011
Natural Value Ambassadors at
Defra are a network of credible
change agents who will include a
focus on scaling up ideas
A virtuous circle of support and active learning
ensures a constant stream of developed and scaled
ideas to improve public service.
Our final two recommendations will help innovators find ideas or advice on and offer an
incentive for scaling up
8. One-stop shop
Who implements:
DCLG / BIS
9. Award
Who implements:
HMG: BIS with CO
lead
Establish a one-stop online shop for public sector innovators to find out about ideas that could be or
have been adopted or adapted elsewhere. This should signpost existing sources of advice (e.g.
Business Link, the Innovation Launch Pad and LGID's Community of Practice), be in a searchable
format and capture examples of successful scaling up in an interactive way.
Proposed timescale:
December 2011
Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result:
Identified current platforms and
sources of support and have
started talks to establish a
single platform.
Simpler and more consistent means of finding out
about ideas and tools that might help individuals
scale up and benefit from existing practice. Networks
develop to offer additional peer support.
Add a category to existing Civil Service Awards to incentivise scaling up activity. This will both reward
effective scaling up activity and provide an opportunity to articulate the range of ideas that can be
successfully scaled in future. It can also be used to help identify a network of Scaling Up Champions
or future mentors.
Proposed timescale:
2011
Areas tested by project team: How the world will be different as a result:
Initial conversation with
awards team was positive
Successful scaling up and the people who do it are
recognised and become role models for others
which leads to more successful scaling up.
1
Executive Summary
2
Project context, objectives,
approach
Discover
3
4
Distil
5
6
7
Design
Taking this forward
Annexes
41
The topic and challenge was a huge one, but in twelve weeks we have made a difference. To
make this impact sustainable we need this agenda to be taken on and owned by others
12
Weeks
13
Team
Members
9
Recommendations
50+
Interested
Parties
We have identified a number of ways of ensuring the learning from this project is taken forward, including
through diffusion events:
1. Civil Service Live Workshop on scaling up innovation (July 2011)
2. Post-project diffusion event to share recommendations and learning from the project
3. Share report with the BIS Public Sector Innovation Delivery Group which includes organisations
interested in public sector innovation
4. DCLG Policy Picnic to highlight project findings and what this means for the Civil Service
5. A blog post on the Public Sector Innovation portal
6. Project LinkedIn group: taking forward conversations about scaling up
7. Innovate! Newsletter dedicated edition to scaling up project.
8. DCLG Executive team meeting item
The project has successfully created a space for productive cross-public centre working which
has challenged the usual corporate centre paradigm. The collaborative nature of this project has
been seen also at client level, as we have delivered jointly to two central government departments.
DCLG and BIS are keen to continue this collaborative style of working in future.
Finally, we were challenged to take an innovative approach to this project as
individuals, to think about how we could become a network of change agents. By taking
this approach, we will be able to implement different ways of working or thinking in our
working lives, and be more motivated to share these more widely with our partners.
Learning for me has been around the
fact that different skills are required for
the scaling up of innovation than are
required to actually have and promote
the idea in the first place – not sure that
had really occurred to me before but
when I build teams in the future I’ll
definitely be taking it into account.
I understand now how important it is to
embed this into policy recommendations
and solutions
I am going to speak to
the policy lead about
embedding Scaling Up
into our Innovation Fund
Team
members as
change
agents
I have learned that both
small + large changes to
our organisational culture
can make things happen
I will build more networks across my policy area
I have learned both the
challenge and value of actively
trying to work innovatively
I am planning to introduce
Breakthrough Solutions type
projects to my organisation
Scaling up innovation is a
problem shared across
government, sectors etc – I am
going to use our report to further
engage with my department.
I am more
likely to
search out
ideas from
alternative
sources
We are planning to feed our findings
into the launch of the Knowledge Hub
I am more confident about challenging
the status quo and representing my
views to senior people
I am actively considering scaling-up
innovation when policy asks and
information crosses our paths – (for
example, that’s where the thoughts
about crowd-sourcing and Natural
Value Ambassadors came from)
I have set up a discussion board on the Defra
Policy team site – “Spreading Innovative Ideas
in Defra – what works for us?”
I have learned
that we as
individuals can
champion
change and
make it happen
Working on this project
has gone a long way to
helping us to crack the
problem of how local
digital innovation can
become national.
I have learned
how important it
is to prototype
ideas
I‘ll be more likely to
speak to people outside
the usual suspects
when designing policy
and strategy
I have learned
that scaling up
starts with ME
and US
I am introducing change
agent roles into two
teams in my organisation
1
Executive Summary
2
Project context, objectives,
approach
Discover
3
4
Distil
5
6
7
Design
Taking this forward
Annexes
Annex: contents
A Who we are
B Literature review list of references
C Scaling up model and 3 axes
D Workshop list of organisations attended
E List of interviewees, the template used in interviews and more examples of what our
interviewees told us
F Project team testing activity
G International case studies
H UK examples and case studies
J Digital scaling up framework
ANNEX A
Who we are
The project team was drawn from across central and local government
William Barker, DCLG
George Leahy, DH
Becca Taber, DCLG
Lisa Cornish, DWP
Tanya Oliver, Kent CC
Julie Wootton, GOSE
Pauline Crellin, Defra
Samantha Milton, Home Office
Laura Frascona, BIS
Conor Ritchie, Defra
Project management and
facilitation:
Rowan Foster, DWP
Gereint Stoneman, Coventry,
Solihull and Warwickshire
Collaboration
Ed Knowles, LB Lewisham
Jo Yvon, Karen Deadfield, Diane
Gordon and Tristan Chapman,
NSG / Cabinet Office
What is the NSG’s Capability Building Programme? The Capability Building Programme uses public
sector people to find innovative solutions to public sector problems. It brings together a team of
experienced people drawn from across government and the wider public sector to collaborate on a real
policy, delivery or corporate challenge. Its unique mix of action-based enquiry, problem-solving, design
and learning has a strong focus on the delivery system and the customer. This approach has proven to
be a quick and cost effective way of tackling challenges. Capability Building projects not only deliver
implementable solutions. In doing so they also enable people to develop expertise and build and test a
body of knowledge and practice that can be taken back into their own organisations and be used by
wider government. So they fulfil two objectives: developing people; solving problems.
