Transformation for our Shared Goals
Ebadi, Bushra, Carvalho, Joana and Tavares, António (2024). Transformation for our Shared Goals. United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance.
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Subtitle A white paper examining innovation labs as a tool to advance sustainable development Sub-type White paper Author Ebadi, Bushra
Carvalho, Joana
Tavares, AntónioTitle Transformation for our Shared Goals Publication Date 2024-08 Place of Publication Guimarães Publisher United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance Pages 47 Language eng Abstract Governments are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of their populations with increased pressures on service delivery due to converging crises, including climate change, pandemics and other public health challenges, growing economic inequality, racism and discrimination, and political violence and repression. Moreover, a lack of trust, a reduction in public-spending budgets, societal concerns, and increased demands for more flexible, agile, and responsive governmental policies and practices are further contributing to calls for public sector renewal (Ferreira & Botero, 2020). The standard modes of operating within existing governance systems are seen to be insufficient in enabling the public sector to navigate complexity and address the multitude of mutually reinforcing challenges governments face. As such, there is a pressing need for governments to transform policies, practices, and services in order to address these challenges and leverage emerging opportunities to innovatively improve government capabilities in meaningful ways, building trust with citizens, supporting people’s needs and agency, and advancing sustainable development. Simultaneously, there is a trend towards increased digitization of both public and private spaces and services. While presented as a net benefit for people (including citizens and people without citizenship status), digitization has varied impacts on individuals, communities, and the environment. Marginalized communities are more likely to experience the negative impacts of digitization and lack meaningful digital access as a result of deepening digital divides and inadequate governance systems (Ebadi, 2023). The proliferation of digital devices, platforms, and infrastructure has not resulted in accelerated progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) or solving the seemingly intractable challenges people and institutions are facing, despite (often grandiose) claims to the contrary. It is thus evident that digital technologies alone are insufficient in achieving the SDGs and must be supported by systems transformation and innovative governance, policy, and community engagement reforms, practices, and strategies. Against this backdrop, innovation labs, often regarded as a safe space for experimentation, have emerged as a tool to support different stakeholders, including governments, in advancing their strategic goals and priorities. The models for innovation labs around the world are varied in accordance with their operational and cultural context, goals and priorities, funding model, relationship with government bodies, and participating actors (including team composition, stakeholders, partners, and funders). There are currently no systematic, comprehensive reviews of innovation labs around the world. This paper aims to provide an overview of the role of innovation labs as a tool in advancing sustainable development, using examples from different contexts, in order to help inform NIGSD’s development of its first prototype innovation lab. The goal is to provide a state-of-the-art overview of selected innovation labs to deepen NIGSD’s understanding of a specific modality and/or tool used by various stakeholders to promote and advance sustainable development with a particular focus on civic, social, and technological innovations and interventions. Keyword Innovation Labs
Sustainable Development
Public Sector InnovationCopyright Holder United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance Copyright Year 2024 Copyright type All rights reserved -
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