Innovation Lab: A transformation tool

This article is written by Mariane Hartung, Head of the Personnel Management Department and member of the e-Lab, Public Ministry of the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

• The problem: Innovation in the public sector is increasingly proving to be a way of delivering better quality, more efficient and more effective services to citizens, but how can this practice be promoted and disseminated? Which tools can assist in this process?
• Why it matters: Social problems are dynamic and complex and this forces public organisations to think of new ways to solve them.
• The solution: Innovation solves problems!

In an age of frequent and rapid change, innovation is a necessity for every organisation. Those who do not innovate – including public institutions – become outdated, since social problems are also dynamic problems. The fundamental role of innovation in achieving the desired efficient, effective and comprehensive public service is increasingly evident.

An innovative government understands the role of new technologies.

Since 2011, Brazil has been a member of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), an international initiative that currently has more than 78 participating countries, which aims to promote good governance and improve society by strengthening democracy with the use of digital technology. The Action Plan prepared by Brazil shows that some of the principles for an open government are technology and innovation, noting that an innovative government understands the role of new technologies and seeks to assure citizens of the possibility of using new development tools and provides access to them. In this scenario, public ministries also need to create a culture aimed at improving the service provided to society in order to achieve the institution envisioned by the Brasília Charter: a more resolute and preventive Public Ministry.

The innovation laboratory proves to be an important tool for the promotion of an innovative culture.

The innovation laboratory proves to be an important tool for the promotion of an innovative culture. In order to achieve this, it is necessary that the agents involved align themselves with the ideals of innovation for a more effective and efficient public service. Hence, we can list a number of alternatives capable of fostering a culture of transformation in the public sector, for example: information management, simplification and modernisation of processes, performance evaluation and results control, human resources management, planning and organisational development. In this scope, the innovation laboratory presents itself as a complete option when it is intended to engage, aggregate and stimulate innovative practices in organisations.

In this space, it is possible to become immersed in existing problems by prototyping and testing the proposed ideas. In this flexible environment, creativity is fostered through interdisciplinary, collaborative groups aimed at solving problems that will generate answers for the citizens who are the final beneficiary of all the work. With favourable conditions, it is possible to encourage the proposal of new ideas and strengthen inter-sector communication within the institution, spreading a culture of innovation.

For Koslosky; Speroni and Gauthier (2015, p.13) the “use of innovation ecosystems, where innovation is based on the user, allows them to assume the most varied roles during the process, acting from the conception to the use of the generated goods and services.” In this way Namba (2006) defines that “An innovation ecosystem is defined as an infrastructure to foster innovation, where suppliers and demands of innovation interact as a strategic public. The user is called to participate as a co-creator of the innovation”. Innovation laboratories are, therefore, an innovation ecosystem, a structure capable of promoting the transformation of processes within public organisations as they integrate employees with the purpose of solving existing demands in an efficient, effective and transparent manner.

“Innovation laboratories in the public sector are collaborative environments that seek to foster creativity, experimentation and innovation, through the adoption of active methodologies and co-creation, in solving problems” (SANO, 2020). Consolidating the ideas presented above, we have a more objective definition of the innovation laboratory for public administration.

As for the actual implementation of these ecosystems Farias et al. (2016, p. IX) point out that “innovation laboratories in several countries are beginning to disseminate innovative practices under the most diverse umbrellas, such as design thinking, nudge and evidence-based policy making).” Therefore, from a theoretical and practical point of view, these environments have the potential to guarantee the dissemination of a set of skills and tools capable of transforming the way organisations – and here I emphasise public bodies – manage and solve citizens problems and processes.

A valuable example of successful practice in an innovation laboratory is Inova by the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro which was first formally structured and installed in the Brazilian Public Ministry. It started its activities in 2019 and already has 15 experiments in different areas with interdisciplinary integration, encouraging and mobilising its members on the way to building an institution capable of solving challenges.

When the organisation realises the need for an ecosystem like this, implementing it and putting it into practice is an advantage. This is especially true when it comes to a public organisation that deals with laws and regulations that, as we know, struggle to keep up with technological and societal advances.

Investment in innovation is already a basic need for any organisation. Any company that does not align its efforts in this direction will lose engagement, efficiency and effectiveness in the short term.

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