Innovation in the government sector

The literature has mainly quantified and discussed the significance of innovation in the private sector. However, owing to the unique nature of the institutional structure, government sector innovation requires different definitions and attention. Oslo (2018) defines innovation as “…a new or improved product or process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the unit’s previous products or processes and that has been made available to potential users (product) or brought into use by the unit (process)…” Thus, adapting the Oslo definition and considering the government as a unit, innovation in the government sector is the development, implementation and use of new strategies and means that enable government entities to enhance government sector efficiency, essential service delivery and responsiveness to the needs of their citizens (OECD, 2019). In essence, innovation in the government sector refers to significant improvements to public administration and/or services. This implies that innovation in the government sector goes beyond science-based and technological enhancements to include implementations of new or significantly improved operations or productions and new or improved methods of collaborating with partners.