Reflections and thoughts on developing the craft of public innovation. Presented in Melbourne (April 2018) for the Innovation Network of the Victorian Government.

1. Developing the Craft
of Public Innovation
Bas Leurs
Melbourne, April 19th 2018

2. We are an innovation foundation.
We back new ideas to tackle the
big challenges of our time

3. Innovation Skills team
RAISING
AWARENESS
MAKING IT
HAPPEN
SPREADING
SKILLS
Understand and be able to
articulate the benefits of
innovation
Integrate innovation methods
and tools into the daily practice
of organisations and scale
innovation capacity
Learn how to develop ideas
into action (set up pilots, create
prototypes)
Demystify and spread
innovation methods, tools
and skills. Build innovation
capacity.

4. Dem
Hands-on learning activities

5. Content: supporting self directed learning
Practice guides, toolkits and online learning

6. In this talk I’ll share my thoughts and reflections on “demystifying and spreading” innovation
RAISING
AWARENESS
MAKING IT
HAPPEN
SPREADING
SKILLS
Understand and be able to
articulate the benefits of
innovation
Integrate innovation methods
and tools into the daily practice
of organisations and scale
innovation capacity
Learn how to develop ideas
into action (set up pilots, create
prototypes)
Demystify and spread
innovation methods, tools
and skills. Build innovation
capacity.

7. #1: How do we build the capacity of
governments to deal with the challenges they
are facing?
#2: How to increase the quality, coherence and
reach of public innovation learning?
#3: How do you teach and build a new
mindset?

8. What do we actually
mean when we talk
about “innovation skills”?

10. How we work

11. ”The craft of the civil service”
While looking for competency frameworks for the civil service, I stumbled
upon a reflection piece (in Dutch) by professor Paul ‘t Hart that discussed
”the craft of the civil service”. It made me realise there might be another
perspective on public innovation than mere competencies: from a crafts’
perspective

12. At the same time I was
working on something
that is competely
unrelated to innovation
skills…

13. At the riverbanks of the Thames in Richmond…

14. … there is a small boat building community…

15. While building a rowing boat with
our club and observing how a
master boat builder (and violin
maker) use their tools and solve
problems (e.g. fitting the thwarts),
made me reflect on the role of
craftsmanship in my everyday
work and public innovation in
particular.

16. Fitting the thwarts

17. Fitting the thwarts

18. Fitting the thwarts

22. How does this idea of a
craft translate into public
innovation?

23. The Craftsman (Richard Sennett)

24. Craft is about “Doing things well”
Doing the right
thing… and doing
the thing right.

25. CRAFT
Judgement
& Abilities
Norms &
Standards
Workspace
(workshop)
Materials /
Subject
matter
Community
& networks
Ethos /
Code of
honour
Body of
Knowledge
Tools
Learning /
Transfer
mechanisms
Elements of craftsmanship

26. CRAFT
Judgement
& Abilities
Norms &
Standards
Workspace
(workshop)
Materials /
Subject
matter
Community
& networks
Ethos /
Code of
honour
Body of
Knowledge
Tools
Learning /
Transfer
mechanisms
Let’s have a closer look
at learning and transfer
mechanisms

27. How to develop the skills and mindsets to become a
public innovation craftsman/woman?
How might a curriculum around innovation craft look
like?
Are we using the right mechanisms to share
knowledge and experiences?
How do we enhance the craftsman/women’s abilities
to spread innovation skills?
How might we codify public innovation practice and
build a collective body of knowledge?
Five questions that keep me busy

28. How to develop the skills
and mindset to become
a public innovation
craftsman/woman?

29. What’s learnable and what’s teachable?

30. States of Change pedagogy

31. How might a curriculum
around the craft of
public innovation look
like?

32. What’s learnable and what’s teachable?

33. How do we enable
continuous learning?

34. Are we using the right
mechanisms to share
knowledge and
experiences?

35. How might we connect the different pockets (locally and globally)?

36. https://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/nesta_experimentareport_english.pdf
An example from Chile

37. What is the “secret ingredient” of Experimenta?

38. Hidden curriculum of Experimenta
The hidden curriculum involves the implicit transfer of knowledge, skills,
attitudes and norms through the design, development and delivery of the
programme.
Space
A space to experiment and try new ways of working and
collaborating (physical, social, emotional)
Identity and branding
A ”magnet”, people feel attracted to and want to be
part of
‘The social’
Together: “We learn, they learn, everybody learns”

39. Chile is setting an example with ”Innovadores Publicos”

42. How might we help
innovation practitioners
(the craftsman/women)
to spread innovation
skills?

43. https://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/playbook-innovation-learning
Our attempt to capture our experience and practice: a Playbook for Innovation Learning

44. … with 35 diagrams to support thinking and talking about learning for innovation

45. What about using “design patterns” to codify implicit knowledge?

46. How might we codify
public innovation
practice and build a
collective body of
knowledge?

47. Nesta Innovation Skills operating model

48. Taxonomy of a practice
PRINCIPLES
PROCESSES
TECHNIQUES & METHODS
TOOLS
Core beliefs that drive certain behaviours
Series of steps, or categories of actions
taken to achieve a certain outcome
Activities or tasks that generate
a certain output
Instruments or artefacts needed to
carry out a particular activitiy or task

49. Any thoughts,
questions?

50. nesta.org.uk
@nesta_uk
Thank you!