Public Sector Reforms and Innovations

Students need to be comfortable following lectures and reading research articles and reports in English, prepare and deliver a PowerPoint presentation, individually or in small groups and write one final public sector innovation report in English to apply the concepts discussed during the lectures.
Taking the course HTM3216 The Future of Public Administration is recommended.

HTM3218 Public Sector Reforms and Innovations includes advanced level studies intended for master’s students in Administrative Sciences and students who are interested in understanding the fundamentals of public sector innovation theory and practice.

At the end of this course, students will be able to develop the following knowledge areas:
• Understand the fundamentals of public sector innovation theory
• Define the concept of public sector innovation and outline different types and forms of public sector innovations as they have emerged in different governments and public sector organizations around the world
• Define the concept of digital transformation in the public sector and learn a general model of paradoxes of digital transformation
• Understand recent developments in technological innovation and AI in particular
• Apply theory on public sector innovation and digital transformation to own experience and/or existing innovation cases and projects

In this course, you will receive support to develop the following skills, which are important for further studies and work life:
• Reading and understanding academic literature and reports on public sector innovation
• Research skills
• Presentation skills
• Analytical writing
• Critical thinking applied to real-world problems, innovation projects and own personal or professional experience

The course gives advanced skills the following common learning objectives of the Public Policy and Management major: ability to analyze and interpret public activities and their operational environment from the perspective of organizations and regions, and the ability to develop the operations of organizations, regions, and networks by considering their specific characteristics. In terms of sustainable development, the goal is to learn to develop effective, responsible, and transparent institutions at all levels, as well to promote public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

Required learning materials:

• Dan, S., Kalliomäki, H., Kunttu, L. and J., Kuusisto (2025). What Do We Know About Innovation Policy? in Kuusisto, Jari, Meyer, Martin, Flowers, Stephen, Kunttu, Leena and Kalliomäki, Helka. The Evolving Innovation Space: Policy and Impact Evaluation in a Changing World, De Gruyter

• Dan, S. (2020). Creating capacity for innovation in the European Union national governments, Thematic study number 8, ICF

• Mergel, I., Edelmann, N., & Haug, N. (2019). Defining digital transformation: Results from expert interviews. Government Information Quarterly, 36(4)

• Mergel, I., Dickinson, H., Stenvall, J., & Gasco, M. (2023). Implementing AI in the public sector. Public Management Review, 1–14

• Selten, F., & Klievink, B. (2024). Organizing public sector AI adoption: Navigating between separation and integration. Government Information Quarterly, 41(1), Article 101885

• Smith, W. K., & Lewis, M. W. (2011). Toward a theory of paradox: a dynamic equilibrium model of organizing. Academy of Management Review, 36(2), 381–403

• Tangi, L., van Noordt, C., & Rodríguez Müller, A. P. (2023). The challenges of AI implementation in the public sector. In Proceedings of the 24th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research (dg.o 2023) (pp. 414–422). ACM

• Van Acker, W. (2017). An Introduction into Public Sector Innovation: Definitions, typologies, and an overview of the literature, Working Paper, KU Leuven