81536 Leading Public Sector Innovation
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Subject handbook information prior to 2017 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 81533c Foundation Public Sector Innovation Practices AND 81534c Problem Framing
The lower case 'c' after the subject code indicates that the subject is a corequisite. See definitions for details.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
In this subject students learn how to initiate, lead and manage design-based innovation in their own organisation, and gain a deeper understanding of the implications of design-based innovation methodologies in the wider context of public sector innovation. Topics include influencing the organisational innovation culture, understanding the influence of the political context, and engaging with and learning from the evolving international body of knowledge on public sector innovation.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject students will have achieved the following:
| 1. | Knowledge of current best practices in public sector innovation |
|---|---|
| 2. | Critically engage with the growing body of knowledge on public sector innovation |
| 3. | Understand different approaches that can be employed to lead and drive change at different levels within the public sector |
| 4. | Understand how to encourage negotiation and collaboration across different disciplines and levels of hierarchy within the public sector |
| 5. | Identify emerging trends in public sector innovation, both nationally and internationally |
| 6. | Identify key barriers to innovation in the public sector, and opportunities and strategies for overcoming these |
| 7. | Understand how the framing of an organisation could foster or, conversely, inhibit opportunities for innovation in the public sector |
| 8. | Develop a plan for how to build innovation practices within their own professional environment |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the faculty's five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (see 'Graduate Attribute Development') through the following course intended learning outcomes:
- actively engage with professional public sector innovation networks to continuously learn from and contribute to the evolving body of knowledge of public sector innovation (A.2)
- apply leadership skills to take a proactive role in identifying and collaboratively addressing problem situations in a public sector context, and to promote the values of innovation to others working in the public sector (A.3)
- communicate and collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary team to develop innovative cross-disciplinary interventions (C.1)
- facilitate cross-organisational communication and collaboration in a public sector innovation context (C.2)
- apply design management principles to manage an innovation project in a public sector context (P.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject also contributes to the faculty's five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (see 'Graduate Attribute Development') through the following course intended learning outcomes:
- Communicate and collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary team to develop innovative cross-disciplinary interventions (C-1)
- Facilitate cross-organisational communication and collaboration in a public sector innovation context (C-2)
- Actively engage with professional public sector innovation networks to continuously learn from and contribute to the evolving body of knowledge of public sector innovation (A-2)
- Apply leadership skills to take a proactive role in identifying and collaboratively addressing problem situations in a public sector context, and to promote the values of innovation to others (A-3)
- Apply design management principles to manage an innovation project in a public sector context (P-2).
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is delivered in three intensive face-to-face blocks – the first block consists of two days, the second block of one day and the third of two days. These three blocks will be distributed throughout the session, at the beginning, middle and end.
Classes will be collaborative and have a strong emphasis on the critical evaluation of what public sector innovation is, and the various contextual factors that influence it. Students will explore the opportunities and challenges within this field through subject resources provided – including guest speakers, case studies and readings – and through resources sought independently. The subject will culminate in a mini symposium at the end of the subject, which the students will curate and prepare content for.
The course will be delivered through a combination of facilitated group exercises, individual independent research, guest lectures, group presentations. Learning resources for the subject range across research articles, online content, internet blogs, other suggested readings.
Content (topics)
- Methods and tactics for influencing the innovation culture in public sector organisations – distinguishing actions that are necessary from those that are optional.
- Current best practice in public sector innovation
- Power and accountability – negotiating and collaborating across disciplines, levels of management and operation within and across organisations
- Identifying and encouraging champions of innovation
- Ways of engaging – including making the most of your available resources and working with challenges.
- The key issues and opportunities in public sector innovation
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Paper: Understanding current problem solving and innovation practices
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): A.2 and C.2 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Essay |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 25% |
Assessment task 2: Organisational Frames
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 3, 6 and 7 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): A.3 and P.2 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
Assessment task 3: Symposium Content and Reflective Practice
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): A.2, A.3, C.1 and C.2 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 45% |
Required texts
- Dorst, K., Kaldor, L., Klippan, L. and Watson, R. 2016, Designing for the Common Good, BIS Publishers, Netherlands
- Kimbell, L. 2015, Applying Design Approaches to Policy Making: Discovering Policy Lab. Discussion Paper. University of Brighton, UK, viewed 9 January 2017, <https://researchingdesignforpolicy.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/kimbell_policylab_report.pdf >
- Kimbell, L. 2016, ‘Design in the Time of Policy Problems’, DRS2016: Design Research Society 50th Anniversary Conference, Design Research Society, UK, viewed 11 January 2017, <http://www.drs2016.org/s/498-Kimbell.pdf>
Recommended texts
Argyris, C. 2000, Flawed Advice and The Management Trap, Oxford University Press, UK.
Argyris, C. 2004, ‘Double-Loop Learning and Implementable Validity’, in H. Tsoukas and N. Mylonopoulos (Ed.), Organizations as Knowledge Systems, Palgrave Macmillan, UK, pp. 29-45.
Bason, C. 2010. Leading Public Sector Innovation: co-creating for a better society, Bristol, UK: Policy Press, 2010.
Blackmore, E., Hawkins R., Holmes, T., Wafeford, T. 2011, The Common Cause Handbook, Public Interest Research Centre, UK, viewed 24 November 2016, <http://valuesandframes.org/download/reports/Common-Cause-Handbook2.pdf>
Design Council UK 2015. Design in the Public Sector, report, Design Council UK, viewed 27 January 2017, <http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/DC_design_in_publicsec_WEB.pdf>
Dorst, K. 2015, Frame Innovation: Create new thinking by design, MIT Press, USA.
Formica, P 2017. 'Why Innovators Should Study the Rise and Fall of the Venetian Empire', Harvard Business Review, 17 January, viewed 27 January 2017, <https://hbr.org/2017/01/why-innovators-should-study-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-venetian-empire>
Foster Wallace, D. 2000, ‘Up, Simba: Seven Days on the Trail of an Anticandidate’, in D. Foster Wallace, (2005), Consider the lobster: and other essays. Little, Brown and Co., USA, pp. 182-277.
Talgam, I 2009, July. Italy Talgam: Lead like the great conductors [Video file]. Retrieved from <https://www.ted.com/talks/itay_talgam_lead_like_the_great_conductors>
