Thuli Radebe Centre for Public Service Innovation, South Africa

1. Workshop2Transfer & adaptation of innovative practices for improved public service delivery in LDCs, Bahrain 2013Challenges and Opportunities in transferring innovative practices to public sectors of LDCs Thuli Radebe Centre for Public Service Innovation, South Africa

2. Content • Background • Challenges • Opportunities • Conclusion

3. Background • Lessons from South Africa’s involvement in the reconstruction of post-conflict countries: collaborated on a public service census - developing an accurate & secure database of all public servants • Establish legitimacy of each worker and verifying conditions of service and manner in which an appointment was made • Issue identity cards to each public servant with a biometric profile • Provide updated information to Ministry of Budget to update payroll and identify ghost workers (Salary structure, regular payments, identify people for retirement

4. Background Three countries coming out of conflict - Public Service Capacity Building (as they come out of the trauma & are setting themselves up to serve their citizens – governance, Financial & HR Management) A lot of innovation was & still needed to address the identified challenges • Lessons from South Africa’s position as a recipient of support ( IPSP – Multi-donor programme) • Lessons from SA – local replication programme (own LDCs)

5. Innovations & lessons • Complete innovations being transferred but always adapted • Lessons transferred

6. Challenges

7. Challenges drawn from all Off-the-shelf innovative solutions from donor countries – untargeted, not addressing any felt, identified needs, recipients obliged to accept Limited understanding of the context- what is perceived as corruption by one country may be viewed as a livelihood in another - all-round lesson for SA Wrong identification of stakeholders (e.g. Nana Benz, from Togo to Liberia) Unintended consequences not identified and mitigated

8. Challenges drawn from all • A focus on transfer capacity rather than developing local capacity from the onset (bringing technical expertise and off-the-shelf solutions) • Reliance on imported expertise - Limited local technical expertise, where it exists not recognised/ utilised • Leads to wrongly allocated ownership of the processes and products, including IP • Language and cultural barriers - not being able to communicate with local communities

9. Challenges drawn from all Severely limited basicresources and infrastructure (offices, equipment, transport, electricity) - distract from core business and restrict what can be done Political correctness on part of donors – support diverted to global climate change conference Resources focused on requirements & REPORTING back home (rather than innovative solutions) which becomes a deliverable - templates, methodology, motivations, TORs, etc. to be simplified

10. Challenges drawn from all • Lack of leadership commitment and political will (in both LCDs & donor countries) • Constant turn-over in leadership (agreements reached, MoUs signed, then there are changes and process restarted) • Internal instability disrupting progress (emergency evacuations, loss of equipment) – threat of uprising or coup • Existing interests (Former colonial powers) protecting their interests and turfs – sometimes works and sometimes not • Embedded in the system, thus becoming part of the problem to the point of negatively influencing local decision-makers / raising suspicion

11. Opportunities

12. Opportunities • Innovation must be in response to a real local need not need as perceived by external party- proper research and stakeholder engagement to confirm needs (root causes) – avoid white elephants • Innovative interventions to include or be based on the tenets of democracy as pillars– e.g. citizen engagement – citizens very sophisticated gender equality Rural South Africa – houses built, not locals’ priority Rural SA – Pig farming - pork every weekend • Context studied and respected for relevance

13. Opportunities • Enabling environment: Political will , sponsorship & genuineness on mandate Leadership stability & political stability Focus on citizen’s benefits as outcomes Strong partnerships with officials at coalface – their intellectual capital & buy-in are key Build indigenous capacity in innovation management, public entrepreneurship

14. Participating in regional and international reward programmes facilitates replication and adaptation of innovation (UNPSA, AAPSIA - AU, AAPAM, CAPAM) Knowledge Management programmes - documenting and disseminating innovative case studies Local, Regional and Continental Networks as best practice (innovation) sharing platforms: AU - Ministers Conference for Public Service (CAMPS) UNPAN regional & global Opportunities

15. Recipient government to lead the innovation transfer – sustained relevance, political & senior leadership commitment, and resource allocation Clearly identified focal point or else no accountability Despite the many challenges, there are endless opportunities in LDCs to innovate Conclusion It always seems impossible until its done. Nelson Mandela

16. THANK YOU