Innovative Policy Labs in the Public Administration

Innovative Policy Labs in the Public Administration

Whatis a PolicyLab?

A GovernmentPolicyLaboranInnovationLabis a specialistteam, workingin a creativespace, whichaimstotacklecomplexchallengesintheformulationandimplementationofgovernmentpolicy. Labsexperimentwithandproposeinnovativepublicservicesandpolicies; at thesametime, theytrytoreformandchangethewaygovernmentoperates. PolicyLabsareallcharacterisedbystrongconnectionstothepublicsectorandcivilsociety.

PolicyLabsareincreasinglybeingsetupbynationaladministrationsthatareseekingtoimplementnewmethodsofpolicydevelopmentacrossgovernment, andhavealreadycontributedsignificanteconomicandsocialbenefitstotheareasinwhichtheyareactive. TheEuropeanCommissionhasitsown EU PolicyLab, andrecentlycreatedtheLabConnectionseventandnetworkwhichaimstocreateanopenspaceforcollaborationbetweenpolicylabsandpolicy-shapers at local, regional, nationaland EU level.

Howdoes a PolicyLabtypicallywork?

PolicyLabsusuallyinvolve a smallteam (4-10 people) thatbetweenthemhaveexperienceofallrelevantareasofpolicyinnovation (e.g. projectmanagement, softwaredesign, datavisualisation, communications, facilitation, researchanddevelopmentetc.). ThecoreteamisoftensupplementedduringspecificprojectsbysecondedexpertsfromMinistries, whobringtheirpolicyexpertise, andbyuniversitystudentsorinterns. PolicyLabscanbeinternaltopublicadministrations, housedinoneormoreministries, orexternalcontractorsemployedforindividualprojects.

PolicyLabsuse a rangeoftoolsforpolicyinnovation. Thesecaninclude: workshopswithpolicyteamsandstakeholdersthataimtostimulateinnovativeideas; researchanddatacollection; trialstotestnewmethods; andonlineopenpolicytoolkits. Theserviceprovidedwilldependontherequirementsoftheproject. InputfromPolicyLabsisnotlimitedtoonestageofthepolicy-makingprocess.

WhatisthecurrentstatusofPolicyLabsinthe EU?

Accordingto a recent EU reportonpublicpolicylabsin EU Member States[1], 53% ofthe EU Member State PolicyLabsworkingon a nationallevelthatrespondedfocusoninnovationinthepublicsector. Othercommonthemesinclude: healthyandinclusivesocieties (21%); jobsandgrowth (21%); andeconomicdevelopment (21%). BehaviouralInsightsLabshavesuccessfullyworkedonpolicyareasthatinvolveencouragingcitizenstoupholdtheirobligations (e.g. payingtax, attendingmedicalappointments).

Whatarethegoalsoftheworkshop?

During the workshop we will present the summary of the findings from the questionnaires that were sent to the Member States on Innovative Policy Labs. Wewillexaminesometheoreticalaspectsofinnovationinthepublicsector, exploregoodpracticesfrom EU Member States instructuringandinvolvingsimilarinnovativepolicyunitsinthedevelopmentandimplementationof new policies/projects, discusssuccessfulprojectsandchallengesforfosteringpublicsectorinnovationinthefuture.

WorkshopModerator

Mr. Radoslav Milanov, Chief Expert at the Modernization of the Administration Directorate at the Council of Ministers

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