Challenges and Opportunities of Public Sector Innovation in Fighting the Covid-19 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4409.2021.10.194Keywords:
Public administration, COVID-19, public sector, innovationAbstract
The article investigates the challenges and opportunities of public sector innovation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused disruptions in service delivery, and public sector organisations had to find innovative ways of responding to the crisis. Through a scoping review methodology, this article unravels extant literature on some of the general innovation strategies adopted in different countries to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The study exposes the significant challenges faced in embracing public sector innovations by reviewing many country experiences. The article then argues that public sector innovations bring about opportunities such as getting rid of obsolete systems, streamlining selected successful innovations, and galvanising reforms. The regular proactive review of public sector procedures and frameworks to permit creation is recommended.
References
Agbozo, E., Spassov, K. B. and Alhassan, D. A. 2019. Personal Data and Privacy Barriers to E-Government Adoption, Implementation and Development in Sub–Saharan Africa. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13283-5_7
Al-Jayyousi, O., Durugbo, C. M., Almahamid, S. M., Budalamah, L. H. and BendiMerad, B. 2020. Crisis-driven innovation: Public sector response during the covid-19 outbreak. Doi: CDI-PolicyBrief-AGU-BIPA-released11july2020-Eng%20(1).pdf. accessed 29 June 2021.
Bourgon, J. 2011. A public service renewal agenda for the 21st century: The new synthesis project. United Kingdom Roundtable Report London, November 16 to 18, 2010.
Bourgon, J. 2015. Distinctively public sector: The case for a new Synthesis of public administration. Leadership for change, innovation for results: A new synthesis. Queensland: Public Governance International.
Daglio, M, Gerson, D. and Kitchen, H. 2015. Building organisational capacity for public sector innovation. Background paper prepared for the OECD Conference "Innovating the public sector: From ideas to impact" Paris, 12-13 November 2014.
De Vries, H.A., Bekkers, V.J.J.M., Tummers, L.G. (2014). Innovation in the Public Sector: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda. Speyer: EGPA conference. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2638618
Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S. 2011. The Sage handbook of qualitative research. London: Sage.
D'Este, P., Lammarina, S., Savona, M. and Von Tunzelmann, N. 2012. What hampers innovation? Revealed barriers versus deterring barriers. Research Policy 41 (2012) 482– 488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2011.09.008
Dube, B. 2020. Rural online learning in the context of COVID-19 in South Africa: Evoking an inclusive education approach. Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research. 10(2): 135-157. https://doi.org/10.17583/remie.2020.5607
Egger, W., Baker, L., Gonzalez, R. and Vaughn, A. 2012. Public sector, disrupted How disruptive innovation can help government achieve more for less. Delloite https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Public-Sector/dttl-ps-publicsectordisrupted-08082013.pdf
Erk P. Piening (2011) Insights into the Process Dynamics of Innovation Implementation, Public Management Review, 13:1, 127-157. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2010.501615
Goldsmith, S. and Eggers, W. D. 2004. Governing by network: The new shape of the public sector. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
Greenhalgh T, Robert G, Bate P, Kyriakidou O, Macfarlane J and Peacock R, (2004), How to spread good ideas, Report for the National Coodinating Centre for NHS Service Delivery and Organization, London: NHS SDO.
Jiang, N and Ryan, J. 2020. How does digital technology help in the fight against COVID-19? Washington, DC: World Bank.
Krotikos, M. 2020. Ten technologies to fight coronavirus. Brussels: European Parliamentary Research Service.
Leitner, C. and Stiefmueller, C. M. 2019. Disruptive Technologies and the Public Sector: The Changing Dynamics of Governance (in Baimenov, A. and Liverakos, P. (Eds) Public Service Excellence in the 21st century pp 237-274). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3215-9_8
Misra, A., Schmidt, J. and Harrison, L. 2020. Combating Covid-19 with data: What role for national statistical systems? Policy brief. Paris: OECD.
Muggah, R. 2020. Urban governance: Cities in a time of Covid-19 (in World Economic Forum. 2020. Challenges and opportunities in the Post-Covid19 world.) Geneva: World Economic Forum.
OECD (2020a). Public management and the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic: emerging responses and initial recommendations. Paris: OECD.
OECD. 2020b. The territorial impact of COVID-19: Managing the crisis across levels of government. Paris: OECD.
Osborne, S. P. and Brown, L. 2009. Handbook of innovation in public services. London: Edward Elgar Publishing
Osborne, S. P., Radnor, Z. and Nasi, G. 2012. A new theory for public service management? Toward a (public) service-dominant approach. American Review of Public Administration. 43(2): 135–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074012466935
Pestoff, V. 2011. Co-production, new public governance and third sector social services in Europe. Ciências Sociais Unisinos. 47 (1): 15-24. https://doi.org/10.4013/csu.2011.47.1.02
Robinson, M. 2015. From old public administration to the new public service: Implications for public sector reform in developing countries. Singapore: UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence.
Schleicher, A. 2020. The impact of COVID-19 on education: Insights from education at a glance 2020. Paris: OECD.
Skorup, B. and Haaland, C. 2020. How drones can help fight the Coronavirus. Policy brief. George Mason University. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3564671
Taylor, S. P. 2018. Innovation in the public sector: dimensions, processes, barriers and developing a fostering framework. International Journal of Research Science and Management. 5 (1): 28-37.
Teddlie, C. 2007. Mixed methods sampling: A typology with examples. Journal of mixed methods research, 1(1):77-100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689806292430
UNDP Rwanda. 2020. The Socio-Economic Impact of Covid-19 in Rwanda June 2020. Kigali: UNDP.
UNESCO/ECLAC. 2020. Education in the time of COVID-19: COVID-19 report. Santiago: UNESCO.
UNICEF. 2020. How drones can be used to combat COVID-19. UNICEF
Weerakkody, V., Irani, Z., Lee, H., Osman, I., Hindi, N.: E–government implementation: A bird's eye view of issues relating to costs, opportunities, benefits and risks. Information systems frontiers, 17(4), 889–915 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-013-9472-3
Wolfe, R. A. 1994. Organisational Innovation: Review, Critique and Suggested Research Directions. Journal of Management Studies, 31(3): 405–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.1994.tb00624.x
World Economic Forum. 2020. Challenges and opportunities in the Post-Covid19 world. Geneva: World Economic Forum.
Yin, R. K. 2009. Case research and design methods. 4th ed. London: Sage.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Policy for Journals/Articles with Open Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post links to their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work
Policy for Journals / Manuscript with Paid Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Publisher retain copyright .
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post links to their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work .
