UK Councils Looking to Open Innovation for Solutions

April 28, 2013 By IdeaConnection

Benq_laptopLocal councils in the UK are following an example set by US local authorities by turning to open innovation for a number of issues, reports the Guardian newspaper.

There are hacks, prized-based challenges, camps and jams all over the country to tackle local problems.

The newspaper article details a number of examples.  Camden council in north London is one of many up and down the UK  working on crowdsourced initiatives.  It is staging a hack day for data scientists and others to explore ways of improving public services.

The council is also working with teams to use space more effectively within the borough and to help people on welfare benefits to thrive.

Engaging the Public to Solve Problems

Councils realize they don’t have all the answers themselves, neither do they possess the financial or people resources to devote to innovating solutions.  However, they are sitting on vast banks of data and knowledge that can be shared with people who do have ideas.

The UK is warmly embracing open innovation and a 2012 white paper from the British government lays out its plans to release more data to help people to innovate.

Improving Services

The government is keen to create and promote an information marketplace for businesses and entrepreneurs and the paper includes a number of case studies from successful initiatives.

According to Francis Maude MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General: “Opening up data is underpinning our public service reforms by offering people informed choices that simply haven’t existed before, exposing what is inadequate and driving improvement.”


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