Pioneering Public Sector Innovation: The Case of Greece’s e-Government Team

Athanasios Pantazis Deligiannis () and Vassilios Peristeras
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Athanasios Pantazis Deligiannis: School of Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, 574 00 Thessaloniki, Greece
Vassilios Peristeras: School of Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, 574 00 Thessaloniki, Greece

Administrative Sciences, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-27

Abstract: This study offers the first systematic exploration of the Greek e-Government team, a public sector innovation unit that operated within the Office of the Prime Minister of Greece from 2009 to 2012—the sole example of such a unit in the country. It illustrates how strategically positioned innovation units can function as change agents within government bureaucracies. The purpose of this work was to analyze how this distinctive unit functioned by bridging policy formulation, legislative drafting, and technological implementation at the highest government levels. The research involved thematic analysis of original interviews conducted with most core members of the team. The findings highlight successes, notably the Diavgeia transparency platform, which markedly improved administrative transparency, accountability, and citizen access to government decisions. Important challenges were also identified, particularly regarding the sustainability of the unit, issues of institutionalization, and meaningful citizen engagement. The experience of the Greek e-Government team suggests that public sector innovation (PSI) units are most effective when they combine high-level political access with multidisciplinary expertise and operational flexibility. The analysis also reveals inherent tensions between the need for centralized coordination and the benefits of decentralized implementation, as well as challenges in maintaining citizen participation throughout the policy development process.

Keywords: public sector innovation; innovation labs; digital transformation; agile governance; public sector transparency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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