This report was written by Devon Genua, Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact; Andi Mirviss, Programme Manager, Centre for Public Impact; Majo Acosta Robayo, Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact; and Josh Sorin, Programme Director, Centre for Public Impact.

Report name

Failing Forward in Local Government: How-to Guide

Who wrote this report?

The Centre for Public Impact is a global non-profit organisation. They act as a learning partner for governments, public servants, and the diverse network of changemakers leading the charge to reimagine government so that it works for everyone.

In the summer of 2021, the Centre for Public Impact and the National Association of County Administrators asked public servants from county governments across the country a rather sensitive question: why is it so hard for you to acknowledge and learn from failures? What do you want to do about it?

These questions are important because they believe that all innovations begin with failures. Regardless of the degree of an innovation’s complexity, the innovation process begins when an individual or team notices things are not going according to plan and tests out different ideas to address the problem. Learning from failures along the way is key to finding the best solutions.

Through a year-long pilot programme titled Failing Forward in Local Government, 100+ public servants from four different counties embarked on a journey to answer those questions.

This document is a how-to guide that distils the best practices of this programme for any public servant interested in building a similar culture in their workplaces.

Best quote

All nine departments that participated in the Fail Forward programme experienced some amount of scepticism about the utility of failing forward, frustration about an idea that didn’t work, and concern about their ability to ‘get it all done’ amid competing priorities. Each of them navigated through those moments to arrive at worthwhile outcomes: understanding the value of challenging assumptions, forming stronger team relationships rooted in psychological safety, and gaining confidence with new tools to support organisational agility and healthy risk-taking.

**Key takeaways: **

  • The Failing Forward in Local Government methodology builds cultures of innovation in which employees - from department directors to frontline workers - are incentivised and motivated to embrace experimentation and continuous learning in their day-to-day. Rather than focusing on one particular policy area to innovate on, Failing Forward in Local Government creates the enabling conditions for innovation to occur across entire government departments.
  • Failing Forward in Local Government addresses interpersonal and structural challenges to innovation. The Failing Forward methodology is highly effective at creating cultural dynamics where all staff see themselves as innovators.
  • This document provides specific guidance for public servants to conduct the Fail Forward programme independently. Structured as a ‘How-To’ it includes instructions, examples, and templates for the entire process.

What’s in this report?

This document is a how-to guide that distils the best practices of this programme for any public servant interested in building a similar culture in their workplace.

This guide is structured in two main parts and an appendix:

  1. The introduction, which explains the practice, theory, and impact of the original pilot programme.
  2. The toolkit, which provides clear instructions and examples for doing this work should you be interested in pursuing it yourself. This is a ‘how-to’ for implementing the Fail Forward programme on your own time!
  3. An appendix, which includes case studies, more information about the theoretical underpinnings of the programme, and participating departments’ specific problems and solutions.

Why should you read this report?

By implementing this toolkit, governments will participate in a series of activities that ultimately lead to the development of ideas that promote innovation and failing forward. The benefit extends beyond these ideas, however: the process of understanding challenges and testing out solutions creates organisational dynamics and builds skills that enable greater innovation down the line.

A few of the skills and cultural changes you can expect:

  • A more holistic understanding of your departments’ barriers to innovation.
  • Incorporating human-centred design methods, including stakeholder interviews, data synthesis, and idea testing.
  • More open and honest communication with staff across organisational hierarchies.
  • A plan to sustain your momentum over time.

Who is this report for?

The toolkit is for any public servant interested in fostering a more innovative organisational culture that is rooted in failing forward. While it is crucial to have the buy-in of senior leadership (e.g., department director or county administrator) for the programme to be successful, anyone with the time to lead the work should be able to. This programme works for departments across a wide range of topical areas (e.g., public works, housing, animal services).

🔗 Read the full report here. 🔗

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