Governance_
Government leaders are the least trusted among 12 categories of societal leaders1
66% people believe their governments are purposely trying to mislead them2
People's trust in democratic governments has steadily declined for the past 20 years3
We are trying something different
We are building the KNOWLEDGECAPACITYTECHCOMMUNITY_ To design governance innovation solutions
Governance Innovation Initiative
The Governance Innovation Initiative is a sandbox for researching and testing innovative tools and processes to design innovative governance solutions. We aim to understand the future of governance through a series of case studies, engagements with thought leaders in governance and innovation, as well as the co-designing of governance innovation solutions through a Lean Governance Innovation Design (LGID) approach.
Lean Governance Innovation Design
#LGID
LGID is a hybrid of learnings from design thinking, behavioral science, systems thinking, and entrepreneurial methods, with a heavy focus on designing to improve the relationship between government and citizens. We’re also using these cross-disciplinary methods of inquiry, to understand how to spark and sustain innovation in bureaucracies in the Global South. The evidence will help build government capacity to address the grievances of a new generation of tech-savvy citizens.
How We’re Doing It
Designer-Researcher Program
Designer-Researchers are embedded in government agencies at national and subnational levels, including cities, where they work hand-in-hand with civil servants on public sector challenges. They simultaneously contribute to MIT GOV/LAB’s governance innovation research by documenting and analyzing organizational behavior in bureaucratic institutions, while leveraging the LGID approach to facilitate the co-design of governance innovation solutions with governments and partners.
Nigeria
In Abuja, Nigeria, we work with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President, to co-diagnose a challenge, co-design solutions and contribute to the literature.
Sierra Leone
In Freetown, Sierra Leone, we work with the Freetown City Council to co-diagnose a challenge, co-design solutions and contribute to our research. We are also continuing our relationship with the Directorate of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI), in the Office of the President of Sierra Leone, researching DSTI’s unique approach to innovation in government.
Case Study Series
Through our Case Studies, we document and make more accessible the stories of governance innovation in the Global South. We provide insights into the challenges of governance, the different pathways to innovation in the public sector, and the drivers for and barriers to innovation.
Areas of Research
We’re interested in what motivates governance innovators, how they behave, how innovation ecosystems can spark governance innovation, and cross-disciplinary approaches to governance innovation design. We want to understand how governance innovation works beyond the traditional bureaucratic systems: in slum dwellings, in refugee camps, and other complex settings.
Bootcamps, Accelerator, and Hackathons
Bootcamps and accelerator programs enable partners to diverge and converge on co-identified challenges while Hackathons will provide a space to challenge MIT students and our partners to collectively imagine better governance products, services, and processes through the Lean Governance Innovation Design approach.
Podcast: Power to the Who
What is the future of governance? How can we collectively imagine better futures where we design with citizens and government, not just for citizens? How can governments redesign how they deliver public services? Interviews with thought leaders in governance, reformers, public service leaders, technologists, designers will shine a light on topics in a fun and insightful environment where guests air their visions, challenges, anecdotal mistakes and eureka moments. First episodes air at the beginning of 2023.
