Principles for Collaboration on the Modernisation of the Public Sector as Well as the Establishment of a Centre for Public Innovation (DK0040)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Denmark Action Plan 2013-2014
Action Plan Cycle: 2014
Status: Inactive
Institutions
Lead Institution: NA
Support Institution(s): NA
Policy Areas
Capacity BuildingIRM Review
IRM Report: Denmark End-of-Term Report 2014-2016, Denmark IRM Progress Report 2014-2015
Starred: No
Early Results: Did Not Change
Design i
Verifiable: No
Relevant to OGP Values: Not Relevant
Implementation i
Description
Together with employers and employees from the public labour market, the Government has adopted seven principles for collaboration on the modernisation of the public sector. The principles are to promote a performance of public tasks and a culture with a focus on trust, collaboration, results, efficiency, innovation, quality and professionalism. At the same time, these principles serve the purpose of supporting the many good initiatives across sectors and authorities that rethink and improve the public sector.
The adoption of the principles will be followed up on in 2014-2016 by initiatives that are to contribute to spreading the principles and supporting modernisation and innovation in the public sector. The initiatives comprise the development of new forms of governance with a focus on trust and collaboration as well as the establishment of a centre for public innovation that is to support the spread and embeddedness of innovation across the public sector. The centre is also to strengthen employee and user-driven innovation in the public sector.
IRM End of Term Status Summary
Commitments 7 and 8: Modernization of the public sector & free municipalities
Commitment 7. Modernization of the public sector & establishment of a center for public innovation
Together with employers and employees from the public labour market, the Government has adopted seven principles for collaboration on the modernisation of the public sector. The principles are to promote a performance of public tasks and a culture with a focus on trust, collaboration, results, efficiency, innovation, quality and professionalism. At the same time, these principles serve the purpose of supporting the many good initiatives across sectors and authorities that rethink and improve the public sector.
The adoption of the principles will be followed up on in 2014-2016 by initiatives that are to contribute to spreading the principles and supporting modernisation and innovation in the public sector. The initiatives comprise the development of new forms of governance with a focus on trust and collaboration as well as the establishment of a centre for public innovation that is to support the spread and embeddedness of innovation across the public sector. The centre is also expected to strengthen employee and user driven innovation in the public sector.
8: “Free Municipality” pilot projects
Known as “Free Municipality” pilot projects, these projects are part of the Government’s work on the modernisation and innovation of the public sector. Lessons learned from free municipality pilot projects are to contribute to the Government’s general reform of the public sector with a focus on trust, professionalism, leadership and deregulation, which are significant parameters for a user-orientated sector.
Nine municipalities are free municipalities. They have been granted exemption from government rules and documentation requirements for the purpose of testing new ways of doing things. The objective is to find smarter, more resource-efficient and less bureaucratic solutions.
Responsible Institution: None specified for any commitment
Supporting Institutions: Commitment 7: none specified;
Commitment 8: The nine “free municipalities”
Start date: Not specified........ End date: Not specified
Commitment Aim:
Commitment 7 set out seven principles for modernization of the private sector,[Note 17: Seven principles for public innovation, COI, http://coi.dk/om-os/7-principper/]such as factoring citizens’ resources into public services. A series of follow up initiatives as well as the creation of a new Centre for Public Innovation followed.
Commitment 8 predates the action plan,[Note 18: http://www.kl.dk/Fagomrader/Okonomi-og-dokumentation/styring/Frikommuneforsog/De-9-frikommuner/] and entails a series of pilot projects held in “free municipalities.” [Note 19: Denmark’s Self-Assessment Report to OGP, September 2015, http://goo.gl/GUIr6a] These municipalities have been granted exemption from government rules and documentation requirements for testing new ways of doing things in order to find smarter, more resource-efficient and less bureaucratic solutions. There were nine “free municipalities” in the period 2012-2015, and results from their experience will be included in future reforms of the public sector.
Status
Commitment 7:
Mid-term: Substantial
As remarked in the IRM progress report, this commitment is vaguely worded, resulting in significant scope for interpretation to what exactly the commitment is attempting to achieve. Nevertheless, the IRM researcher finds this commitment to be substantially completed.
The evaluation of the adopted principles and implementation of initiatives to spread the principles was still on going during the first-year assessment. As noted in the IRM Progress Report[Note 20: Denmark IRM mid-term report 2014-15, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Denmark_IRM%20Progress%20Report%202014-15_Final_eng.pdf] the government had conducted governance workshops to develop new governance models focused on trust, collaboration, and civil engagement. It also established a Center for Public Sector Innovation that produced the world’s first Public Sector Innovation Statistic.
End of term: Substantial
This commitment has not seen further implementation since midterm evaluation. Since the IRM progress report, the Centre for Public Innovation has hosted many activities, meetings, and workshops (for a complete list, see the news on the COI-website[Note 21: News from COI, http://coi.dk/nyheder/]), however it is unclear how many of these pertain to this commitment. Together, the work of the Centre for Public Innovation and the adoption of the seven principles are an on-going process, scheduled for conclusion in 2019.[Note 22: COI to continue their work, COI, http://coi.dk/nyheder/2016/coi-fortsaetter-arbejdet/]
Commitment 8:
Mid-term: Substantial
According to the Danish government’s mid-term self-assessment report, municipalities piloted 250 experimental approaches to almost all municipal tasks. Examples include beginning foreign language instruction in earlier grades of schools, or indeed in kindergarten, and new ways of welcoming citizens into job service functions. For further information, please see the IRM mid-term report.[Note 23: Denmark IRM mid-term report 2014-15, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Denmark_IRM%20Progress%20Report%202014-15_Final_eng.pdf] A midterm evaluation of the experimental pilot projects performed by Rambøll and released in January 2014 confirmed that implementation was advancing according to the specified timeline.[Note 24: Midterm evaluation of the free municipalities, January 2014, Rambøll, http://www.kl.dk/ImageVaultFiles/id_75799/cf_202/Tv-rg-ende_rapport_-_Midtvejsevaluering_af_frikomm.PDF]
End of term: Complete
The period for the free municipalities ended in 2015, the commitment is now considered complete. The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Interior announced that the participating municipalities would publish self-evaluations of their experiments by 30 April 2016.[Note 25: Free Municipalities 2012-2015, Ministry of Social and the Interior, http://sim.dk/frikommuneforsoeg-ii/frikommuneforsoeg-i-(2012-2015).aspx] Only Fredensborg Kommune[Note 26: Evaluation of free municipality trial, Fredensborg Kommune, https://www.fredensborg.dk/Admin/Public/Download.aspx?file=Files%2FFiles%2FKommunen%2FFrikommune%2FFrikommune_Evalueringsrapport_endeligt+udkast.pdf] had published such a report at the time of writing, and there is no aggregated assessment like the evaluation performed by Rambøll.
Did it open government?
Access to information: Did not change
Civic Participation: Did not change
Public Accountability: Did not change
Neither of the commitments are eligible for the “did it open government” question, a neither of them had any OGP value relevance.
Commitment 7 aims to establish the Centre for Public Innovation, have a series of activities and adopt seven principles for innovation in public offices. However, as implemented it remained unclear how the commitment is relevant to OGP values. As noted in the end of term completion, it is also unclear what relation the activities held at the COI, have to the commitment. Since the adoption of the seven principles is still on-going, any effects or indication of changes in government practice is hard to determine. Especially, given the unclear relevance to any of OGP values.
Commitment 8 aims to perform a series of experiments in the “Free Municipalities”, but it does not specify how these experiments were to be adopted into policy on the national or local level. During the period the pilot project lasts, “free municipalities” are allowed to be exempt from complying with policy or legislation in order to find smarter, more resource-efficient and less bureaucratic solutions. As noted in the IRM progress report the relevance of this commitment, as written, to OGP values is unclear.[Note 27: Denmark IRM mid-term report 2014-15, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Denmark_IRM%20Progress%20Report%202014-15_Final_eng.pdf] From desk research and interviews with government officials responsible for commitment implementation, the IRM researcher has not found concrete evidence of policy changes. There is no evidence that the experiments conducted by free municipalities in Commitment #8 changed how government discloses information, opens spaces for participation, or is held accountable. Since the commitment is at the local level, it is beyond the scope of this research to examine each action.
Carried forward?
According information found on the COI website,[Note 28: COI to continue their work, COI, http://coi.dk/nyheder/2016/coi-fortsaetter-arbejdet/] activities of the Centre for Public Innovation will continue until 2019.
A new free municipality project was announced spanning 2016-2019,[Note 29: Free Municipalities 2016-2019, Local Government Denmark, http://www.kl.dk/Okonomi-og-administration/Okonomi-og-dokumentation/styring/Frikommuneforsog/] and 43 municipalities have applied to conduct this next round of municipal experiments.[Note 30: Free Municipalities 2016-2019, Local Government Denmark, http://www.kl.dk/Okonomi-og-administration/Okonomi-og-dokumentation/styring/Frikommuneforsog/Frikommuneforsog-II/] In late August 2016, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Interior postponed the appointment of new free municipalities.[Note 31: Free Municipality appointment delayed, Ministry of Social and the Interior: http://sim.dk/nyheder/nyhedsarkiv/2016/aug/udpegning-af-frikommunenetvaerk-udskydes.aspx]
Commitments
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Platform for Citizens to Access Data the Government Holds about Them
DK0068, 2019, Data Stewardship and Privacy
-
Oversight Body for Social Services Claims
DK0069, 2019, Access to Justice
-
Anonymous Whistleblower Portals for Justice System Employees
DK0070, 2019, Anti-Corruption
-
Open National Archives Data
DK0064, 2019, Access to Information
-
Open Workplace Health and Safety Data
DK0065, 2019, Access to Information
-
Climate Atlas
DK0066, 2019, Access to Information
-
Publish Terrain, Climate, and Water Data
DK0067, 2019, Access to Information
-
Open Data for Citizens and Media
DK0050, 2017, Access to Information
-
Data Registers on a Shared Public Distribution Platform
DK0051, 2017, E-Government
-
Information Portal for Day-Care Facilities
DK0052, 2017, E-Government
-
Open Data and Smart City Forum
DK0053, 2017, Access to Information
-
Open Data DK
DK0054, 2017, Access to Information
-
Overview of Own Cases and Benefits
DK0055, 2017, E-Government
-
Nationwide Deployment of Telemedicine
DK0056, 2017, E-Government
-
My Log
DK0057, 2017, E-Government
-
Civil Society National Strategy
DK0058, 2017, Marginalized Communities
-
Report a Rule
DK0059, 2017, E-Government
-
OGP Forum
DK0060, 2017, Public Participation
-
Denmark’S Country Program for Uganda
DK0061, 2017, Aid
-
The 18Th International Anti-Corruption Conference
DK0062, 2017, Anti-Corruption
-
IATI (International Aid Transparency Initiative)
DK0063, 2017, Access to Information
-
Service Check of Local Government Consultations
DK0034, 2014, Public Participation
-
Call on All Municipalities to Facilitate Advance Voting
DK0035, 2014, Marginalized Communities
-
Letter of Invitation to First-Time Voters Urging Them to Vote
DK0036, 2014, Marginalized Communities
-
User Friendliness Requirements Regarding Digital Self-Service Solutions
DK0037, 2014, Capacity Building
-
Plan for Inclusion During the Transition to Digital Communication
DK0038, 2014, Capacity Building
-
Common Public Sector Digital Communication Campaign
DK0039, 2014, Capacity Building
-
Principles for Collaboration on the Modernisation of the Public Sector as Well as the Establishment of a Centre for Public Innovation
DK0040, 2014, Capacity Building
-
“Free Municipality” Pilot Projects
DK0041, 2014, Subnational
-
Recommendations from Growth Teams
DK0042, 2014, Private Sector
-
Strategy for Digital Welfare
DK0043, 2014, E-Government
-
Implementation of a New Charter for Interaction Between Volunteer Denmark/Associations Denmark and the Public Sector
DK0044, 2014, Civic Space
-
“Open Data Innovation Strategy” (ODIS)
DK0045, 2014, Access to Information
-
Data Distributor for the Distribution of Basic Data
DK0046, 2014, Access to Information
-
Open Government Camp 2014
DK0047, 2014, Capacity Building
-
Open Government Assistance to Myanmar
DK0048, 2014, Aid
-
Opening Key Public Datasets
DK0049, 2014, Access to Information
-
Online Open Government Partnership Community
DK0001, 2012, E-Government
-
Online OGP Handbook for Public Authorities and Institutions
DK0002, 2012, E-Government
-
Management Labs and New Forms of Co-Operation
DK0003, 2012, Public Participation
-
Consultation and Transparency of Development Aid Programmes: Design Aid Programmes
DK0004, 2012, Aid
-
Innovate with Aarhus
DK0005, 2012, Capacity Building
-
Citizen Self-Services: Increasing the Use of User Ratings in the Citizen’s Port Borger.Dk
DK0006, 2012, E-Government
-
Open Government Camp
DK0007, 2012, Public Participation
-
Renewed Effort for Open Government Data
DK0008, 2012, Access to Information
-
Regional Initiative on Open Data
DK0009, 2012, Access to Information
-
Reuse of Open Source Software in the Public Sector
DK0010, 2012, E-Government
-
Citizen Self-Services: Binding Guidelines for Self-Service Solutions
DK0011, 2012, Capacity Building
-
Citizen Self-Services: Guidance and Information on Accessibility to Digital Solutions
DK0012, 2012, E-Government
-
Citizen Self-Services: Peer-To-Peer Learning Programmes to Help Citizens Use Digital Self-Service
DK0013, 2012, Capacity Building
-
Citizen Self-Services: Location-Based Content and Re-Use of Content in Borger.Dk
DK0014, 2012, E-Government
-
Less Reporting Through Increased Re-Use of Key Data
DK0015, 2012, E-Government
-
Mypage” for Businesses
DK0016, 2012, E-Government
-
Companies to Be “Born Digitally”
DK0017, 2012, E-Government
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Creating a Mediation and Complaints Institution for Responsible Business Behaviour
DK0018, 2012, Human Rights
-
International Human Rights Conference
DK0019, 2012, Human Rights
-
Promote Social Responsibility in the Fashion Business
DK0020, 2012, Private Sector
-
Reporting on Human Rights and the Climate
DK0021, 2012, Human Rights
-
Country by Country Reporting in the Extractive and Forestry Industries
DK0022, 2012, Anti-Corruption
-
Legislative Principles for the Digital Age
DK0023, 2012, Legislative
-
Consolidated Key Data
DK0024, 2012, E-Government
-
App Store for Digital Learning Resources
DK0025, 2012, E-Government
-
Preparing a Digital Reform of the Public Welfare Areas
DK0026, 2012, E-Government
-
Consultation and Transparency of Development Aid Programmes: Transparency in Aid
DK0027, 2012, Aid
-
Tracking Progress of Universities’ Transition to Digital-Only Administrative Communication
DK0028, 2012, Education
-
Disclosure of Status Reporting From the National IT Project Council
DK0029, 2012, E-Government
-
Overview of Public ICT Architecture
DK0030, 2012, E-Government
-
Publication of Educational Materials on the Government’s ICT Project Model
DK0031, 2012, Capacity Building
-
Smart Aarhus and Smart Region: Smart Aarhus
DK0032, 2012, E-Government
-
Smart Aarhus and Smart Region: Smart Region
DK0033, 2012, E-Government