The Role and Implementation of an Innovation Unit in the Assembleia Legislativa of Santa Catarina, Brazil
About the Assembleia Legislativa de Santa Catarina | Brazil. Written on September, 2022
Introduction
The Innovation Unit of the Assembleia Legislativa of Santa Catarina in Brazil stands as a pioneering initiative aimed at fostering innovation in the public sector. In the throes of its implementation phase, the unit forms part of an ecosystem of innovation in the public sector, operating in collaboration with other state government bodies, the judiciary, and control organs such as the Court of Accounts and Public Prosecutor's Office. This essay presents an analysis of the Innovation Unit's strategic and operational approach, its early successes and challenges, and its broader implications for promoting public sector innovation in Brazil.
The Role of the Innovation Unit
The primary objective of the Innovation Unit is to promote an innovative culture within the public sector across the state. In-house efforts are complemented by actions intended to encourage innovation within municipal parliaments. The unit's overarching strategy involves not only improving internal processes but also simplifying communication to increase transparency for the public.
The team's composition reflects this strategy, with roles divided amongst institutional relations, accessibility and simple language experts, and legal specialists. A consistent challenge for the unit is to clarify the concept of innovation to all employees, an endeavour made easier by forming a well-coordinated team that understands innovation and its potential benefits.
Challenges and Approaches
The unit's journey is marked by two significant challenges: first, working within existing institutional cultures to foster a culture of innovation, and second, communicating its mission and activities to the public in an accessible and transparent manner.
To address the first challenge, the unit has adopted a proactive and participatory approach, reaching out to different sectors within the institution to discuss potential innovation initiatives, rather than waiting for ideas to come to them. This proactive approach is aimed at filtering what constitutes an innovation demand, based on the experiences of other public institutions.
The second challenge, simplifying the language used within the parliament to make it accessible for the public, is addressed by having experts in simple language on the team. The unit believes this step will bridge the gap between the language used in parliament and the public's understanding, thereby enhancing transparency.
Innovation in Practice
The unit has shown a clear preference for innovation based on dialogue and process improvement rather than technology-driven solutions. The focus is on small, agile projects with measurable outcomes, which also serve to gradually instil a culture of innovation within the organisation.
As an example, the unit collaborates with the contracts and procurement department to streamline the contract development process. This methodology, adaptable to different sectors within the parliament, leads to increased efficiency, transparency, and speed in public service delivery.
External Collaboration and Future Directions
The unit also recognises the importance of external collaboration, both in terms of learning from successful innovation initiatives elsewhere and in terms of fostering innovation in municipal parliaments. To this end, it plans to host a conference in November, where it will share its experiences with the municipal chambers and encourage them to initiate their innovation journeys.
Conclusion
The Assembleia Legislativa of Santa Catarina's Innovation Unit represents an ambitious initiative to foster a culture of innovation within the public sector. Despite the challenges of changing institutional cultures and communicating effectively with the public, the unit has adopted a proactive, participatory, and process-focused approach to innovation. The future looks promising, with plans to share experiences and foster innovation across municipal parliaments. The unit's journey offers valuable lessons for other public sector organisations looking to embrace innovation as a means of enhancing efficiency, transparency, and public engagement.