In the discover phase, a literature review of over 25 bodies of work was
conducted into scaling up innovation. A full reference list is below.
Albury, D. (2005) Fostering Innovation in
Public Services. Public Money and
Management, 25(1), 51-56.
Bergman, N. et al (no date) Bottom-up, social
innovation for addressing climate change.
University of Oxford., Oxford.
Buchanon, D. and Huczynski, A. (2004)
Organizational Behaviour: An Introductory
Text. Prentice Hall., Harlow.
Bunt, L. and Harris, M. (2010) Mass Localism.
NESTA
Chesbrough, H. (2003) Open Innovation: the
New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from
Technology. Harvard Business School Press,
Boston MA.
Cordingley, P. and Bell, M. (2007) Transferring
Learning and Taking Social Innovation to
Scale. www.curee.co.uk.
Design Council. (2008) Public Sector
Innovation: Can we deliver better public
services for less money? Design Council
Magazine, 4 (virtual discussion)
http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/publications/d
esign-council-magazine-issue-4/public-sectorinnovation/
Dodgson, M. (2000) The Management of
Technological Innovation: and International
and Strategic Approach. Oxford University
Press, Oxford.
[1] http://la27eregion.fr
Fenwick and Elcocks from Public Money 2005
Fielding, M. et al (2005) Factors Influencing
the Transfer of Good Practice. Department for
Education and Skills, University of Sussex and
Demos.
Gray, A. and Broadbent, J. (2005) The State of
Public Management – Improvement and
Innovation, Editorial. Public Money and
Management, 25(1), 7-8.
Hartley, J. (2005) Innovation in Governance
and Public Services: Past and Present. Public
Money and Management, 25(1), 27-34.
ANNEX B
Moore, M. H. (1995) Creating Public Value:
Strategic Management in Government.
Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
Moorse, R. and Moore, P. (2006) Little
acorns taking root: Systemic approaches to
good practice transfer within organisations.
Morgan, M. (2000) Making Innovation
Happen. Kogan Page, London.
Mulgan, G. (2006) The Process of Social
Innovation. Innovations, Spring, 145-162.
Mulgan, G. and Albury, D. (2003) Innovation
in the Public Sector. The Strategy Unit.
Hartley, J. and Benington, J. (2006) Copy and
Paste, or Graft and Transplant? Knowledge
Sharing Through Inter-Organizational
Networks. Public Money and Management,
26(2), 101-108.
Mulgan, G. and Kohli, J. (2010) Scaling New
Heights: How to Spot Small Successes in
the Public Sector and Make Them Big,
www.americanprogress.org.
ISOS. (2009) Local Innovation: a short review
of how local authorities innovate.
Murray, R., Caulier-Grice, J. and Mulgan, G.
(2010) The Open Book of Social innovation.
NESTA/The Young Foundation.
Jowell, R. (2003) Trying It Out; the Role of
Pilots in Policy-Making: Report of a review of
Government Pilots. Government Chief Social
Researcher/’s Office and Strategy Unit. Crown
London.
Osborne, S. P. and Brown, K. (2005)
Managing Change and Innovation in Public
Sector Organisations. Routledge, Abingdon.
Kamarck, E. (2004) Government Innovation
around the World. Faculty Research Working
Papers Series, Harvard University John F
Kennedy School of Government.
Redway, K. M. (2003) Make it happen! A
step-by-step guide from creativity to
innovation. Judy Piatkus, London.
The following model simplifies the innovation process, representing it as
linear to highlight the various approaches to scaling up, upon which the
literature touches.
ANNEX C
disseminate
idea
test
refine
diffuse
implement
SCALE
development
evaluate
prototype
embed locally
exchange
share
adopt / adapt
Scaling up can be carried out in a number of ways which we have described as fitting along 3 axes most easily
summarised by ‘push-pull’, ‘adapt-adopt’ and ‘horizontal/vertical’.
• push-pull: an innovation might be conceived of, and tested, in one area, with senior managers or quality standards
organisations then promoting its introduction elsewhere: push. Another area might have heard of, or sought out,
something being tested and refined elsewhere and be keen to put the same sort of innovation in place locally: pull.
• adapt-adopt: another innovation might work in one area and be suited for application in another; for instance, one
school might adopt an approach tried in another, making few if any changes. Conversely, one organisation might learn
from something tested or used elsewhere and identify a way to adapt it work locally.
• horizontal/vertical: horizontal captures to innovations that are required to spread throughout an organisation or similar
organisations. Vertical refers to an innovation that is ‘cascaded’ throughout an organisation.
In the discover phase, a workshop was held with discussions organised
around the themes of people, processes, resources and organisations.
SCALING-UP INNOVATIONS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR/SERVICES
An Exploratory Workshop
Purpose
To explore with a group of experts the best lines for further
investigating how scaling-up innovations in the public sector and
services can be liberated and be more effective.
Ethos
This is an interactive workshop using collaborative techniques with a
focus on exploration and investigation. The intention of the workshop
is to generate creative options for further design work for the latter
part of the project. The creativity is generated through the interaction
of the participants.
Outcomes
The key outcomes of the workshop will be a series of options
(overlapping/contradictory is fine) on what could make the upscaling
of innovations in public services/sectors more embedded, effective
and routine. This will include an understanding of what works at what
level and in what circumstances.
[1] http://la27eregion.fr
ANNEX D
Organisations attended
Communities & Local Government
Young Foundation
National Innovation Centre (NHS)
NESTA
Local Government Improvement & Development
Local Government Leadership Centre
Cranfield/Steria
Innovation Unit
UnLtd
OCS – Cabinet Office
Spark/The Key
Directgov – Innovation Hub
In the discover phase, interviews took place with innovators and practitioners to
provide insight into the practical opportunities and challenges faced by
organisations and individuals attempting to scale up their innovative ideas.
A (near) full list of interviewees is below.
