How do successes fail? Three narrative analyses of the birth, life and death of awarded public sector innovations

While an extensive literature exists on innovations in the public sector, we know little about the sustainability of these innovations. At the same time the focus of research is heavily skewed towards success-stories and good... [ view full abstract ]

While an extensive literature exists on innovations in the public sector, we know little about the sustainability of these innovations. At the same time the focus of research is heavily skewed towards success-stories and good practices (De Vries et al. 2014, p. 24; Pollitt 2015; 2011, p. 42)), while the failure of innovations remains under the radar. In addressing these two issues we wanted to investigate the development, changes and final termination of awarded public sector innovations. We studied the life-stories of three innovations who did not stand the test of time, using a database of innovation award cases. The termination of awarded innovations is particularly interesting as it seems to indicate a failure, since they were considered to be exemplary success for other public sector organizations to adopt as well. We hypothesize that there are three factors contributing to the development, change and eventual termination of these innovations: feedback loops, accountability mechanisms and learning processes. Hence our research question: To what extent can feedback, accountability and learning explain the termination of awarded public sector innovations? In order to investigate the role of feedback loops, accountability mechanisms and learning processes in explaining innovations' development through time, we constructed analytical narratives of the development of the three innovation cases, by conducting interviews, archival research and document analysis. We find that feedback, accountability and learning indeed explain how innovations change, why they change, and why they are eventually terminated. In all of this the so-called ‘innovation champions’ play a special role.

-De Vries, H.A., Bekkers, V. & Tummers, L. (2014). Innovation in the Public Sector: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda. Ottawa: IRSPM Conference.
-Pollitt, C. (2011). Innovation in the public sector: an introductory overview. In: Bekkers, V., Edelenbos, J., & Steijn, B. (Eds.), Innovation in the public sector – Linking capacity and leadership, pp. 35-43. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
-Pollitt, C. (2015). Innovation and LIPSE: An interim assessment of an innovative research project. Keynote speech to the LIPSE midterm conference, 03/02/2015, Brussels, Belgium. Last accessed via: http://lipse.org/userfiles/uploads/INNOVATION-LIPSE-Keynote.pdf (13/04/2015).