Designing beta public service: Finding the courage to be imperfect

by Laura Bunt

When Oslo's transport authorities wanted to design and implement a new transport system for Ruter, they knew that providing useful, legible information would be as critical as the lines themselves.

Trust: A sixth principle for reform

The Open Public Services White Paper aims to 'encourage innovation and give people more choice and control over the services they use by putting power directly in the hands of millions of families and thousands of communities'.

Transforming education

A brilliant scheme that has transformed the education system in New York has shown how a disciplined approach to innovation can reap huge rewards

Opentransact chosen for intertrading protocol

NESTA is interested in supporting timebanking, complementary currencies and various newer ideas around the sharing economy, seeing them as platforms for civic engagement and reciprocity in civil society.

Public services as a platform for giving

Given the current fiscal context, it’s entirely understandable that debates about the future of public services are dominated by how to make fewer financial resources go further – how to get more with less.

Top tips for future apps

We received a huge response to our Neighbourhood Challenge project. Here are some useful tips for those of you wanting to go through a similar process again.

First aid for public services

Like many of the best innovations, first aid training was a simple concept with a powerful impact – equip people with the skills to help out other people.

10. Don't try to save money

If you take one thing away from this series, it’s the insight that the only way to make savings sustainably is to start from how services can be better, not from how to save money.

9. Don't start with creating an innovation culture - culture only comes from practice

An important challenge now for chief executives and service leaders is how to create the right environment for radical innovation across the organisation, supported with the right balance of risk and reward. But this doesn’t mean creating an innovative culture for its own sake, but a culture where staff feel empowered and supported to affect change and adapt their own practice.

8. Help the social sector to help you

As cuts are made and pressure on public services mounts, it is increasingly recognised that charities, voluntary groups and enterprises will be central in creating the public services of the future.