A little over a decade ago, when the word “innovation” was beginning to buzz around city halls, it wasn’t clear whether a movement toward more data-driven, innovative local government would gain much traction. Nor was it certain to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. Today, the answer to those questions appears to be a resounding “yes.”

We must recruit all actors in a system to align with our work. High on that list is local government.

In this environment ripe with experimentation, we began hearing a different request from public sector leaders. Rather than asking for support for one-off projects or new ideas, they were asking for help in making sense out of a decade of disparate innovation, from the resultant “thousand points of light.” Put another way, after 10 years, could we glean a core set of principles that could guide local governments in becoming equipped to innovate?

We’ve come a long way, and we need to read the signs in order to maintain the momentum we’ve built. The uptake of the framework affirmed that we’ve entered a new phase in the development of the municipal innovation field. Making sense of lessons learned is today’s charge.

Read the full article on the municipal innovation movement by Ben Hecht at Medium