New development: Public service innovation

To meet the future fitness of a changing public service, local government practitioners and public managers can advance more values-based approaches that are responsive to workforce planning needs and more accessible to the communities that they serve. First, co-designing human-centric public services with users to target genuine areas of need. Second, promoting good governance to embrace partnership and spread public service financial risk in finding sustainable solutions to real world complex challenges. Third, leveraging data-driven technologies that informs public service decision-making on areas of performance and improvement. Fourth, investing in training and lifelong learning to promote continuous professional development and building capacity to equip public workers with the skills for innovation is crucial. Finally, to attract gender equality, diversity and inclusion in public service recruitment strategies a more balanced approach to conflicting ‘care’ and ‘control’ practices.