NESTA Lab launch

10/03/2009

  - Joe Stockwell

Today saw the launch of the NESTA Lab, within their Public Services Innovation Summit.  The aim was to build a national debate about the need for bold, radical innovation within public services in the context of severely constrained public finances.  The summit opened with a good dose of seventies funk, what better way to facilitate innovation!  The summit took the form a collaborative 'DesignSession' format.  In practice this meant discussion groups, which fed back to the main group.

The first 'break-out' groups were focused on how we will reach the best case scenario in response to a certain social and/or economic challenge.  Everyone was then summoned back to the main area by another burst of music (reggae this time!), for Gordon Brown's keynote speech launching the government's new strategy for public services.  He spoke of how the government, "will not walk by on the other side," of struggling public services, but instead offered an "open invitation to innovation".  It was refreshing to hear Brown say that he accepted that there were going to failures as well as successes, for innovation – as entrepreneurship – involves risk.  However the challenge with public services is to innovate, and take risks, while making sure the service never falls below the basic standard.

Risk was central to the rest of the summit.  How can people be encouraged to take risks and innovate?  Is everyone driven by bonuses, or do other measures need to be brought in?  However risk and the failure that will come with taking risks need to operate within structures of learning, so their lessons are not lost, but can be shared with all service providers, argued John Denham.

General consensus seemed to be that the summit was a success and I'd agree.  Many valuable opinions were aired and hopefully listened too, and the Prime Minster made some bold statements surrounding innovation in the public sector.  However I am hesitant to call it a resounding success, for innovation needs to be implemented.  What use is an innovation if no-one sees the benefit?  The summit will be a success if the Prime Minister fully implements and supports his statements, which  I hope he will; and if the Lab pushes on from this launch to find, implement, evaluate and then share the best public service innovations out there, which I'm sure it will.  Ultimately however the summit will be a success when the user feels the benefits and can enjoy an improved service, for the user needs to be central to innovation in public services; either driving the innovation themselves, or at least being the reason for the innovation.