Public Sector Entrepreneurship: PART III – PA TIMES Online

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Marvin N. Pichla
April 19, 2024

It has been several years since I have prepared an American Society For Public Administration PA TIMES article on one of my very favorite topics: Public Sector Entrepreneurship. Over time in many of my articles, I have tried to emphasize the major need for continuous change and pilot demonstration projects that will assist in making multiple public administration programs and services more modern, efficient and effective. Make no mistake, I believe silent public sector entrepreneurship is alive in all corners of our nation. However, even today with all of our technological and information-sharing advances, there is still not a consolidated, comprehensive, data rich internet location that has past and present examples of innovative public sector practices.

This Public Sector Entrepreneurship:  PART III article will continue down an innovation track and offer more suggestions on unique/creative/non-traditional public administration advancement opportunities. Each suggestion will have the ability to be quickly incorporated and utilized in numerous public administration areas. However, every new concept will also require a commitment analysis of your organization’s interest in supporting public sector entrepreneurship initiatives. Ultimately determining everyone’s interest and commitment to building new approaches to old challenges will be critical for moving progressively forward.

One initial public entrepreneurship issue to consider would be the inclusion of an Innovation & Creativity component in personnel policy handbooks. Think of the change and growth opportunities that could eventuate if everyone working in a unit were motivated by an Innovation & Creativity section that not only encourages the submission of development ideas… but also possibly offers some form of fiscal/time-off reward!  This opportunity better known as “Intrapreneurship” would allow public sector employers the means for adding value to an agency’s mission, creating better use of available resources and serving as an example of united continuous improvement action.

Next on the innovation initiatives suggestion list would be the development and delivery of a staff learning series entitled: Public Entrepreneurship BRIEFINGS! The design of the BRIEFINGS would be to construct several short-term, very focused creativity sessions that could be conducted twice per year. The Public Entrepreneurship BRIEFINGS sessions would be one-half day in length—limited to 10-15 staff/professionals attending—and required to “produce” Progress Papers at the conclusion of each session. Potential innovative BRIEFINGS topics could include but not be limited to:

• Creative Board Membership
• Using Funding Differently
• Waiver/Demonstration Project Options
• Service Delivery “Coop-Style!”
• Asking The Tough “What Else” Questions
• Building An Innovation Catalog

Introducing a Public Entrepreneurship BRIEFINGS staff learning series would strategically build involvement from all levels of an organization. Further, establishing this involvement would creatively position any organization as a leader of “beyond regular” continuous improvement initiatives.

Finally, two time-sensitive Public Sector Entrepreneurship: PART III concepts that could easily foster a culture of innovation within an entire organization I have labeled:  IDEAS UNLIMITED Hour and VOTING FOR IDEAS! First let me describe the details of supporting an IDEAS UNLIMITED Hour for all employees. Too often employees in non-leadership positions believe that any new ideas they may have will never be considered by “higher-ups” in the organization. This loss of creativity may be progressively regained via an IDEAS UNLIMITED Hour. Each week all employees at different times would be asked to just brainstorm about organizational development and improvement for one (1) solid hour. It would be understood that any idea—large or small—would be given an “equal opportunity” for consideration. Suddenly everyone would be enabled to suggest constructive change, anytime, all the time!

Similar in intent to the IDEAS UNLIMITED Hour, organizational boards, councils and committees would ALL begin placing VOTING FOR IDEAS as a regular area of consideration and discussion on their legal agendas. Think about current public sector administration with regard to entrepreneurship, idea-generation, innovative practices and pilot-testing policy-making. Is it a standard issue addressed at every meeting or something that is shared quietly over a cup of coffee after the meeting? How organizationally special would it be to have a chairperson announce to a meeting group: “It is now time on our agenda to talk about VOTING FOR IDEAS… and let’s start by going around the table and have EVERYONE toss in a concept!” I will bet no one has heard a request like that in their public administration history.

Incorporating any form of public sector entrepreneurship is fast becoming a much needed reform practice among all public funded organizations. Additionally, given that the United States public sector workforce includes an estimated 20.2 million employees, igniting a culture of ongoing innovation and creativity can only steadily advance sector effectiveness and efficiency! These advances in public administration can not be viewed as change for the sake of change. Rather the purpose and goal of public sector entrepreneurship is to create an innovation openness in our governmental systems that is unmatched by any other country.

As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, I firmly believe public sector entrepreneurship is alive and well in all corners of our nation—but is accomplished in silence. How progressive would it be to “brag” that our governmental systems have adopted a Public Sector Entrepreneurship model of continuous improvement which creatively involves workers at all levels?

Author: Marvin N. Pichla, Ph.D., is the owner and creative adviser of Inspiring Innovations, Inc. Sharing his unique entrepreneurship and innovation in public service experience, Marv consults with public and private business, education and community organizations to develop new and different problem-solving methods through real-life, example-based learning.

(No Ratings Yet)
Loading…