The Whitehall Innovation Hub Key Objectives

Why Innovation Now | The Innovation Hub Strategy | Hub Key Objectives | Public Service Innovation | Transforming Government

Objective 1
Build connection and capacity for innovation across Whitehall

Objective 2
Make innovation integral to the National School of Government's work

Objective 3
Develop innovation 'know how' and thought leadership across government

Objective 4
Define and develop effective approaches to public service innovation diffusion

Objective 1

Build connection and capacity for innovation across Whitehall
The Whitehall Innovation Hub aims to cultivate a landscape for innovation flow by connecting innovation champions through networks across government and with the wider public sector; to help build the government capacity to stimulate and recognise innovation and support the transforming government agenda.

In particular, connect those:

• public leaders in government, the regions and localities who want to support systemic innovation and generate the channels for the diffusion of public innovation across the system
• across government involved in innovative practice
• in the Senior Civil Service (SCS) to explore systemic innovation and forms of leadership that will support public service innovation and develop platforms to support public innovation.

Objective 2

Make innovation integral to the National School of Government's work

The key question for the National School of Government is what are the skills and experiences needed to create the conditions for innovation - how to support capacity building and incentives for innovation in government? Research shows that innovators are motivated by recognition and shared social purpose.

The hub aims to:

• develop National School staff confidence and capacity to lead and sustain innovation
• test new innovation deliverables that will develop openness to innovation
• run activities that model more open government and create an awareness about the value of a more innovative government.

Objective 3

Develop innovation 'know how' and thought leadership across government

The Innovation Hub will commission, research and define the 'what more innovative government means' and critical factors in how to support public service transformation.

In particular to:

• capture and define effective models of leadership for public innovation
• develop knowledge co-creation as well as knowledge transfer with partners in intermediaries.

Objective 4

Define and develop effective approaches to public service innovation diffusion

Stimulate and publish working briefs on:

• forms of governance for transformational public services
• local ecosystems for innovation - locality innovation hubs
• connecting policy-making to the front line

The hub's network activity will attempt to forge relationships between innovators to lay the foundations for a new landscape for innovation. These networks will inform policy formulation and innovation strategies.

The hub works with partners in National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), The Design Council and DIUS - in particular, disseminating their experimental case-studies to civil servants around Whitehall.