Transcript Briefing on the Expert Meeting on “Approaches and

Synopsis of the
Expert Meeting on
“Approaches and methodologies for the
assessment and transfer of best practices in
governance and public administration”
Objectives
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Present and discuss the key characteristics of a “best practice” and
provide a definition of innovation in government;
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Identify the characteristics that make a best practice transferable;
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Discuss and identify the capacity requirements of the recipient
administration, whether at the national or local level, and the necessary
conditions to implement a specific best practice;
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Discuss and identify the approaches and methodologies that should be
adopted in transferring best practices;
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Review and discuss lessons learned in existing transfer of best practices.
Goals
• Enhance knowledge of the concept of best practice and
innovation in public administration;
• Provide concrete tools for the transfer and adaptation of
successful experiences in other countries;
• Strengthen knowledge of North-South and South-South
cooperation in transferring best practices;
• Receive feed-back from experts on how the United Nations
can provide more effective assistance to governments in the
area of sharing and replication of best practices.
• Provide inputs for the preparation of a publication containing
useful information for countries wishing to replicate best
practices.
Major themes
• Best practices and innovation in government:
perspectives, challenges and potential
• Transferability of best practices/innovations
• Endogenous capacity to absorb and
implement a best practice
• Approaches and methodologies for the
replication of best practices
Participants
Participants included experts, academics,
practitioners, and representatives of international,
regional and sub-regional institutions. They came
from the following countries:
Jordan, Croatia, Morocco, Italy, Brazil, Turkey,
Tunisia, Mexico, Canada, Syria, USA, Egypt, South
Africa, Philippines, Malaysia, National Palestinian
Authority, Albania, Spain
The following Institutions were represented:
ESAMI
CPSI
CAPAM
IPAC
EPAN – European Network of Public Administration
UNHABITAT
UNDP
Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard University
OECD
Galing POOK FOUNDATION,
Fundacao Getulio Vargas,
CAIMED – Centre for Administrative innovation in the Mediterranean Region
Higher Population Council of Jordan
Croatian Association for Public Administration
ASPA – American Society for Public Administration
ENA of Morocco,
Sabanci University and Istanbul Policy Centre
Faculte de droit et de science politiques de Tunis
Damascus University
El Colegio de la Frontera Norte of Mexico
EUI - European University Institute
CITYNET
Bethlehem University Beit-Jala
Urban research Institute of Albania, and
UNDESA
ISSUES Highlighted
• What constitutes a ‘best practice’ in public administration?
• Why should governments search for innovation in public
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administration?
What is involved in the process of innovation in public
administration?
What are the factors that facilitate or hinder innovation in
public administration (enabling environment)?
Describe what governments and other stakeholders should do
to create an enabling environment for innovation in public
administration?
Elements of endogenous capacity to absorb and implement
innovations and best practices
Building endogenous capacity
Sustainability of innovation and best practices
ISSUES
• What are the characteristics and factors that make an
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innovation transferable from one context to another?
Of all the constituting elements of a “best practice” or
of an innovation what should be transferred?
What should be done to enhance the transferability of
“best practices”?
What are the various approaches and methodologies
that can be used to adapt “best practices” effectively?
Strength and weaknesses of each one of these
approaches and methodologies?
Of all the approaches and methodologies which ones
would you recommend in which context?
Recommendations for endogenous capacity
• Create an environment that encourages the generation of innovations and
not only the adaptation of innovations from other experiences
• For Implementation:
• Build self-sufficient institutions that are rich in social capital and human
capability
– Integrate participatory democratic practices in the initiation and
implementation procedures
– Build national systems that recognize and reward innovative practices
– Document monitor and assess innovations
– Utilize integrated communication approaches
– Establish decision making mechanisms that distribute decisional power
and share risks of innovations in order to encourage innovators to
propose new ideas.
For Evaluation:
– Use integrated monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and establish
them within the decision-making and implementation processes
– Emphasize the importance of ‘lessons learned’ for the future planning
and revision of current practices and ensure a continuous learning
approach in the evaluation process
– Focus on Qualitative indicators
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Recommendations on transferability
Broadcast information (shared knowledge): post it on a Web
portal
Create competition (market model) among innovation ideas
Provide incentives (e.g., UN: Dubai awards, UN Habitat, use
of development accounts as funding formula [UNPAN]);
economic and non-economic.
Require that money given as prizes/awards be used
systematically to replicate and disseminate BPs Link with
public broadcasting service to disseminate films of the awards
process that are shown on all PBS channels (all prize winners,
or those related to the specific broadcast area in question)
Commission case studies that are used as teaching/learning
resources.
Use cases as teaching/learning innovations in executive
training and leadership programs
Create what might be called a global network of innovators;
link them physically by bringing them to a central location to
interact and exchange ideas. Establish global partnerships so
as to run programs bi-laterally in a number of different areas
Recommendations on approaches and
methodologies
• Approaches and Methodologies
• Practitioner – to – practitioner – engaging in
different jurisdictions (peer – to – peer)
• Information sharing
• Problem solving teams workgroups – multi –
dimensional team with one member familiar
with the innovation / problem
• Transfer guidelines
• Capacity building / training knowledge based
• Hiring experts
• Awards