Stopping what doesn't work

NESTA is developing a research project to explore the practical implications of decommissioning or ‘stopping’ existing approaches in public services, and the impact this has on innovation.

There are countless examples of innovations in public services that are finding better ways of preventing rather than reacting to problems, engaging with service users in a resourceful and meaningful way and saving money by reducing demand. These sorts of approaches are increasingly important as public services are stretched to meet changing public needs with significantly fewer resources.

Yet often innovators face a dilemma: though their ambition may be to improve the way a service meets demand or how a social issue is addressed, the success of their efforts risks the closure of part or all of an existing approach or a change in staff structure or governance. Though the approach might be radical, its impact remains marginal or only goes to supplement existing provision. Resources remain with established or ‘incumbent’ approaches that have strong political constituents. Innovations don’t scale.

Innovation necessarily means changing the way of doing things – stopping doing something, as much as starting doing something else. But in public services it is very difficult to stop providing services, even when they are failing. The problem for innovation in public services is therefore not a lack of new ideas, but the inability to stop existing approaches and redirect resources towards innovation.

In today’s austere financial environment, it just won’t be possible to invest in new approaches as supplements or improvements to existing services. Investing in innovation will require disinvesting in an existing approach, and the success of an innovation will be measured on whether it means other services can be stopped. Ultimately, the debate around innovation in public services needs to shift to consider what approaches need to stop, and how to decommission them.

NESTA is developing a research project to explore the practical implications of decommissioning or ‘stopping’ existing approaches in public services, and the impact this has on innovation. Through in-depth analysis of a range of examples of decommissioning – alongside a review of current practice – we hope to understand how resources can be shifted towards new approaches, and the conditions that need to be in place to ensure sustainable transition.

Contact us

If you have any questions, ideas or experience you’d like to bring to this project we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with Laura Bunt in the Policy and Research team (laura.bunt@nesta.org.uk).