Methods — Building a solid foundation
Establish a clear and shared methodological foundation, adapted to the targeted type of
innovation, allowing the consolidation of existing practices while integrating user
experience (citizens, businesses and partners) from the very first steps.
By clarifying methods early, administrations create the conditions for generating public
value in a structured and credible way.
Key actors
Employees at all hierarchical levels who initiate or support innovation initiatives.
Depending on the organisational context, this may include:
- innovation champions,
- service designers or process specialists,
- operational staff with direct user contact.
Basic training and shared skills in selected methods are essential to ensure consistency
and quality across initiatives.
Tools (non-exhaustive)
The objective is not to apply many methods, but to
select a small, shared and appropriate methodological base.
Typical tools and frameworks include:
- Design thinking (lightweight, service-oriented)
- User journey mapping
- Problem framing and hypothesis formulation
- Continuous improvement methods (e.g. PDCA, Kaizen-inspired approaches)
- Simple service design tools adapted to the public sector
The level of methodological sophistication should match the targeted type of innovation.
Key actions
Incremental innovation (consolidate)
- Understand innovation as continuous, service-oriented improvement
- Use simple and proven methods
- Integrate existing user feedback (complaints, surveys, service feedback)
- Capitalise on existing processes, tools and skills
Transformative innovation (reconfigure)
- Combine service-oriented and process-oriented methods
- Analyse end-to-end user journeys
- Identify major pain points for users and employees
Disruptive innovation (explore)
- Use exploratory methods focused on future uses
- Work with hypotheses on needs and behaviours
- Accept uncertainty and progressive learning
Common challenges / Watch out for
- Using overly complex methods without clear added value
- Lack of shared understanding of chosen methods
- Insufficient skills or training to apply methods correctly
Practical example
A team maps a permit application journey using existing complaint data, identifying two
quick wins that reduce processing time and user frustration.
Next step
With clear and shared methods in place, the next step is to
integrate them into governance and daily operations.
See details