Innovation and the Public Service: Achieving Inclusive Service Delivery

Paul Plantinga

No e2xaz, SocArXiv from Center for Open Science

Abstract: Recent science, technology and innovation (STI) policy statements from South Africa call for an ‘expanded’ national system of innovation, which includes embedding innovation practices within government sector departments – especially those involved in key social development areas - whilst transforming the current ‘mindset’ and ‘culture’ of public servants. These proposals for expanding public official involvement in innovation intersect with a history of attempts to modernise and professionalise the public service. From this perspective, innovation is mainly associated with enhancing public sector performance and improving government service delivery, especially in underserved areas. For many government entities there is also pressure to leverage their procurement resources and coordinating capacity to enable external innovation by firms and within communities, and thereby stimulate technology localisation and economic development. These changing roles and expectations lead to tensions between stakeholders as well as project failures or delays. By exploring emerging innovation practices inside South Africa’s sector departments, state-owned enterprises, municipalities and public innovation intermediaries, this chapter shows how different organisations and public officials contribute specific legitimacies and capacities which can be better recognised and enhanced to achieve positive innovation and service delivery outcomes.

Date: 2021-03-17
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:socarx:e2xaz

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/e2xaz

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