Innovation and Risk Management - A Good Practice Guide for the public sector

This guide has been developed for organisations of all sizes and types, right across the public sector. It aims to raise awareness, generate discussion, and encourage public servants to consider what innovations, big or small, might generate better outcomes. It also considers how to manage the risks which are an inherent part of the process.

The guide includes:

  • Discussion of what innovation means in the context of the public sector;
  • A framework for innovation;
  • Consideration of potential enablers of and barriers to innovation, with guidance on how best to manage these;
  • Considerations for managing risk at each stage of the innovation process;
  • Case studies celebrating just some of the successful innovations that have been delivered by Northern Ireland's public sector, highlighting emerging lessons from each; and
  • A self-assessment checklist prompting useful questions for public servants to consider as they journey through the innovation process - this checklist is also available as a standalone, downloadable PDF form.