Municipal Innovation Collection

Introduction

Innovation has been placed on the developmental agenda of the South African government as one of the effective ways to improve service delivery, accountability and community participation. Across the country, several municipalities and other public institutions demonstrate dedication to establishing efficient government systems as evidenced by a number of innovative initiatives that are being implemented. Notable strides have also been made in the country’s regulatory framework to guide and inform public innovation. 

Given the wide interest and commitment to institutionalise innovation across the public sector, it is fitting to present a resource base that underscores the complexities, opportunities and imperatives of innovation in the public sector. This resource page is intended at exactly that. It presents a resource base for the state of innovation in the public sector that is relevant to policy makers, governments, practitioners and scholars with the hope to contribute to the knowledge sharing and management that seeks to support the credible view of the state of innovation in the public sector.

The repository has been created to ensure that a trusted source aggregating existing innovation knowledge of relevance to the southern African context is accessible. It links to journal articles, legislation, policies, conference papers, newspaper articles, case studies and guidelines related to innovations for service delivery.

List of resources

1. Service delivery and innovation

South African municipalities are severely constrained in providing equitable and sustainable services. The notion of service delivery innovation has emerged as governments across the world seek new ways to effect change. Innovation in government is about overcoming old structures and modes of thinking and embracing new technologies and ideas for more efficient service provision. This list provides resources that centre around the concepts of service delivery and innovation that highlight the complementary link between the two concepts, particularly the contribution that innovation make to improving or enhancing service delivery.

• Fostering digital innovations to accelerate service delivery in South African Local Government
  This article links service delivery backlogs in South African local governments to a lack of public sector innovation, emphasising the potential of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) (IoT) and Big Data to improve services by exploring the case of City of Tshwane. Key barriers in the City of Tshwane include digital hesitancy, weak leadership, and a digital divide, hindering the adoption of these innovations. The study highlights that institutional readiness, revenue growth, and supportive policies are essential for successful digital transformation in municipal services.
  
   
• Open governance for improved service delivery innovation in South Africa
  The article examines how the 4IR affects government operations, stressing the necessity for adaptation to technologies such as the IoT and AI. It aims to evaluate the current state of public service delivery innovation (SDI) in South Africa through secondary data and document analysis. The article highlights that, although South Africa has implemented some innovative measures for service delivery, these initiatives lack full integration within the broader public service, and it advocates for open governance and collaboration to improve transparency and citizen engagement.
  
   
• Research on the 4th Industrial Revolution: implications for local government in the context of skills development
  The study explores the 4IR's effects on skills development in municipalities through case studies and best practices, ultimately providing recommendations for how South African local governments can effectively adapt to these changes.

2. Regulatory environment for service delivery innovation

There has been significant strides in the policy and regulatory environments to guide the uptake of innovation in the public sector. This resource list provides an overview of the legislation, policies and strategies that govern the principles, systems, and processes of the innovation uptake in the public sector particularly pertaining to service delivery. The page also presents resources that scrutinise the policy and legislation for innovation uptake and the challenges of general policy implementation.

• White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation
  This White Paper sets the  long-term policy direction for the South African government to ensure a growing role for science, technology and innovation (STI) in a more prosperous and inclusive society. It focuses on using STI to accelerate inclusive  economic growth, make the economy more competitive, and improve people’s daily lives.
   

• Science, Technology and Innovations for Sustainable Human Settlements (STI4SHS) Roadmap
  The STI4SHS Roadmap serves as a ten-year policy framework (2020–2029) aimed fostering innovation and scaling up technologies to create smart and sustainable human settlements. It aligns with key national policies and serves as an implementation plan to guide investment and institutionalise transformative initiatives in the sector. Ultimately, it seeks to position the government as a key enabler of innovation in society.

• Policy research study  to  determine the adoption and integration of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) into government policies and planning frameworks
  The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) commissioned Qualitative Evidence Research (QER) to conduct a policy study which aims to assess how national and provincial government departments (1) support innovation uptake, (2) integrate Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) into their policies and programmes, and (3) foster a culture of innovation within and across these departments.

• Local Government Innovation Toolkit
  This Toolkit is intended to provide guidance to municipalities on understanding the key elements of innovation, and the tools to manage innovation in their own contexts. It sets out the critical steps for municipalities to consider on their innovation journey.

3. Innovation barriers, drivers, and enablers

Introducing innovation practices to traditional systems can be difficult. Despite innovation gaining traction in the government sectors, there has been reported barriers (factors that hinder the successful institutionalisation of innovation practices). In many cases, innovation technologies often do not make it passed the pilot phase. In the same vein, there are enablers (factors that facilitate innovation), and drivers (factors that trigger innovation) reported across public institutions. The list below presents resources that was collated from local and international studies into innovation barriers, drivers and enablers.
 

• Understanding innovation drivers and barriers in local government: a City of Tshwane Innovation Unit perspective
  The study explores the factors that drive or hinder innovation in the City of Tshwane to gain a deeper insight and understanding of the innovation drivers and barriers in local government. It highlights the important aspects that should be considered when formulating and implementing innovation in local government.
  
   
• Understanding the policy and  regulatory barriers for  water and sanitation RDI implementation in South Africa
  The study reviews and quantifies the policy and regulatory barriers to sustainable uptake and implementation of water services innovations in the country. It was to identifies policy and legal barriers encountered when deploying innovations in the municipal water services sector, with the goal of removing or alleviating them in future.
  
   
• Social Innovation, an Alternative Approach to South African Local Government Service Delivery?
  The article examines how electronic municipal systems can enhance citizen welfare by improving service delivery. It identifies challenges faced by developing countries in implementing these systems, including the digital divide and trust issues. The article recommends investing in ICT infrastructure to foster the development of e-municipalities.

Above abstracts are based on original sources.