Bloomberg Philanthropies & OECD
2021
Bloomberg Philanthropies & OECD
The report titled "Enhancing Innovation Capacity in City Government," published by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the OECD, examines how cities are adapting to changing circumstances through innovation. A survey conducted across 89 cities in OECD and non-OECD countries aimed to assess the local public sector's capacity to innovate. The findings highlight the importance of various resources—human, financial, and institutional—in fostering innovation. The report delves into the strategies and objectives that local governments are implementing, including staffing structures, data utilization, financial investment, and evaluation efforts. It emphasizes the positive outcomes of these initiatives, particularly in enhancing resident well-being. By leveraging innovation, local administrations are striving to improve their responsiveness to community needs and challenges, thereby reinforcing their overall governance and service delivery.
Cities are reinventing themselves to adapt and respond to their evolving contexts. One instrument that local government is leveraging is innovation. To understand how cities approach public sector innovation, the OECD and Bloomberg Philanthropies carried out a survey on innovation capacity across 89 cities in OECD countries and non-OECD economies. The focus of the survey was to unpack the capacity to innovate in the local public sector and explore the resources – human, financial, and institutional – and how they can work to boost innovation in a city. This report explores the approaches and goals, staffing and structure, data, financial resources, and evaluation efforts that local administrations are making to innovate. It also reviews the outcomes that are resulting from these measures, especially related to resident well-being.