Innovation
‘Innovation’ is a term that is increasingly being used in the public and third sectors. Whilst traditionally seen as a hallmark of the private sector, innovation is now seen as vitally important to the public and third sectors too.
But why the need for innovation? The key reasons are:
1. An environment of steep cuts in government spending
2. Rising expectations of the quality of services from users and carers
3. The existence of endemic problems that have not been solved by usual practice.
All the above means that business as usual is increasingly no longer an option for many services. Innovation resolves how to avoid the problem of ‘death by a thousand cuts’ by seeking to take a whole new approach to an issue.
Defining innovation
There are many definitions for what innovation is. At CPI, we believe that the real crux of innovation – which other definitions do not necessarily capture – is performance. The final test of innovation is not newness or change but improvement. Our definition therefore is simply:
“Change that creates a new dimension of performance.”
It is this focus on improvements in performance that characterises true innovation. Anything that does not lead to better performance is merely change for change’s sake, or worse still, the pursuit of novelty.
CPI and Innovation
CPI is uniquely placed to help you respond to the growing need to make your organisation and your services more innovative, and in so doing, drive down the costs of providing services, whilst increasing the quality and improving client outcomes.
We have a long track-record of delivering innovation projects in the public and third sectors and can take you beyond theory to practice.
Our innovation portfolio includes the following services:
- Innovation audits – how innovative is your organisation, what are the vital signs of an innovative organisation and do they exist in your organisation? Our innovation audit will let you know how innovative your organisation is, what the capacity is for innovation and the practical steps that you need to take to make innovation a reality.
- Innovation leadership – supporting your management team to develop innovation systems and techniques.
- Innovation systems – what systems and structures do you need to make innovation a reality in your organisation, what changes do you need to make? We can help you implement the systems that are necessary to make innovation a reality including Skunk Works and CPI’s own product – the Innovation Platform.
- Locating your innovators. We firmly believe that in any organisation, innovators will already exist. But how do you find them, liberate their talents and get them developing new ideas? CPI can work with you to make the most of your existing workforce.
- Innovation training – providing your staff, manager or board with the essential skills they need to understand innovation and make it happen.
- Innovation provider – some of our clients prefer to outsource managing their innovation portfolio to CPI. We are happy to take on this role and work with managers and staff, identify good ideas and work with innovators to implement them and then mainstream their concepts so that they become the new standard way of working
Our innovation clients include:
- Brighton CDRP
- Care Services Improvement Partnership – South East
- Department of Health
- Government Office for the South East
- Government Office for the South West
- Hertfordshire Police Force
- Tunbridge Wells District Council
Click here for an innovation health check on your own organisation | 
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