Innovation with purpose
May 3, 2019
May 3, 2019
Human Services agencies have long worked to be more innovative. Today they face a convergence of forces making innovation nothing short of an imperative:
Accenture commissioned a study of government innovation spanning nearly 600 respondents in 10 countries. The study revealed important insights about how Human Services agencies are driving innovation. It also points to a framework for achieving greater effectiveness in managing innovation – and delivering the outcomes that matter most.
Our study found that Human Services leaders agree that innovation is good for people and for agencies. Digital platforms, such as LinkedIn, are transforming the employment services landscape, and digital ecosystems/non-traditional service providers are jostling to disrupt public service delivery. Given these realities, agencies are undertaking a strategic shift towards modernization and innovation to drive better, faster interventions. They are working to put people at the center, while shifting ingrained mindsets.
The ultimate goals: Enhanced services and outcomes for citizens.
In Accenture’s government innovation survey, 68 percent of all public service executives believe digital ecosystems are already having a noticeable impact on, or will dramatically transform, the industry. Among the 185 employment and social services professionals we surveyed, we found almost universal recognition of what citizens are asking of them. Ninety percent of employees see innovation as an important part of their day-to-day jobs. The same percentage of leaders view innovation as an important part of both their day-to-day jobs and their leadership responsibilities.
While the will to innovate is strong, Human Services agencies are so far lagging behind other players in implementing new technologies and transforming the organization to new models. In Accenture Intelligent Technologies in Public Services research, nearly half (46 percent) say they’re lagging behind partner organizations in the knowledge and adoption of emerging technologies.
How can Social Services agencies work to change that? Start by following today’s innovation leaders.
How do Human Services innovation leaders overcome challenges? Compared to other agencies, innovation leaders focus on operations and outcomes.
59%
Reach different citizen groups/demographics
73%
Discontinue services or programs that are not performing well or meeting expectations
93%
Create a business case for every innovation project
48%
Implement innovations to address a lack of awareness/knowledge of digital services
89%
Have a framework to evaluate ROI and other potential public impact of innovation cases after they have been implemented
82%
Reinvest ‘innovation dividends’ – the time and cost savings or other benefits generated by an innovation – for other purposes
Agencies that emerged as Human Services innovation leaders have cultivated three core competencies:
With three core competencies in place, Human Services agencies can use enablers to help create the right environment for innovation:
These enablers are by no means ‘new’ to any agency. By finding ways to innovate these traditional levers, Human Services agencies can amplify success. That can include synchronizing across the three dimensions – for example, partnership for new source of finance, tapping into external skills and expertise or building in-house skills in new technologies.