Published 13.4.2020
Introduction Few concepts have been harnessed with so much hopes for solving the public sector’s problems as public innovation. Governments in Western welfare states have put forward innovation or renewal programs with the intention to de-bureaucratize and open up public service delivery and policy implementation and overcome the continuous funding pressure on public welfare service.
Published 13.4.2020
Abstract Public innovation is increasingly strived for by involving non-state agents in policy implementation. Public governance theory has assumed the public administration better govern the activity hands-off by providing incentives and pressure. The theory-driven research agenda has, however, not sufficiently put the assumption to test. This paper compares two similar public innovation projects in employment management of which one was governed hands-off and the other hands-on. The cases reveal several problems with hands-off governance eventually risking innovation while hands-on governance consistently support innovation. Contrary to previous assumptions hands-off governance through competition in a complex environment confound the objective of the project. Hands-on governance, meanwhile, provide information and support that help the project to experiment and learn. The public governance theory should recognize the innovation potential of hands-on governance in the often complex public sector and be wary of mixing hands-off and hands-on governing techniques.
