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27 November 2008

Public Service and Administration Minister, Mr Richard Baloyi today delivered a keynote address at the second Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) Public Sector Innovation Conference.

Speaking at the conference Minister Baloyi called for innovative ideas from academia, innovation experts, business and the public service, urging them to pull together to build a stronger nation.

Referring to the Xitsonga idiom, ti tlhomana mincila which translated refers to a call to learn from each other, to work and to pull together towards building a stronger nation, Mr Baloyi emphasised the need for partnerships. "We should always remember that our competitive advantage relies on our ability and desire to continue to learn new ways of doing things whilst prepared to share."

During his address, Mr Baloyi launched A Pocket Guide for Innovation in the South African Public Sector. The guide is not a policy on innovation but rather a guide that demystifies the various aspects of innovation as they relate to the public sector. The conference explored how innovation can be a strategic tool for public administration, looking at how innovation can assist in saving government money and ensuring efficient and effective service delivery.

The conference themed 'Citizen-centric innovations' also focused on:
* Citizen convenience the discussion positioned citizen convenience at the centre of public sector innovation, to ensure that innovative initiatives are not for their own sake but are driven by citizen's needs and how best to deliver government services.
* Processes and innovation the focus was on innovation aimed at improving institutional processes and systems to provide an enabling environment for public servants and partners to think creatively and act innovatively.
* Service delivery technology innovation it was demonstrated how Information Community Technology (ICT) is a critical enabler for innovatively addressing service delivery blockages. The role of technology in public service delivery was interrogated in this session.

CPSI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ms Thuli Radebe defined innovation as the process of transforming an idea, generally through Research and Development, into a new or improved product, service, process or approach which serves the mandate of government and the real needs of society.

Ms Radebe highlighted numerous innovation initiatives by the CPSI in the Public Service which include: eGovernment, Batho Pele Gateway Portal, Public Internet Portals and General Service Counters in Thusong Centres.

International experts at the conference included:
* Mark Napier from the UK Centre for Public Innovation who presented the British experience of citizen driven innovation
* Mr Ashish Kumar Hoolaas from the Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms in Mauritius who presented on the innovative approach that has spearheaded administrative reforms in the Mauritian civil service and
* Mr Ernest Husteadt from GTZ who shared the German approach to public sector innovation.

The CPSI is an initiative of the Minister for Public Service and Administration, established to identify, support and nurture innovation in the public sector with a view to improving service delivery.

Enquiries:
Lebohang Mafokosi
Cell: 082 312 4641

Issued by: Department of Public Service and Administration
27 November 2008