Presentation to the Innovation Salon
March 18, 2002

Doug Hull,
Canarie, Inc.
March, 2002

Innovation

• What:
  • An idea generating a substantial improvement
  • A strategic tool for competitive advantage
  • A potentially disruptive and costly venture
  • A fun and motivating experience
• Why:
  • Crucial to quality, productivity and competitiveness
  • Due to costs, needs to be engineered where needed

SchoolNet: An Innovative Experience

• Context:
  • Drive learning performance for innovation & productivity
  • Limited success with various tools: eg., scholarships
  • Then came the Internet: powerful, magnetic and insidious
  • Small trials prove the SchoolNet concept; soft launch
  • Consensus built at working level across all stakeholders
  • Grew project goal to include “all schools by 2000”
  • Few schools connected by feds; worked to remove barriers
  • By 2001 Canada a world leader in internet skills/creativity

Steps to Engineered Innovation

• A Clear Strategic Vision to Frame Hunt for Innovations
• An Ever-Open Door to New Ideas; 5% Budget Reserve
• Spot Your Partner’s Innovations and Promote Them
• Select Innovations Generating Multiple Solutions
• Harness Wisdom of Seniors and Energy of Youth
• Fly Below the Radar Screen: Many Small Pilots
• Market and Diffuse Innovations across the System
• Reflect and Share the Glory on Partners/Champions
• Recognize and Create Pride in Well-Implemented Ideas
• Measure the Impact and Shut Down Old Innovations

Why Public Service Innovation is Declining

• Accountability System is Unbalanced without an Explicit Risk Policy
• Control Centres striving to Eliminate Failure; Innovation is Risky
• Post HRDC, Control Centres are dominating Operating Managers
• Few Career Gains for PS Innovators, only Risks
• An Aging Hierarchy is Dampening Youthful Creativity
• Constitutional Constipation: Action is at the Community Level

A sound recording of this presentation is available for your listening pleasure.

Updated 06/01/04