Innovation: Ideas with Impact

Transcription

1 UNCLASSIFIED IRBV Innovation: Ideas with Impact Ramona McDowell Employment and Social Development Canada World Association of Public Employment Services May 7, 2015

2 Outline A demanding new environment A response - Blueprint 2020 The innovation imperative Testing the Lab approach What we did What we learned along the way Things to think about 2

3 Demanding Environment for Governments TODAY S ENVIRONMENT Increasing globalization, issue complexity and interconnectedness CHALLENGE FOR PUBLIC SERVICES Engaging actors with varied interests, values on roles that in the past only governments played Accelerating technological change Meeting expectations for e-enabled services on clients terms Changing demographics Demand for efficient and transparent results Public servants shifting expectations Providing more customized services Making relevant information available to stakeholders Offering employees efficient tools and technologies, flexible ways of working 3

4 A Canadian response - Blueprint 2020 CHALLENGE FOR PUBLIC SERVICES CANADA S BLUEPRINT 2020 VISION Engaging actors with varied interests, values on roles previously played by governments An open and networked environment that engages citizens and partners for the public good Meeting clients expectations for e- enabled services Providing more customized services Making relevant information available to stakeholders Offering employees efficient tools and technologies, flexible ways of working A public service workforce that embraces new ways of working and mobilizes a diversity of talent to serve evolving needs A whole-of-government approach that enhances service delivery and value for money A modern workplace that makes smart use of technologies to improve networking, access to data and customer service 4

5 Becoming a Higher Performing Organization (HPO) Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) translated the Blueprint 2020 into concrete HPO commitments, including: Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement Enabling employees to spearhead change Innovating though policy, program and service improvements Learning from organizational evidence Innovation = Continued Relevance = Survival 5

6 Reality Check change is rarely easy There is a 70% failure rate for change initiatives in both the private and public sectors* Change often focuses on the concrete: software systems, organisational structure, processes The people and cultural aspects of implementing and sustaining change are more difficult Public sector budgets mean limited funds are available to support transformation * Research by McKinsey and Company 6

7 Innovation from within - on a budget Crowdsourcing innovation Small incremental changes can have a big impact Statistics Canada s Innovation Channel web platform crowdsources employeegenerated ideas, allows for voting and ranking the best ESDC includes stakeholders in policy development online through the National Call for Concepts on Social Finance Virtual collaboration with external partners Social Development Canada (part of ESDC) uses social media for collaborative dialogues with stakeholders on policy issues Change Labs to generate, shape and move forward innovative ideas Canada Revenue Agency emphasises behavioural economics and nudges ESDC focuses on new approaches to bridge policy, program and service perspectives in solving client problems Change Labs respond to several Blueprint 2020 and HPO commitments embracing new ways of working, mobilizing talent, engaging employees and policy and service innovation 7

8 Changes Labs some inspirations A Change Lab creates an environment that fosters collaboration, creativity and innovation An approach to problem solving that bridges knowledge gaps, establishes connections among actors and uses experimental techniques to develop policies, programs and client services MindLab (Denmark) Cross-governmental innovation unit brings together government, citizens and businesses to create solutions that reflect the reality of end-users CoLab (Alberta Canada) Government social innovation lab taking a multi-stakeholder approach to policy design, development and implementation 8

9 Why an ESDC Change Lab? Break down silos Reduce risks associated with new initiatives Bring multiple perspectives to policies, services Build innovative capacity on complex issues Foster use of innovative policy tools, e.g., nudges Enable employees to lead change Put in place a constant feedback loop between policy, program and service delivery, including frontline services. 9

10 Using the Change Lab to develop new approaches Challenges for ESDC employment programs: Connecting Canadians with available jobs Aligning the training system with the employment needs of businesses Ensuring flexible and responsive services for Canadians Policy objectives: Effective skills utilization - fewer gaps Greater employer engagement Increasing workplace training Not unique to Canada - Public Employment Services around the world are developing approaches to cope with skills gaps 10

11 Labs: A method and a process ASSESS AND ACT DESIGN TEST DEPLOY LEARN AND ITERATE Challenges - time constraints around the planning process, lack of common problem definition, incomplete evidence, improving value of existing research, lack of mechanisms to support horizontal work Approach - combine elements from design thinking, complexity science and cognitive science, draw on other sources of knowledge to generate evidence, rapid prototyping, safe to fail experiments to reduce risks 11

12 Getting started An enthusiastic change agent Including the right people (facilitator, participants, resource people), broad diversity Working out a process that could be completed in weeks 12

13 How can we increase employer-led training? Visualising the problem DESIGN Examining the evidence: OECD country reports Additional reading Group discussion Interviews Identifying patterns of good practices Selecting design elements Developing low resolution prototypes 13

14 Using safe to fail testing to refine prototypes TEST Ritual dissent by the team Challenge by external partners Challenge by internal decision makers Reworking prototypes 14

15 Examples of our prototypes No more excuses Getting to Work Great Work! Awards -Repurposes existing employer-led network - No worries support for businesses hiring and retaining workers with a disability -Helps meet demand for workers in tight labour markets -Addresses recruitment and retention issues -Funded by subscription -Crowd sources workplace training practices -Nudges future efforts by employers -Increases evidence on bottom-line impacts 15

16 Next steps - making ideas reality DEPLOY Assigning champions Forming task teams that include operational and evaluation perspectives Integrating into suite of policy responses Following up to evaluate success 16

17 What worked 1. Created new networks between participants that will support future horizontal approaches 2. Knowledge gained through real-life on the ground can fill research gaps around cause-effect 3. Greater openness to non-traditional approaches, even among sceptics 4. Rapid restocking of policy options at a critical time 5. Work can be fun 17

18 Things to think about 1. You are not alone other countries are dealing with the same messy reallife problems 2. An expert facilitator is critical to early success and to build internal capacity 3. Look for patterns of elements rather than complete programs to adapt 4. A dedicated space is helpful, communication technology is vital 5. Timing is important there is no bad time for good ideas, but some moments are more opportune 6. Engage all the problem-owners, but identify a clear champion to implement solutions 18

19 Thank you 19