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Table 14. MIMI Maturity Levels by Type of Municipality
8. MuNICIPAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR INNOVATION
The section reports on the findings concerning the arrangements for innovation across the municipalities that participated in this study. This section of the report is based on the responses of 55 senior managers that participated in the MIMI. This consideration is informed by the assumption that senior managers, because of their position in the municipalities, are strategically placed to have a holistic understanding of the innovation processes, practices and partnerships (both internally and externally) across the respective municipalities. Figures 8 to 16 illustrate the municipal arrangements for innovation, including the incorporation of innovation in municipal strategies, the availability of specialised units and the appointment of champions to manage innovation, the implementation of the innovation projects and the partnerships for innovation.
Over 60% of municipalities consider innovation to be a high or very high priority for improving service delivery, with 35% rating it as a very high priority and 27% as a high priority (Figure 8). In contrast, 29% view it as a low priority, while 9% consider it not to be a priority.
Among the officials who indicated that innovation is not a priority in their municipality (9%), several key reasons emerged:
• Struggling with basic service delivery: Officials noted that the municipality is overwhelmed with delivering
essential services, making innovation seem like a secondary concern.
• Crisis-driven focus: The dominant emphasis is on managing immediate crises, leaving little room for forward-
looking strategies like innovation.
• Lack of leadership commitment: Innovation is not part of the goals or culture set by executive leadership,
indicating weak institutional support.
• Severe financial constraints: Chronic funding shortfalls were cited as a major barrier to considering or implementing innovation.
• Overburdened with competing priorities: Some officials highlighted the practical difficulty of introducing innovation when even basic functions are under pressure.
This feedback underscores how structural and institutional challenges can suppress innovation, even when its potential value is acknowledged.
MUNICIPAL INNOVATION MATURITY INDEX (MIMI)
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