The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
Written by Marvin N. Pikula
April 19, 2024

Several years have passed since I prepared to found the American Academy of Public Administration. PA Times This article is about one of my very favorite topics: public sector entrepreneurship. In many articles, I have emphasized the great need for continued change and pilot demonstration projects to help make multiple government programs and services more modern, efficient, and effective. . Don’t get me wrong, I believe that silent public sector entrepreneurship is alive and well in every corner of our country. However, even today, with such advances in technology and information sharing, there is still no unified, comprehensive, and data-rich Internet location with examples of past and present innovative public sector practices. .
In this Public Sector Entrepreneurship: Part III article, we continue to follow the trajectory of innovation and offer more suggestions for opportunities for unique, creative, and non-traditional government advancement. Each proposal has the potential to be quickly adopted and utilized in many administrative fields. However, all new concepts also require a commitment analysis regarding the organization’s interest in supporting public sector entrepreneurship initiatives. Ultimately determining everyone’s interest and commitment to building new approaches to old challenges is critical to moving forward.
One of the first public entrepreneurship issues to consider is the inclusion of elements of innovation and creativity in human resource policy handbooks. Opportunities for change and growth that can ultimately occur if everyone working in the unit is motivated by an “Innovation and Creativity” section that not only encourages the submission of development ideas, but also perhaps provides some form of accounting/vacation compensation. Let’s think about. Often known as “intrapreneurship,” this opportunity allows public sector employers to add value to the agency’s mission, make better use of available resources, and be an example of cohesive continuous improvement efforts. You can get the means.
Next on the list of proposed innovation initiatives is the development and implementation of a staff learning series entitled “Public Entrepreneurship Briefing.” Briefing’s design is to build a number of highly focused, short-term creativity sessions that he can conduct twice a year. Public entrepreneurship briefing sessions will be half a day long, and participating staff/experts will be limited to 10-15 people and will be required to “produce” a progress report at the end of each session. Potential innovative briefing topics include, but are not limited to:
- Creative committee members
- use the funds in another way
- Exemption/Demo Project Options
- Service provided by “Co-op Style!”
- Ask the difficult question, “What else?”
- Building an innovation catalog
Public Entrepreneurship BRIEFINGS Strategically build participation from all levels of your organization with our staff learning series. Additionally, establishing this engagement can creatively position any organization as a leader in continuous improvement initiatives that go “beyond the ordinary.”
Finally, time-sensitive public sector entrepreneurship: I have labeled two concepts that can easily foster a culture of innovation within your entire organization: IDEAS UNLIMITED Hour and Vote for IDEAS! Start with all employees. We will explain the details of the targeted IDEAS UNLIMITED Hour support. All too often, employees in non-leadership positions believe that their new ideas will never be considered by “higher ups” in the organization. This loss of creativity can be gradually recovered through IDEAS UNLIMITED Hour. Every week, all employees were asked to brainstorm for a solid hour on developing and improving the organization at different times. It is understood that every idea, big or small, will be given an “equal opportunity” to be considered. Suddenly, anyone can suggest constructive changes at any time, at any time.
With similar intentions to the IDEAS UNLIMITED Hour, organizational boards, councils, and committees will all begin to make voting on IDEAS a regular area of consideration and discussion on their legal agendas. Consider today’s public sector administration when it comes to entrepreneurship, idea generation, innovative practice, and pilot testing of policy making. Is it a standard issue brought up at every meeting, or is it something shared quietly over coffee after a meeting? When the chair says to the meeting group, “We have time on the agenda to discuss voting on ideas… and How special is it for an organization to announce, “Let’s start by going around the table and asking everyone to pitch their concepts!” I don’t think anyone in the history of public administration has ever heard such a request.
Incorporating all forms of public sector entrepreneurship is becoming a much-needed reform practice among all publicly funded organizations. Furthermore, given that the U.S. public sector employs an estimated 20.2 million people, igniting a culture of continuous innovation and creativity is the only way to steadily advance the effectiveness and efficiency of the sector. you can’t. These advances in public administration cannot be seen as change for change’s sake. Rather, the purpose and goal of public sector entrepreneurship is to create an openness to innovation in the government system that is unmatched in any other country.
As I said in the opening paragraph, I firmly believe that public sector entrepreneurship is alive and well in every corner of our country, but it is being achieved in silence. How progressive is it to “bragging” that our government system employs a public sector entrepreneurship model of continuous improvement that creatively engages workers at all levels?
author: Dr. Marvin N. Pikula is the owner and creative advisor of. Inspiring Innovations Co., Ltd. Marv shares his unique entrepreneurial spirit and innovation in public service experience, consulting with public and private business, education, and community organizations to develop new and different problem-solving methods through real-world, example-based learning. is being developed.