Brookings / Ash Center Series, “Innovative Governance in the 21st Century”

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?

• What are the persistent obstacles and the proven methods for overcoming them?

Probing 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.

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).