ANNEX E
Brendan Harris, LGID
Local Gvmt
Whole School Meals
Social Enterprise
South East Public Health, DH
Public Sector
Cohousing Berkshire
Social Enterprise
Homeshare International
VCS
Kathy Atkinson, Campaign for National Parks
VCS
Criminal Justice System Capability Builder
Public Sector
Community Wood Recycling, Brighton
Social Enterprise
PieMinister
Private
Youth at Risk
VCS
Bricks and Bread Social Enterprise
Social Enterprise
UnLtd
Social Enterprise
First Steps to Employment Ltd
Social Enterprise
Sunderland Council, Sarah Reed
Local Gvmt
Cohousing Network UK
Social Enterprise
Care and Share Associates
Social Enterprise
The Northern Way
Local Gvmt
Barry Quirk, Lewisham Chief Exec
Local Gvmt
Mental Health First Aid England CIC
Social Enterprise
Walk the Line, Job Centre Plus
Central Gvmt
Matthew Skinner, Lambeth Council
Local Gvmt
NAAPS, Community Catalyst
VCS
Giles Slinger, Transparent Consulting
Private
Gripple
Private
Tris Dyson, Spice Innovations
VCS
Sheffield Council
Local Gvmt
Hill Holt Wood SE
VCS
Richard Tyrie, Good People
Consultant
Dave Briggs, Learning Pool
Consultant
Brandon Hallam, Essex County Council
Local Gvmt
Tell Us Once
Central Gvmt
Device Access UK Ltd
Private
Christian Bason, MindLab
International
National Audit Office
Central Gvmt
Hackney Community Transport
Social Enterprise
Julie Wootton, Government Office SE
Local Gvmt
Serious Fraud Office
Central Gvmt
Andrew Elkington, Windsor & Maidenhead
Local Gvmt
National Improvement Agency
Central Gvmt
Jane Kendall & Geoff Wild, Kent Cty Council
Local Gvmt
Peter Gilroy, Northgate Consulting
Private
Collan Murray, GLA / TfL
Regional Gvmt
In the discover phase, interviews took place with innovators and practitioners to
provide insight into the practical opportunities and challenges faced by
organisations and individuals attempting to scale up their innovative ideas.
Find out more about some of our interviewees below.
LGID
(Local Gvmt
Improvement &
Development)
UnLtd
Hackney
Community Trust
LGID supports improvement and innovation in local government. They work with local authorities and their
partners to develop and share good practice through networks, online resources, and support from councillor
and officer peers. Main role is to support local government at the heart of local innovation... helping councils
work with and learn from each other is at the heart of what LGID does.
UnLtd is a charity which supports and develops the role of social entrepreneurs as a force for positive change
- people with vision, drive, commitment and passion who want to change the world for the better. UnLtd
Ventures is the in-house consultancy division of UnLtd. It provides business support to a number of
outstanding social entrepreneurs, helping them to scale up or replicate their organisations.
HCT is a social enterprise which has scaled up their provision of community transport from one London
borough to a company with 490 staff and a turnover topping £20 million, providing training and jobs for
hundreds of long-term unemployed people and running transport services in the capital and Yorkshire.
SPICE
Timebanking
Spice develops credit systems for engaging people and to create active thriving community and public
services. Spice’s community credit systems have been tried and tested and are uniquely successful in
dramatically increasing participation of community members in public services and in achieving community
transformation.
National
Audit Office
The NAO scrutinises public spending on behalf of Parliament. Their audit of central government has two
main aims. By reporting the results of our audits to Parliament, they hold government departments and bodies
to account for the way they use public money, thereby safeguarding the interests of taxpayers. In addition,
their work aims to help public service managers improve performance and service delivery.
Serious Fraud
Office
The SFO are an independent Government department that investigates and prosecutes serious or complex
fraud, and corruption. The SFO have successfully worked to SFO implement and embed a culture for
innovation within their organisation, following an independent review in 2008 that recommended an overhaul
of the organisation’s functions.
In the discover phase, interviews took place with innovators and practitioners
to provide insight into the practical opportunities and challenges faced by
organisations and individuals attempting to scale up their innovative ideas.
Questions from our interview template are set out below.
What is your role in scaling
up innovation?
Can you tell me about an
idea that you have scaled
up within, or beyond, your
organisation? Has it been
successful?
Was it your own idea? If
so, where did it come
from? ‘locality’? If it wasn’t
your own idea, where did
you source it from? Did
you tailor it to your locality?
How did that idea spread?
Focus on mechanisms and
utilisation of networks
What, in your view, helped the idea to
spread? What were the enabling or success
factors?
May explore the availability or accessibility
of tools, expertise and know how, cultural or
behavioural factors (including networks),
incentives and rewards (including financial),
legislative or political drivers (e.g. big society
or localism).
Have there been any
unintended
consequences of scaling
up?
What are the three key
lessons you or your
organisation have
learnt about how to
better scale up ideas?
What, if any, were the barriers to the idea
spreading?
May explore limited access to tools, expertise
or know how, individual or cultural barriers,
financial barriers, legislative or political
barriers.
Is there a mechanism within your organisation
for sharing good ideas? If yes, how well is it
used? How are those ideas sorted and
filtered? Who filters them?
What one thing could
central government
could do to better
facilitate or support the
spread of ideas?
Do you want to be
involved in our next
steps? Can you help
us launch our end
product?
We uncovered a wealth of insight into the practical opportunities and
challenges faced by organisations and individuals attempting to scale up their
innovative ideas. Here is a further selection:
1.
Discover
* Data was gathered from over 30 one-to-one interviews with a range of innovators, including social entrepreneurs and
enterprises, representatives of the voluntary and community sector, individuals from private sector organisations, and public
sector employees from both central and local government.
“Must be transparent in
learning (and sharing)
lessons from failure and
success.”
“Make it easier for the
smaller guys to get in
and provide value.”
“Scaling up will not occur
without cultural change
within how the public
sector operates and
interacts.”
“Importance of
networking,
collaboration, providing
an interface, and
partnership working.”
“Must never underestimate the importance
of scaling up through
connections and the six
degrees of separation.“
“Important for the social
enterprise cohort to come
together to share learning
and enable peer
networking.”
“You need to identify the
context, what the
problem was, and what
the solution was – but
then highlight what the
common solution that
can be used by all is.”
