In partnership with Microsoft, DSG conducted an Executive Education course on "Innovative Government" from 7 to 9 March 2010, which explored concepts of innovation in the public sector and ways to foster innovative governance approaches. Academics, industry leaders and government officials collaborated to understand the implications of new technology trends for the public sector, in terms of both opportunities and challenges. This proceedings report covers presentations and discussions, and highlights the main themes and recommendations from the course.
Four main areas were identified by participants for policy development in the UAE and the wider region: Strengthening formal linkages between national ICT policies, innovation and economic growth; harnessing information flows in government and society as catalysts for innovation; the importance of interoperability in the provision of efficient government services; and the transition towards open government globally and in the Arab region. Ultimately, it was agreed that information flows play a critical role in innovative governance and in the shift towards "information government." |