#NextGenGov Champions take innovation agenda forward within public sector

• Citra Social Innovation Lab training inspires a new generation of public sector champions

The ‘Foresight & Innovation for #NextGenGov Champions’ program trained 60 selected public sector officials in Sri Lanka, along with several international participants, on implementing creative solutions to complex challenges. 

Public officials face unique challenges when making changes within their traditional systems of work, but have to tackle increasingly complex problems that do not respond to traditional solutions. Recognising this, the #NextGenGov Champions program included practical tools officials could use to identify issues and implement creative solutions. 

The program is co-developed as a joint initiative between Citra Social Innovation Lab, the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Public Administration, and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA).

Apart from experiential learning the program also brought in leaders and change makers to share their insights on doing things differently within existing systems in Sri Lanka. These included the Minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology Ajith Perera, Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution Dr. Harsha de Silva, Canadian High Commissioner David McKinnon, Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, Ministry of City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education Secretary Priyantha Mayadunne, Public Service Commission Chairman Dharmasena Dissanayake, Information and Communication Technology Agency Chairman Prof. 

Rohan Samarajiva, Australian High Commission First Secretary of Development and Cooperation for Sri Lanka and Maldives Dr. Tom Davis, National Science Foundation Director General Prof. Ananda Jayawardane, Sarvodaya Sri Lanka General Secretary Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, Central Bank Director of Economic Research Dr. Yuthika Indraratne and Central Bank former Deputy Governor Dr. W. A. Wijewardena, among others. 

The five-day residential workshops also offered participants the chance to learn from each other and join a supportive network of innovation champions spanning over 35 public institutions in Sri Lanka and beyond. 

At the end of the workshop participants used foresight and innovation tools to develop an action plan to tackle an ongoing issue within their current portfolios. 

An in-depth mentorship program will support participants as they implement their plans and take the innovation agenda forward in their work.The #NextGenGov Champions will then reconvene later in the year for a two-day Recap Session to report back on their experiences. The officials will also be duly recognised for their perseverance through an awards ceremony for creating lasting impact from within the public sector. Citra Social Innovation Lab, together with its partners, will continue to work closely with this network of innovation champions to ensure a sustained, long-term integration of foresight and innovation for public sector excellence in Sri Lanka.Citra Social Innovation Lab is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research and UNDP Sri Lanka. Bearing the Sanskrit meaning of something ‘strange, wonderful and curious’, Citra is Sri Lanka’s first Social Innovation Lab which uses foresight and innovation tools to prototype and test development solutions to ensure they are agile and holistic before nation-wide implementation.