Government's Innovation Imperative

To innovate is a fundamental and universal organizational imperative; for continuous improvement, learning and rapid adaptation; in an external environment that is changing at lightning speed; in an age of ever-increasing uncertainty.

Here we explore why innovation ought to be a top priority for a public sector organization.

1. Innovate or Die: Just as in the private sector, failure to innovate continually and adapt to fast-changing realities would lead to a gradual obsolescence, irrelevance or eventual death of an organization. The death may perhaps arrive slower than it would in a market system, but arrive it will! This therefore makes the failure to innovate that much more dangerous; as the decay will persist longer before it is set right, and the death may happen more abruptly when it does happen.
2. Part of a bigger whole: Even more importantly, one Government organization's failure to innovate could affect the credibility of the Government, with possible ripple effects on citizens’ trust in other Government institutions as well. Further, it could also call into question the ability of the state to be an efficient and effective service provider. Indeed, exactly the opposite, and salutary, outcomes would occur if the organization performs very well. 
3. Actions with huge potential impact: The state is often called upon to expand and strengthen its role as an enabler, as distinct from its role as a service provider to the citizen. In this enabling role, the state is responsible for nurturing and building ecosystems, networks and systems of systems. The actions of even one public sector organization thus may have the potential to make a huge impact in the lives of millions of people. An innovation deficit would thus have a very big social cost, and for a long time to come. This cost is compounded many-fold if the service provided by the particular organization is either an exclusive preserve of the state and/or if the state is best equipped institutionally to provide that service. The negative externalities due to inadequate delivery of public services can thus be monumental. Well, so can be the positive impact of the work of a high-performing innovative organization.

I might have missed some other imperatives for innovation in Government. Please do fill the gap. Thank you.