““Scale up and
disseminate through a
range of mechanisms:
workshops, bringing
people face to face
discussion, as well as
conferences and
dissemination events “
“There needs to be all the
right ingredients, all at
once that spark scaling
up. This could be by
creating the space,
encouraging the right skill
set, or having networks
in place.”
“There needs to be a
diversity and range of
mechanisms to promote,
stimulate and diffuse
innovative ideas –
including evaluation
mechanisms, taking
forward pilots, and
networks.”
“Organisational skills,
conditions and
behaviour must focus on
being open and
porous, be supportive,
and encourage sharing.
These are all the skills of
a natural innovator.”
“You should be able to
learn what’s out there,
and adapt it to suit your
local area. “
We uncovered a wealth of insight into the practical opportunities and
challenges faced by organisations and individuals attempting to scale up their
innovative ideas. Here is a further selection:
1.
Discover
* Data was gathered from over 30 one-to-one interviews with a range of innovators, including social entrepreneurs and
enterprises, representatives of the voluntary and community sector, individuals from private sector organisations, and public
sector employees from both central and local government.
“Central government’s
role is to set the overall
direction of travel,
crucially allowing local
and regional flexibility
to tailor to their
localities.”
“Central government
should hold a mirror up to
itself and ask – how are
we getting in the way in
the new decentralised
world?”
“Need a focal point – a
catalyst which makes
things join up and hold
people to account.”
“You should always try
out ideas to see if it
works – and ask the
question, if it doesn’t
work everywhere, why
not?”
“Most innovations have
boundaries – whether it’s
the siloed nature of the
funding, or the legal
barriers in the way.
“Identify those with the
skills to pick up on the
innovative ideas, and:
(a) push them forward;
(b) adapt and tailor them;
and (c) value them and
highlight them as
successes. “
“There is a lack of sharing
knowledge within and
across organisations.
There needs to be a
distinct fertilization of
knowledge and lessons
learned.”
“Lack of support from the
public sector - this
seems to be due to
systems, bureaucracy
and culture (rather than
individual people not
being interested.”
“There should be critical
internal challenge and
perspective in place – this
can contribute added
value to the scaling up
process. All you need to
do is use your existing
staff better.”
“Champion and talk about
the success stories as
part of the solution. But
also have the confidence
to highlight failure…
Innovation is a
continuum, of which
failure is a part.”
“Need to ask yourself
what the problem to
which scaling up is the
solution? How would
you characterise the
problem – what’s creating
that problem, and what is
the full breadth of the
issue?”
“Disconnect between
the centre and the
ground on innovation.
All the ideas that are
seen as ‘innovative’ by
Government
Departments still tend to
be driven by top
leadership…”
The team worked on a number of work streams at design stage including exploratory
discussions on some and testing or prototyping of others. Here is the full list:
ANNEX F
Product
What it is
Who benefits
Next steps / when by
Implementer
Model for a
portfolio
approach to
funding
Several innovations are
supported in parallel with funding
diverted from those that fail to
those that succeed
Public sector investors: it
manages risks and
reduces fear of failure
Pilot use of model: test it,
prove it, grow it, adopt it.
DH National
Innovation Fund
Outcome-based
Commissioning
Network
Network to share knowledge on
commissioning which focuses on
evaluation and an end result that
demonstrates social value
Commissioners
Feed recommendations
into Government's work on
Big Society Bank and
propose event.
TBC
Crowd-sourcing
at Defra
To mainstream scaling up
innovation into Government's
crowd sourcing approach by
including relevant questions (e.g.
whether certain regulations get
in the way of scaling up
innovation) and influencing
design of website
Smaller organisations
coming into contact with
restrictive legislation
Working with Defra policy
team to look at questions
asked and raising
awareness with other
departments.
Each member of the project
influencing process through
their own departmental
leads
No 10 via the
Defra Better
Regulation Team
Mutuals
Taskforce
Public Sector
Scaling Up
Innovation
award
Public Sector Innovators
Central government by
receiving more
constructive feedback
DCLG Innovation
team
Asked the taskforce to consider
means of scaling ideas and
ways of working more widely,
and how to demonstrate
evidence for social returns of an
idea to make a case for scaling
To add a specifically scaling up
award to the existing innovation
award to the annual ‘Civil
Service Awards’.
Mutuals
Taskforce
Practitioners who scale up
Practitioners with an idea
they want to scale up,
learning from others
Continue working with
awards team to ensure new
category is included in next
round. Use it to identify a
network of Scaling up
champions
BIS / CO
Product
What it is
Who benefits
Next steps / when by
Implementer
Scaling-up
Digital
Innovation
framework
(see Annex J)
A one-stop shop for
advice which helps
identify digital products
ripe for replication
Digital innovators looking to
scale up and identify
partners
Hold discussions with
implementers on how the
model can be tested and
developed in step with the
follow-up to HMG ICT Strategy.
LGDC / LCIOC
working with
Government
skunkworks and
Tell Us Once
Cascade the framework more
widely.
Consider whether it can be
embedded into other policy
areas.
Central team to
act as focal
point for
innovation
Means of driving forward
systemic change which
supports scaling up
including: how to
evaluate; wider use of
change agents; and
using Departmental
Business Plans.
Public sector innovators
Finalise proposal to include
narrative, timeline and
framework for implementing a
central team.
BIS / DCLG with
Cabinet Office and
No10
Natural Value
Ambassadors
Network of credible
change agents with a
focus on scaling up
innovative ideas. NVAs
are an example of the
use of change agents
Local natural environment
from use of known
successful approaches
Following policy collaboration
workshop to co-design NVA
approach, ensure this report is
cited in White Paper to cement
commitment to supporting
scaling up
Defra Natural
Environment White
Paper team.
Ultimately, the
Natural Value
Ambassadors
Central government – policy
delivered more effectively &
reputational benefit for doing
something differently and
working locally
Product
What it is
Who benefits
Next steps / when by
Implementer
Mentor scheme
Public sector wide mentor
scheme to support and
encourage those trying to
scale up
Practitioners who would
like to scale up
Pursue with No10
DCLG / BIS
To provide a linked / interconnected one-stop online
shop for public sector
innovators to find out about
ideas that could be or have
been adopted or adapted
elsewhere
All practitioners with
ideas to share
Further discussions
between the two
departments to establish
functioning connected
platform
BIS + DCLG
Civil Service Fast stream
and National Graduate
Development Programme
shared event to develop
connections and share ideas
on innovation especially in a
policy context.
All members of the two
graduate schemes and
their employing
organisations
Organise and run event.
Disseminate learning
from event. Future
activities could include
Lion’s Lair sessions and
network of innovation
talent scouts.
DCLG Fast
Stream committee
Link up individuals and
organisations wanting to
scale up to avoid reinventing
the wheel
Those wanting to scale
but unsure how
Coventry, Warks and
Solihull to test the
approach in service
delivery
TBC
One-stop online shop
Speed networking
event
Brokerage: SUI
‘match.com’
Public sector
organisations that see
the value of scaling up
Experts who can connect
with partners / deliverers
more easily
NGDP
International Case Studies: Australian Government
ANNEX G
Innovation is a core concept of the Australian Government’s drive for high performing
public services. Encouraging continuous improvement and innovation is seen by them as
being essential to developing the best solutions to challenging policy problems. In 2010,
they published a report on ‘Empowering Change: Fostering Innovation in the Australian
Public Service’, which sought to make a number of recommendations to support and drive
an innovation culture within the Australian Public Service.
Identified barriers to innovation at the diffusion
phase of the innovation process included:
To overcome these barriers, the report recommended a number of tools that
can support the diffusion of innovation throughout the public sector, including:
• risk adversity, and unwillingness to prototype
untested ideas
• strategy, and understanding why scaling up fits within our organisational goals
• short term focus, and being responsive to the
immediate political challenges
• failure of leadership, in driving outcomes and
diffusion of ideas
• policies and procedures, and not being able to
gain approval
• efficiency and resources, including time and
funding
• external opposition, and fear of negative public
or stakeholder reaction
• measurement and impact, and demonstrating
why an idea should be scaled
• environmental scanning, and going externally to see what innovative ideas are
being trialled and implemented elsewhere
• innovation roles, and having coaches, champions, and sponsors to drive
forward the scaling up of innovation
• people and training, and building an organisation’s innovation appetite and
capability
• resources, having these in place to evaluate, trial and implement innovative
ideas
• innovation teams, to provide support, give advice, strengthen the business
case, connecting innovators, and providing links to lessons learned
• idea management systems, and having a process for managing, tracking,
progressing, and recording ideas
• lack of champions, to push forward ideas
• measuring and reporting, and understanding the impacts achieved (and if not,
why not), and identifying and celebrating the successes,
• scrutiny, as a disincentive
• evaluation, and recording lessons learned
• identifying success factors, and understanding
what led to the successful outcomes
• awards, which provide recognition for innovation, and also information that
can inform future innovation
[1] Empowering Change, http://www.apsc.gov.au/mac/empoweringchange.htm
International Case Studies: Denmark
Denmark host a cross-ministerial innovation unit called MindLab, which
involves citizens and businesses in co-creating new solutions for society. Run
by (and working with civil servants in) the Ministry of Economic and Business
Affairs, the Ministry of Taxation, and the Ministry of Employment – MindLab is
instrumental in helping the Danish government’s policy-makers view their
efforts from the outside-in and view service design and delivery from a citizen’s
perspective.
MindLab’s mission focuses on five strategic objectives: innovation
(development and dissemination of new innovative public solutions that
produce better outcomes); efficiency (using public resources better); culture
(transforming civil service culture and practices to increase collaboration);
knowledge (sharing experience and lessons learned); visibility (communicating
new methods and ways of working).[1]
Activities of the unit are spread across four central areas: project support (providing expertise and
innovative methodology); training (giving civil servants the capability to take forward user driven
policy solutions); research (including PhD projects); and finally dissemination. MindLab is keen to
ensure that it actively disseminates internally and externally information on MindLab’s
“competencies, working methods, projects and specific results and experiences”[2]. This includes:
• information about what MindLab is and does;
• inspirational presentations, on the role of co-creation and the benefits it offers;
• developing an Innovation Guide of “practical tools to help public sector project managers create new
ideas”[3]
• a network of project managers based in each of the three sponsoring ministries, who “disseminate
knowledge about new methods and approaches” and provide a platform for exchanging experiences
• running seminars and workshops to “present experiences and development perspectives” on public
sector innovation
• placements of civil servants from the sponsoring ministries in MindLab
[[] http://www.mind-lab.dk/en/about_mindlab/strategy_and_values
[2] MindLab Results Report, 2010, www.mind-lab.dk/assets/431/MindLab_Results_Report_2010.pdf
[3] http://innovationsguiden.dk
International Case Studies: America
The Executive Office of the President’s 2009 “Strategy for American Innovation”
recommended that the Federal Government should “take advantage of the
expertise and insight of people both inside and outside” to “use high-risk, highreward policy tools such as prizes and challenges to solve tough problems,
support the broad adoption of community solutions that work, and form highimpact collaborations with researchers, the private sector, and civil society”[1].
Tools put forward in the White Paper to achieve the space for public sector and
civil society innovation are not dissimilar to the public service reform promoted
by the Coalition Government, and include: promoting innovative, open, and
competitive markets; making the government more transparent, participatory,
and collaborative, and promoting open government (and data).
But the White Paper also went one step further, and proposed committing White
House resources to the scaling and promoting of community innovations
through the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.
Obama was clear that Federal Government should be supporting the grass root
social innovators to develop the solutions to America’s challenges, and this
should be done in a way that focused on outcomes, encouraged bottom up
solutions, and broadened participation in communities[2].
To achieve these objectives, the Office works closely with Government
agencies to create the tools (such as innovation funds, prizes and other social
capital market structures) to drive resources towards community solutions that
are able to demonstrate successful outcomes; and collaborates with others
across the public sector to “promote better mechanisms to measure and
evaluate programs and improve outcomes, to create knowledge about what
works, and to disseminate why it works”, breaking down the barriers to
innovation that currently exist[3].
