Public Sector Innovation Drivers: A Process Model

A model for the understanding of innovation in Public Sector Organisations (PSOs) was developed from literature. The roles of internal and external drivers, collaboration among organisations and continuous monitoring and evaluation with feedback were considered. The present paper suggests that policy makers and management practitioners eliminate various regulatory and policy frameworks that impede the capacity of PSOs to innovate. Furthermore, the appointment of public sector managers should be based on their creativeness and resourcefulness and not on political shrewdness, and they should manage PSOs like private sector businesses while still being accountable to the voters and government. The study contributes by extending literature on innovations, and it presents a conceptual framework for PSOs innovations. Moreover, the paper highlights some practical implications for researchers and practitioners in the public sector: There is a need to systematically review and organise relevant literature and to conduct empirical research in support of existing theories.