Strengthening national capacities to design and implement public sector innovation strategy for accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals

While innovation in the public sector is often overlooked due to its gradual and understated nature, it holds immense potential as a catalyst to accelerate the implementation of SDGs. However, it is necessary to broaden our understanding of innovation beyond just technological advancements and to view it as a new approach to policymaking, business processes, partnership and service delivery for enhancing effectiveness and efficiency in public sectors. Innovation does not happen in a vacuum. It requires a cultural shift within the organization and leadership, as well as the institutional setting, including promoting an enabling environment, cultivating creative mindsets, fostering strategic partnerships, taking calculated risks, and accepting failures. The project aims to build and complement the efforts of the governments in four target countries by encouraging the prioritization of innovation practices and fostering innovation experimentation in the public sector. Countries with innovation strategies or dedicated innovation entities within the government exhibit a stronger commitment to finding creative solutions to address today’s challenges and preparing for future uncertainty. While having an innovation strategy or creating an innovation unit is not an end in itself, it can provide a clearer roadmap for achieving the SDGs and position governments at all levels to better utilize their limited resources to promote inclusive development and create a resilient society . The project intends to enhance the institutional capacities of government officials in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam to outline a vision for public sector innovation in line with their existing national development plan or SDG implementation plan. The project will be implemented by the Division of Public Institutions and Digital Government of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DPIDG/UN DESA), in close consultation with the UN Resident Coordinator System and the UN Country Teams as applicable.