[1] White House, 2009, ‘A Strategy for American Innovation’, http://www.whitehouse.gov/admistration/eop/nec/StrategyforAmericanInnovation /
[2] White House, 2011, ‘Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation’, http://www.whitehouse.gov/admistration/eop/sicp
[3] White House, 2011, ‘About SICP – The Community Solutions Agenda’, http://www.whitehouse.gov.uk/administration/eop/sicp/about
International Case Studies: America
Since the Innovation Strategy was published in 2009 (and revised in January 2011[1]), the US Government has committed to a number
of initiatives and models that encourage the scaling of the most promising social innovations. Including:
Innovation funds to “find the most effective programs out
there and then provide the capital needed to replicate their
success in communities around the country that are facing
similar challenges”[2]. Social Innovation Fund grants (totalling
$50m in 2010) are funded in alignment with evidence of impact
and potential to scale, with a selection criteria that focuses on:
outcomes, evidence, learning, sustainability, and scalability.
Community Solutions Tours across the country “to find the best
community solutions… learn more about them, and to help
spread good ideas across the country”. The aim is that the
knowledge generated from the Tour (which has so far visited over
10 states), “will inform the Office’s agenda and allow us to bring
back knowledge about what works on the ground” to drive their
policy agenda[3].
Prizes and challenges to stimulate innovation and “enlist
bottom-up problem solvers in identifying new ways to create
progress”[4]. In 2010, the Federal Government launched
Challenge.gov – an “online challenge platform” which acts as a
one-stop shop to identify innovative solutions to a particular
public sector problem (or challenge), and bring together best
practice and lessons learned[5]. All Federal Government
Departments are actively involved, and challenges include
designing web apps for healthcare data, and producing
campaigns to raise awareness about mental health.
Partnership to collaborate with “nonprofits, foundations,
philanthropists, private organizations, academia, and all levels of
government” to solve shared problems. Initiatives within this
grouping are guided by the principles of building upon others’
expertise, capabilities and skills; and leveraging collective action.
Examples include Allforgood.com (which utilised crew members
from Google’s 20% time), which allows users to browse
volunteering activities based on location and interest, and share
these with others[6].
[1] White House, 2011, ‘A Strategy for American Innovation’, http:///www.whitehouse.gov/innovation/strategy/innovation
[2] White House, 2011, ‘Innovation Funds’, http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/sicp/initiatives/innovation-funds
[3] http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/sicp/initiatives/communuity-solutions-tour
[4] http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/sicp/initiatives/prizes-challenges
[5] http://challenge.gov/search
[6] http://www.allforgood.org/about
International Case Studies: Singapore and France
For a number of years, the Singapore Government hosted
‘The Enterprise Challenge’, an initiative that encouraged the
development of high level innovative (mainly technical)
solutions to challenges the country faces. TEC was intended
to help new and un-proven ideas overcome the “hurdles for
adopt on” by “providing funding and test-beds for innovators to
trial test risky, unproven innovations that could bring about
quantum leap improvements in the delivery of public services, if
proven and implemented”[1]. But TEC also went one step
further, by offering to provide “platforms for innovators to
showcase their innovations” and to look beyond the TEC trial
period to search for funding, potential investors and customers.
The Singapore Public Service also produces ‘Challenge’, a
bimonthly magazine which is dedicated to encouraging
innovation within the public sector.
‘Challenge’ is distributed online to
the entire SPS, and provides
articles on the “diversity and
creativity of our Public Service”
and dares to ask “the hard
questions that… spur us to higher
heights”[2]. Current articles
include, ’10 ways to kill a
brainstorm’, ‘Gov 2.0: pulling
together for better outcomes’, and
‘Public Service – are you really
lovin’ it?’.
[1] http://www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge/2005_09/innovation/innovation.html
[2] http://www.challenge.gov.sg
[3] www.la27eregion.fr
Within France, La 27 Region
innovation network has positioned
itself as the “first agency of public
innovation that allows regions to
prepare for the future and change
their methods of action”[3].
Focusing mainly on horizon scanning activities, the hub has
two core objectives – firstly, to “promote the production and
exchange of innovative ideas between regions”, and
secondly, to “give policymakers and citizens the elements of
understanding on the future of the territories in the digital
age”.
Supported by the Association of Regions of France (a public
sector body which works to encourage partnership between
Government, Parliament, and regional councils), La 27
Region’s success is founded upon the premise that regions
work together by “identifying and promoting their
innovations… talking [to] each other about their ideas and
projects… [and] opening up their minds to other regions and
at the national (and) international scale”.
This public interest project helps the French regions create
“new ideas, creative approaches, prototypes or original scripts
for the future” in relation to the themes and challenges they
have identified as policy priorities. Current projects include:
how to create public space to encourage citizen participation;
and towards a culture of public transformation.
International Case Studies: Victoria Public Service
The Australian Local Government community have also committed to
encouraging innovation through the local public sector. They have
established an ‘Innovation Central’ wiki to “provide a platform for individual
employed in local government to understand and educate themselves
through sharing information and experiences on innovation”[1].
Victoria Public Service has additionally launched an Innovation Action Plan[2]
to ‘create’, ‘collaborate’, and ‘change’. The aim of the action plan is to “make
innovation an integral part of how [they] approach [their] day-to-day work” to
drive home an environment that “creates the connections, and develops the
skills and culture that will stimulate ideas and turn them into action”. There
are four key initiatives:
[1]
[2]
1.
creating connections between people, ideas and opportunities – by developing a VPS
Hub (virtual platform for collaboration); and Innovation Zone (hosted on the VPS Hub,
and provides a platform for staff to come up with challenges and solutions); and an
Innovation Advisory Group (which monitors the implementation of the Action Plan);
2.
building innovation capability – by Innovation Transfer (secondments from the public
sector to the private and VCS); Innovation Skills (embedded in recruitment processes,
learning and development, and performance management); Innovation Toolbox (hosted
on the VPS Hub, a collection of tools, best practice and resources); and Communities of
Practice (hosted on the VPS Hub, and building groups of mutual interest);
3.
generating ideas and rewarding good practice – by Innovation Challenge (challenge to
generate new ideas to add specific policy or delivery problems); Micro Challenge
(challenge to save $1m through small space innovation projects); and Innovation Annual
Awards;
4.
sharing information and data – by Information and Data Sharing Business Case
(development of business case to identify opportunities).
http://innovativecouncil.wikidot.com/start
http://www.vpscin.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Innovation-Action-Plan1.pdf
International Case Studies: World Health Organisation
The World Heath Organisation (WHO) has developed
extensive guidance for scaling-up innovation from national
and sub-national localities and basic communities from
across the developing world.
