5 March 2019The recently launched Local Councils think tank, ComGov, has published the results of a facilitated discussion on innovation and success at the recent SLCC Practitioners’ Conference. Perhaps surprisingly, most conference attendees did not see innovation as essential for council success generally. The view apparently being that communities may be satisfied with things as they are and not looking for change. But most attendees said innovation could be essential for success for some councils, it being suggested that councils with greater challenges or higher expectations would be likely to need innovation to meet them.
ComGov’s Dr Tim Thorogood says, “This is a surprising view. Although theoretically correct (some organisations – most likely those in stable environments and facing no challenges – can be successful without innovating), in the ongoing situation where local communities face complex economic, social and environmental problems and diminishing public resources, at a time the state is rolling back, surely to play its full role a local council is going to have to be prepared to innovate?”
The full report on the session is now available on ComGov’s website, please click here.
