Public Sector Innovation

Public Sector Innovation Training for Public Sector Leaders in BiH

Overview

SmartUp designed and delivered a public sector innovation training for senior government leaders and civil servants in Bosnia and Herzegovina, commissioned by UNDP BiH. Held in Sarajevo in March 2022 with Korimako, Dark Matter Labs and THEMA studio, it had three parts: an innovation training, a practical policy lab and a Train-the-Trainers (ToT) programme.

In total, 72 people took part over five days in person: 57 attended the innovation training, 36 joined the policy lab and 15 took part in the ToT programme.

Participants were introduced to the principles of public sector innovation, design thinking and practical innovation tools. Through hands-on learning and co-creation, they worked on seven challenges chosen by participants and relevant to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and developed solutions to them in the policy lab.

The ToT programme equipped local experts to facilitate and sustain innovation processes in their own organisations, creating a network of potential national experts to support public sector innovation. The programme also highlighted areas for further work, such as public administration reform, digitalisation and transparency in employment policy.

The challenge

How do we equip public servants with key innovation skills in a single week, and make sure they can take what they have learned back to their workplace and put it into practice?

How can we train public servants to transfer innovation knowledge to others effectively?

Activities and methods

We designed a programme in three parts:

A three-day public sector innovation training
A two-day policy lab
A month-long ToT programme, held in person and online

Over five days in person, the training engaged 72 participants: 57 attended the innovation training and 36 joined the policy lab. Fifteen national trainers took part in the ToT programme, which kicked off with an in-person session in Sarajevo and continued with three more online sessions.

To make sure our approach was relevant and sensitive to the local context, we interviewed public servants and worked with local and international experts to create a programme that is both locally responsive and grounded in international best practice.

Impact and learning

Seventy-two participants were introduced to the principles of public sector innovation, design thinking and practical innovation tools. Through hands-on learning and co-creation, they addressed seven challenges chosen by participants and relevant to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and developed solutions to them in the policy lab, building a culture of collaboration and creative problem-solving.

The ToT programme equipped 15 local experts with the skills and knowledge to facilitate and sustain innovation processes in their organisations, creating a network of potential national experts to support public sector innovation.

We also created a guide to public sector innovation covering the whole training, in English and Bosnian. All participants received certificates of completion.

Working with participants highlighted areas for further development, such as public administration reform, digitalisation and transparency in employment policy. Overall, the training significantly improved participants' understanding of public sector innovation and their capability to put innovative solutions into practice, creating space for innovative thinking in the public sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina.