The Persistence of Innovation in Government

(Paperback)

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Sandford Borins addresses the enduring significance of innovation in government as practiced by public servants, analyzed by scholars, discussed by media, documented by awards, and experienced by the public. In The Persistence of Innovation in Government, he maps the changing landscape of American public sector innovation in the twenty-first century, largely by addressing three key questions: Who innovates; When, why, and how do they do it; and What are the persistent obstacles and the proven methods for overcoming themProbing both the process and the content of innovation in the public sector, Borins identifies major shifts and important continuities. His examination of public innovation combines several elements: his analysis of the Harvard Kennedy School's Innovations in American Government Awards program; significant new research on government performance; and a fresh look at the findings of his earlier, highly praised book Innovating with Integrity: How Local Heroes Are Transforming American Government. He also offers a thematic survey of the field's burgeoning literature, with a particular focus on international comparison.

Reviews

"Sandford Borins has produced another tour de force. Combining comparative knowledge,data, and analysis from the 1990 and 2010 Kennedy School Innovations in American Government Awards applications, Borins presents a rich portrait of policy and management innovations in the U.S., comparing his fi ndings to studies in Europe and around the world to paint a mosaic of how and why government innovation occurs. Written in clear and lively prose, and full of insights, I heartily recommend this book!" Frances S. Berry, Frank Sherwood Professor of Public Administration, Florida State University

"If the purpose of innovation in government is to help institutions of democratic governance adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and popular expectations, the work is far from finished. Sandford Borins, like the innovators he has studied for over two decades, persists in the mission to understand this important and diffi cult work. This wonderful book is a must-read for both optimists and skeptics of innovation in government." Jorrit De Jong, Lecturer in Public Policy and Management and AcademicDirector of the Innovations in Government Program, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government

"Wise scholars early on seize a central issue to which they return recurrently over the course of a career. For Sandford Borins that defining theme, amid a widely varied research agenda, is the topic of this book. Innovation in the pursuit of public value is the ore-rich intellectual quarry, which he mines again and again. In this volume on the persistence of innovation he once more demonstrates, to the benefi t of all of us who care about governmental performance, the payoff to persistence in inquiry." John D. Donahue, Faculty Chair, Masters in Public Policy Program, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government

Author Bio

Sanford Borins is a Professor of Public Management at the University of Toronto and a Research Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He studies narrative and innovation, and his previous books include Governing Fables: Learning from Public Sector Narratives (2011) and Innovating with Integrity: How Local Heroes Are Transforming American Government (1998).