Practical Innovation in Government
Practical Innovation in Government
How Front-Line Leaders Are Transforming Public-Sector Organizations
Edition: 1
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 19 July, 2022
Available in all formats
EPUB
ISBN:
9781523001804
PDF
ISBN:
9781523001798
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This book is a comprehensive guide to an exciting new approach that managers at any level can use to transform their corners of government.
Whether people want more government or less, everyone wants efficient government. But most innovation efforts try to change the very nature of government-such as dismantling bureaucracy or privatizing services-and thus they usually fail.
Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder accept government on its own terms and simply ask how some existing organizations are dramatically improving their performance. What they found is that the best innovations come not from the top down but from the bottom up.
Drawing on their study of seventy government organizations and interviews with nearly 1,000 people in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden, they found that the most innovative agencies and offices solicited and implemented ideas from frontline workers, the people who directly serve the public.
These often modest, pragmatic improvements can have a huge cumulative effect. For example, the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses was able to cut its average wait time from an hour and forty minutes to just seven minutes. Robinson and Schroeder offer a comprehensive guide for systematically collecting, evaluating, and implementing game-changing frontline ideas.
Reading group discussion guide available in book.
Whether people want more government or less, everyone wants efficient government. But most innovation efforts try to change the very nature of government-such as dismantling bureaucracy or privatizing services-and thus they usually fail.
Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder accept government on its own terms and simply ask how some existing organizations are dramatically improving their performance. What they found is that the best innovations come not from the top down but from the bottom up.
Drawing on their study of seventy government organizations and interviews with nearly 1,000 people in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden, they found that the most innovative agencies and offices solicited and implemented ideas from frontline workers, the people who directly serve the public.
These often modest, pragmatic improvements can have a huge cumulative effect. For example, the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses was able to cut its average wait time from an hour and forty minutes to just seven minutes. Robinson and Schroeder offer a comprehensive guide for systematically collecting, evaluating, and implementing game-changing frontline ideas.
Reading group discussion guide available in book.
Description
This book is a comprehensive guide to an exciting new approach that managers at any level can use to transform their corners of government.
Whether people want more government or less, everyone wants efficient government. But most innovation efforts try to change the very nature of government-such as dismantling bureaucracy or privatizing services-and thus they usually fail.
Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder accept government on its own terms and simply ask how some existing organizations are dramatically improving their performance. What they found is that the best innovations come not from the top down but from the bottom up.
Drawing on their study of seventy government organizations and interviews with nearly 1,000 people in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden, they found that the most innovative agencies and offices solicited and implemented ideas from frontline workers, the people who directly serve the public.
These often modest, pragmatic improvements can have a huge cumulative effect. For example, the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses was able to cut its average wait time from an hour and forty minutes to just seven minutes. Robinson and Schroeder offer a comprehensive guide for systematically collecting, evaluating, and implementing game-changing frontline ideas.
Reading group discussion guide available in book.
Whether people want more government or less, everyone wants efficient government. But most innovation efforts try to change the very nature of government-such as dismantling bureaucracy or privatizing services-and thus they usually fail.
Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder accept government on its own terms and simply ask how some existing organizations are dramatically improving their performance. What they found is that the best innovations come not from the top down but from the bottom up.
Drawing on their study of seventy government organizations and interviews with nearly 1,000 people in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden, they found that the most innovative agencies and offices solicited and implemented ideas from frontline workers, the people who directly serve the public.
These often modest, pragmatic improvements can have a huge cumulative effect. For example, the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses was able to cut its average wait time from an hour and forty minutes to just seven minutes. Robinson and Schroeder offer a comprehensive guide for systematically collecting, evaluating, and implementing game-changing frontline ideas.
Reading group discussion guide available in book.
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction: The Practical Secret to High-Performing Government Operations
- Part 1 Front-Line–Driven Improvement
- Part 2 Creating Organization-Wide Front-Line–Driven Improvement
- Part 3 A Full Set of Problem-Solving Approaches For A Wide Spectrum of Issues
- Part 4 When Government Leads The Way: Pushing The Boundaries of Innovation and Improvement
- Conclusion: How to Get Started
- Notes
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- About the Authors
Review quote
“Robinson and Schroeder have written one of the most important books in decades on improving government performance. A must-read for leaders at all levels who want to make their organizations better, faster, and stronger.”
- Michael B. Hancock, Mayor of the City of Denver
“This inspiring, relevant, and timely book turns the way we think about transforming government upside down. Rich with insightful principles and counterintuitive concepts, it is an unparalleled resource for any government manager who wants to make a real impact.”
- Wendy Kortuis-Smith, founder and former Director, Results Washington, and Executive Director, Virginia Mason Institute
“Finally, after all the hand-waving on how to improve government performance, a book that hits the target! Based on crucial insights from extensive research, Alan and Dean show how public-sector managers can create real, sustainable operational improvement by turning front-line supervisors and staff into the primary agents of change.”
- James C. Hunter, author of international bestsellers The Servant and The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle
“This fantastic book shows how to finally overcome the soul-crushing effect of bureaucracy and its twin forces of complexity and powerlessness. With great clarity and insight, it chronicles the inspirational stories and counterintuitive methods used by front-line champions to fight and fix the systems our citizens depend on.”
- Ken Miller, author of Extreme Government Makeover and We Don't Make Widgets
“There's nobody better to teach you continuous improvement than Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder. This well-researched book shows government managers how to make their units flat-out more effective in the services they provide. The authors' previous books have helped so many in the private sector. I look forward to this book having even more impact in the public sector.”
- Mark Graban, author of Healthcare Kaizen, Measures of Success, and Lean Hospitals
- Michael B. Hancock, Mayor of the City of Denver
“This inspiring, relevant, and timely book turns the way we think about transforming government upside down. Rich with insightful principles and counterintuitive concepts, it is an unparalleled resource for any government manager who wants to make a real impact.”
- Wendy Kortuis-Smith, founder and former Director, Results Washington, and Executive Director, Virginia Mason Institute
“Finally, after all the hand-waving on how to improve government performance, a book that hits the target! Based on crucial insights from extensive research, Alan and Dean show how public-sector managers can create real, sustainable operational improvement by turning front-line supervisors and staff into the primary agents of change.”
- James C. Hunter, author of international bestsellers The Servant and The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle
“This fantastic book shows how to finally overcome the soul-crushing effect of bureaucracy and its twin forces of complexity and powerlessness. With great clarity and insight, it chronicles the inspirational stories and counterintuitive methods used by front-line champions to fight and fix the systems our citizens depend on.”
- Ken Miller, author of Extreme Government Makeover and We Don't Make Widgets
“There's nobody better to teach you continuous improvement than Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder. This well-researched book shows government managers how to make their units flat-out more effective in the services they provide. The authors' previous books have helped so many in the private sector. I look forward to this book having even more impact in the public sector.”
- Mark Graban, author of Healthcare Kaizen, Measures of Success, and Lean Hospitals
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