APG Forum on Public Innovation Leadership, a collaborative work environment & public innovation. MR. SINGTHAVONE DALAVONG DIRECTOR GENERAL PARTI MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS LAO PDR JAKARTA, JUNE 2014

CONTENTS  Collaboration & Leadership  Innovation in Public Sector  Drivers of Innovation  Leadership & Change  Lao Governance Perspectives  Lao Governance & PAR Context 2

Lao Governance Context  Modern State structure from Constitution 1991  Main institutions= Legislature, Judiciary & Executive  National Assembly is main legislative body  Guided by the Lao peoples Revolutionary Party 3

Public Administration Reform in Lao PDR  GPAR is national programme to strengthen governance & public administration  Public Administration reform is necessary to deliver equitable development and people-centred services  People-responsive socio-economic development is step towards achieving MDGs & national goals 4

Leadership & Change  Strong leadership is critical success factor of public organisational change & innovation  More challenging to drive Change in Public Sector;  Public agencies tend to work in “Silos” (independently of other Agencies)  Less completive pressures / drivers of Change  Thus greater reliance on Leadership as Change Champion in Public Sector 5

Drivers of Innovation  Two aspects to be considered – organisational and Individual  Why should a Public organisaton want to innovate?  As monopoly service provider has no competition  Tend to be reactive rather than proactive  Naturally risk-adverse & with little reward for innovating new ways 6

Drivers of Innovation Why would an individual public servant want to innovate?  Private sector individuals have to innovate to survive  Drivers of Change are weak in Public Servants – and  Organisational barriers to Innovation; e.g. bureaucratic, lack vision, unclear goals, driven by processes rather than by results 7

Innovation in Public Sector  Public Sector is capable of innovation – but more complex challenge  Public Sector culture of innovation relies on different drivers of Change  Unique advantages for innovation in Public sector.  can absorb mistakes,  less personal risk should mean ‘no fear of mistakes/risk”  large pool of brain-power  Teamwork within and across agencies on new & innovative services and processes 8

Innovation in Public Sector  Role of Leadership is the most important Driver in Public Service  Private Sector already clear on WHY they need continuous change and improvement – due to clear market forces  Public servants must look to Leadership to provide that vision, understanding and desire. 9

Collaboration & Leadership  the more fully you can engage people’s hearts and minds in an enterprise and its success, the more likely you are to be able to create a powerfully successful organization.” (Ricci & Wiese)  Although collaboration is about decentralizing, it has to start at the top  Ambiguity from the top is the enemy of apt action from below  They define 3 walls to willing collaboration as  Unclear clear goals,  Lack of a transparent decision making process and,  Top management not sticking to that process. 10

Collaborative leadership  Clear vision & goals – the WHY? - core elements of Collaborative leadership  WHY ‘switches on’ employees / public servants  An ‘internalized’ employee is a creative employee  Good& continuous communication is essential fuel for motivation/creativity  Collaborative style of Leadership can apply to many types of organisations 11

Lao PDR perspectives  organisational Change in Public sector is evolutionary  Builds on earlier reforms & system tools  Consider Hierarchy of Needs / Life-cycle of service providers in LDC;-  Provision of basic services – primary Health, & Education, infrastructure for access to services & markets, etc.  Governance reforms is foundation stone for good & sustainable development in LDCs 12

Lao PDR perspectives  Collaboration benefits apply in governance reform in LDCs  Greater inter-agency information sharing & collaboration on services  10 cross Sector Working Groups for collaboration & innovation  Other possible application to Laos;-  more personnel interchanges &  task-oriented organisations via organisational diagnosis  Sam Sang pilot – devolve greater authority to local administration 13

THANK YOU 14