Product Review

More than ever, today's fragile global economy requires governments to construct a culture around innovation, one that's capable of envisioning and improving the future. For innovation to take root it needs to become more than an isolated project or special program.

To this end, this book offers a systemic and systematic view of processes, strategies and structures that could turn public sector organizations into serial innovators. Dozens of examples and case studies collectively suggest that innovation can become more than a one-off response for governments. The Public Innovator's Playbook demystifies the search for the next big thing in three sections:

* Part one introduces the innovation cycle (from idea generation through selection, implementation, and diffusion) and identifies common misconceptions and pitfalls that hamper public-sector innovation.

* Part two articulates five strategies that governments can use to drive innovation - Cultivate, Replicate, Partner, Network, and Open source - and utilize the employees, citizens, businesses, nonprofits, and other governments that could spur innovative solutions.

* Part three offers solutions to the structural roadblocks and conformist cultures that strangle innovation in the public sector.

Innovative government doesn't have to be an oxymoron or a punch line. Engaging stories and much-needed guidelines for creating processes and organizational structures that foster innovation make the playbook a must-read.