The Challenge: While small scale innovations testing
ways to improve access to health care have often shown
impressive results, larger scale impact was rarely being
achieved.
4 Key lessons from WHO on Scaling-up
The Response: WHO took a proactive decision to move
to the fore-front of Scaling-Up Innovation research, best
practice strategy development and practical guidance
based on field-based experience and the direct
participation of professionals, people and communities
from across the developing world. [1]
What it does: It offers a focussed approach to scaling-up
innovation based on the work of health innovators,
practitioners, developers and community workers; drawn
from front-line field work across Africa, Asia and Latin
America.
It looks at the common frameworks to scaling-up
innovation that has been developed from this environment.
It poses challenges and questions to those working inside
and outside the normal public service hierarchies and
bureaucracies about how and why scaling-up matters and
how it can be achieved with the needs of people and their
communities in mind.
[1] See http://www.expandnet.net/PDFs/WHO_ExpandNet_Practical_Guide_published.pdf
• Base scaling-up innovation in the real world not just theory – piloting,
case study development and roll-out strategies need to be integral parts
of the process from the start – keep focussed – “Beginning with the end in
Mind”
• Proactive participation - Involve people and communities in the process
from the start to finish – this will help with scaling-up across multiple
environments as local communities adapt or adopt the innovation. “Field
based participation”
• Move away from the “gray market” - of scaling-up innovation literature
(studies about the innovation that just sit on bookshelves) to dynamic
case studies that are the basis for both corporate intelligence and access
to real lessons learnt.
• Be practical - Critical to ease of transfer is the capacity to simplify /
streamline the innovation as required to local circumstances.
Understanding what essential components need to be maintained during
the scale-up will allow for a proper balance to be maintained so that the
needs of local adaptors do not over-ride the priority of ensuring the
essential elements of the innovation can be replicated intact.
Within the current environment, scaling up of innovative ideas is achievable, as the UK
examples below demonstrate.
Hackney Community
Transport
Hackney Community Transport launched in 1982, backed by a
funding grant from Hackney Council. In the early 1990s, they
decided to build up a more sustainable business model – that
would focus on expanding the commercial elements of their
service delivery, to support the ‘social’ profit motive. It took almost
seven years for HCT to reach a level where they felt comfortable
that the business model could be sustained. This required a
complete change in mindset, in both the employees and the
Trustees. Now HCT have expanded to Leeds, Wakefield and Hull.
ANNEX H
SPICE
Timebanking
Spice began life as an institute within the University of Wales,
Newport. Over a 6 year period the community credit systems
developed and became increasingly successful in achieving
neighbourhood cohesion and engaging people in community
services. By focusing on replicating the model, Spice has now
spun-out as an independent organisation and with the support
of the university and of the Young Foundation in London are
now developing these applications across England and Wales
– working alongside communities and local authorities.
Tell Us Once
UKGovcamp
Following work completed by Cabinet Office, it was clear that
customers were having to approach several different Government
departments to provide the same information. DWP identified a
potential solution to this, which was given further impetus by the
2006 Government report by Sir David Varney on ‘Service
Transformation’. In response, the Government launched ‘Tell Us
Once’ – a single point of call for people to tell Government (central
and local) about changes to their circumstances. Led by DWP,
TUO is a collaborative initiative that spans across Government,
and has been prototyped in several local authority areas.
Following intensive piloting, the Coalition Government has
approved the national implementation of the TUS Service, with
national roll out during 2011.
UKGovcamp is the movement of self-organised
unconferences for government types with an interest in how
the public sector uses technology. Branching out from the
LocalGovcamp movement (which held events in a variety of
areas including Birmingham, Lincoln, and Cheltenham);
UKGovcamp now hosts an annual unconference event, run on
‘open space’ principles….without a pre-planned agenda! The
event aims to: create spaces for discussion and engagement,
allow the sharing of experiences and the creation of new
ideas, and encourage conversations amongst attendees from
a wide range of backgrounds across the public sector.
http://www.hctgroup.org/
http://www.justaddspice.org/index.html
The Coalition Government has already started to put in place some of the levers to facilitate the
scaling up of knowledge across the public sector and communities. But there is still further to
go to ensure that innovative ideas on public service delivery can be scaled at large.
Mutuals and
‘Rights to Provide’
The Coalition Government has committed to supporting the
innovation and entrepreneurialism of front line staff by enabling
them to form mutuals and co-operatives. These employee-led
mutuals will give frontline staff a real stake in the ownership and
governance of the organisations they work for – and will have a
crucial role in reforming public services.
In time, every department will put in place “Rights to Provide” for
public sector workers to take over the running of services. To
drive forward this initiative, a Mutuals Taskforce has been
established, and a second wave of Mutuals Pathfinders has
been launched. Scaling up questions that could be considered
include…
• How will the innovative ideas and ways of working differently
that are raised by frontline staff be disseminated, shared,
diffused and applied more widely by others?
• How can proposed mutuals demonstrate evidence for social
return and positive outcomes of an innovative idea to provide the
business case for scalability?
• How do you empower public servants with the skills, freedom,
and senior support to take an idea forward and deliver it?
• Is there a role for a mutual network to highlight real life case
studies, share knowledge, contacts, best practice, signpost, and
to encourage others to ‘scale up’?
http://www.hctgroup.org/
http://www.justaddspice.org/index.html
Online Ideas Management
The Key is a BIS sponsored programme to develop and pilot a
set of online open access innovation tools, in collaboration with
DWP and the NHS Innovation Centre (NIC) for use across the
public sector.
