At GovLab, we define innovation as ‘creating new viable offerings in the form of services, products or methods to create value for the public sector and for citizens’.

These new, viable offerings can range from minor changes or modest optimisations of an existing product, service or methods through to big, bold, fresh ideas. Importantly, innovation is distinct from invention; innovative ideas can be new to the world, or just new to a particular citizen or customer group.

GovLab’s methods, tools and techniques can be used to develop possible solutions to any problem or challenge with implications for governments and citizens, no matter how ambiguous or vague. We keep an open mind!

Possible challenges include complex or ‘wicked’ social issues that require a collaborative, cross-sector response (e.g. poverty, inclusion, loneliness and unemployment) and a range of trends and developments that impact how governments engage with citizens (e.g. future of regulation, smart cities, AI-augmented government, cloud computing).

Based on extensive research and global best practice, GovLab’s Innovation by Design approach is a human-centred method used to design, build and scale innovations with ‘disciplined creativity’.

It is underpinned by the ‘balanced breakthrough’ model, which ensures that innovations are desirable (is there demand?), feasible (can we do this?) and viable (is it worth it?).

The Innovation by Design approach is also characterised by fast and flexible sprint-based working, which has its origins in the Agile framework.

During our highly interactive Design Sessions, teams work together to consider trends and developments that will shape the world of tomorrow, and ideate new solutions that can be launched and scaled (e.g. new services, policy options or business models).

Our sessions use the Innovation by Design approach to explore the problem to be solved, “walk in the shoes” of the end user, create and refine ideas, develop a prototype solution and explore options to further test, pilot or scale the prototype.

Our GovLab offering can be run either rapid-fire in 100 minutes, or across two days.

Yes! GovLab is a global offering with teams operating in Deloitte firms across North/South Europe including the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and Ireland. View our GovLab case studies for inspiring success stories, perspectives and innovations from across the globe.