Page 9 - UKZN MIMI Report 2025

2. CONTEXTuAL AND POLICY bACKGROuND TO MIMI
In recent years, innovation in the public sector has been growing in importance as a critical component to improve public service delivery and address some of the pressing socio-economic challenges most countries face, especially low- and middle-income countries. A critical component to drive innovation in the public sector is the capacity and capability to learn, absorb and apply knowledge (Koch 2006)1. The issue of learning and creating innovation capacity is becoming relevant not only in the private sector but in the public sector. Governments around the world are embarking on a new agenda of creating innovative cities as part of the smart city agenda. Public service continues to face immense pressure to find alternative ways to improve service delivery and enhance how citizens access government services. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of innovation in ensuring continuity and adaptability in times of crisis. In the post-COVID-19 era, innovation remains essential for building a resilient public sector that can not only respond to emerging challenges but also improve the overall experience of municipal and government services for citizens.
Digital transformation of cities and municipalities requires appropriate conditions for innovation to occur. Among these conditions is the ability to manage innovative projects within the politics and bureaucracy of government and measure the extent to which innovation uptake is happening in municipalities and government departments. Attention should be given to methods and tools that focus on the core set of attitudes and skills for innovation and management support in the municipal environment. This is what the Municipal Innovation Maturity Index (MIMI) initiative seeks to encourage. The biggest challenge that needs to be met in order for public sector institutions to be able to innovate emanates from the very definition of that which is classified as innovation. The Oslo Manual (OECD, 2018)2 defines public sector innovation as the implementation of new or significantly improved products or services, processes, and organisation or communication methods based on new knowledge or new combinations of existing knowledge. The Oslo Manual (OECD, 2018) also pro- vides three categories for innovation: product or service innovation, process innovation, and organisational innovation.
Product (or service) innovation consists of new or significantly improved products or services introduced or implement- ed by the organisation. These include improved access to and quality of several government services, in addition to the introduction of physical products. Process innovations are new or significantly improved production or delivery methods, techniques, equipment and/or software; they are technological in nature and often take the form of ICT systems in services. Organisational (or management) innovations are examples of non-technological innovation, which refers to new or signifi- cantly improved methods for organising or managing work in an organisation. Public sector examples include new and im- proved policies or strategies, government structures, forms of governance, methods of delivery, organisational procedures, and internal and external collaboration. Organisational innovation often goes hand in hand with process innovation. In the South African context, MIMI has been introduced as an innovation measurement instrument to help municipalities understand the extent to which they embrace innovative practices across the three definitions provided above, but also to help municipalities aspire to higher levels of innovation maturity. MIMI is strategically positioned within broader national and international policy and legislative frameworks. These frameworks are centred around address- ing South Africa’s socio-economic and ecological challenges and capacitating the South African state at all levels to deliver social services and provide economic inclusion opportunities for the marginalised people.
2.1 Sustainable Development Goals
Contemporary development challenges, such as environmental issues (climate change, environmental degradation, etc.), inequality and others, transcend national/state borders and affect all countries. The The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a set of globally agreed goals to address these development challenges. South Africa is a signato- ry to the SDGs, and the country’s commitment to innovation in municipalities is a part of the broader SDGs agenda. In particular, Goal 11 of the SDGs states that investing in innovative projects is one of the ways in which countries achieve sustainable development. Nationally, South Africa’s development agenda is guided by the National Development Plan.
2.2 The National Development Plan
The major objective of this multidimensional plan, launched in 2012 by the South African Government, aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. Informed by the developmental state discourse, the NDP is constructed around the vision of creating a “virtuous cycle of growth and development, with success measured by the degree to which the lives and opportunities of the poorest South Africans are transformed in a sustainable manner” (Department of Science and Innovation, 2019:3). The NDP recognises that innovation, science and technology are the key enablers of attaining positive change in its focus area, that include education, health, safety and security, economic growth and employment, skills development, infrastructure, rural development, human settlements, and local government). The NDP further calls for a deliberate effort to invest in science, innovation, and technology skills training in higher education.
1Koch, M. (2006). Innovation in the public sector in the Nordic countries: Interact – innovation in the public sector and public‐private interaction. Nordic Innovation Centre (NICe) project no. 5011. Oslo: NIFU STEP
2OECD (2018) Oslo Manual 2018: Guidelines for Collecting, Reporting and Using Data on Innovation, 4th Edition, The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264304604‐en.
MUNICIPAL INNOVATION MATURITY INDEX (MIMI)
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