The programme is piloting three interconnected tools to help
public sector organisations to strengthen capability for
innovation:
Idea Street: an online ideas-management platform that can be
used to encourage employees or outside communities to put
forward ideas around operational, service or policy challenges.
The way Idea Street works encourages ideas to be developed
by the collective expertise within the community and the most
promising suggestions can be brought to the attention of
relevant decision makers.
Competition Manager: an online application of the Small
Business Research Initiative (SBRI) to help public sector
organisations to run competitions for business to provide
innovative solutions to public sector issues.
Spark: a showcase of rich media case studies to increase the
spread, adaptation and impact of innovations that have
delivered significant results in both efficiencies and results.
.
Digital Delivery – Scaling Up Innovation : 1 – Making Change Happen
ANNEX J
“Getting online can help people save money, find a job, access services in a way that works for
them, and make connections with each other and with their community. It will also help us all to
drive down the cost of delivering public services.”
David Cameron, June 2010
July 2010: DIGITAL DELIVERY WORKING GROUP
established, comprising:
• Cabinet Office
• Department for Communities and Local Government
• Local Government Association
• Local Government Improvement and Development,
• Local Government Delivery Council
• Local Chief Information Officer Council
• DirectGov and Race Online
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT…
Identified four areas for action arising from the launch
of the Manifesto for a Networked Nation
• Networked Nation launched – PM appoints Martha Lane Fox
Digital Champion and establishes “Digital by Default” policy for
UK Public Services.
1.
2.
Leverage of the £1bn plus investment in local online
services – how to overcome the problem of failing to
scale-up digital innovation
Establish linkage to Localism Big Society and
Transparency agendas
3.
Support Race-Online and Digital Inclusion
4.
How to identify digital innovation projects on the
ground that could be ripe for replication
• DCLG Digital Innovation Mash-up – an audit identified 200
plus local digital innovation / transformation projects across
England and Wales (See 3 overleaf)
• Cabinet Office – launch of Digital by Default, HMG ICT Strategy
and Government Digital Service
• Local CIO Council – Commissions the creation of Local Public
Service Routemap
• Breakthrough Solutions – Scaling-up Innovation project scoping a framework for scaling-up digital innovation (See 3
overleaf)
Digital Delivery – Scaling Up Innovation : 2 – Making the connections
ONE Digital
Digital Birmingham
Data Connects
Government Connect
Case Studies
Electronic Licence
Management
System
DIGITAL GOVERNMENT
& PUBLIC SERVICES
Tell Us Once
Online Free School Meals
Front Office Shared Services
Local DirectGov/Info4Local
LOGASnet
Government Connect
Employee Authentication
Service
Central Local
Innovation
DATA
TRANSPARENCY
Local Information
Partnerships
Places Database
Timely information to
Citizens Project
DIGITAL
INCLUSION
Digital Challenge 10
Front Office Shared
Services
Digital Inclusion PWC
Study
BIG SOCIETY : Give Communities more powers and encourage people to
take an active role in their communities.
OPEN PUBLIC SERVICES:
Open-up & publish Government data
BROADBAND
DELIVERY
Support Co-ops, mutuals,
charities & social enterprises
TRANSPRENCY :
LOCALISM : Transfer power from central to local government
Digital Delivery – Scaling Up Innovation : 3 - Front Line Innovation
My Norfolk - Norfolk County Council
on behalf of the Norfolk Ambition County
Strategic Partnership have established
Norfolk Connect’s Council Information
Centres which offers people within
isolated rural communities one-stop
access to a range of local services
available on and offline and providing,
where necessary referrals on, or sensible
signposting.
Liverpool - "My Neighbourhood" citizen portal for
service requests, neighbourhood problem reporting,
request tracking/automatic updates and providing
information on reported incidents and performance
against SLAs via interactive ‘neighbourhood
dashboard’
Brent’s e-enabled Client Index allows
Council staff to offer customers a
personalised response to their needs,
whilst at the same time helping staff to
eliminate wasteful duplications across
back office systems.
The ‘Redbridge i’ website has rewritten
the rules for council websites, in the
delivery of deliver highly personalised,
customer-driven ‘Web 2.0’ services.
Lichfield’s Business Data Standards
project has create an innovative
standardised approach to identity
assurance and data collection for
businesses that enables data sharing
both within an authority and across
agencies
Sunderland – The customer service centre at
Bunny Hill brings together business, public and
voluntary services in one place. This enables
the council and partner agencies to provide
access to a range of services to residents in
one of the more deprived areas in the city.
Local Govt “Digital” Studies
Front Office Shared
Services (FOSS)
Government Connect
Digital Challenge
DC10 LA
Kent has identified 3 projects which will delve
deeper into specific local issues in order to
identify new ways of tackling them, with the
emphasis on extending joined-up solutions.
Gateway multi channel access improvements,
a reduction in information duplication and the
Margate Task Force to facilitate regeneration.
“Communities in
Control”
Timely Information to
Citizen’s Projects
Local Data Sharing and Local
Information Systems
Total Place Pilots
Digital Delivery – Scaling Up Innovation : 4 - Scoping a scaling-up
framework
Outcome-focussed
Adoption
Open Innovation
Innovation
5 Stage Digital Scaling-Up
Framework
•Open Source
•Customer Insight
•Work with the end in mind
1
Innovation Teams
2
3
4
• Big Society/Localism
• Open Public Services
• HMG ICT Strategy
• Digital by Default
• Strategic Commissioning
• Shared Services
5
•Co-production
•Knowledge, Cost & burden sharing
•Multi–disciplinary resource Teams
1
Creating
a Vision
& Broad Strategy
2
Mapping
the Context
3
Establishing the
Preconditions for an
effective Scaling-up
Process
4
Options
Appraisal
5
Implementing the
Scaling-up
Process
Digital Scaling Up Framework-Next Steps
LCIOC/LGDC, and TUO in discussion on how the model can be tested and developed
in step with the follow-up to HMG ICT Strategy.
 Aim: LGDC/ LCIOC working with the Govt Skunkworks and Tell Us Once and test/
develop alongside Local Digital Public Service Routemap due to be published by the
LCIOC in June/July 2011.