Innovation Practice
PRACTICE AREA
Innovation
The Center offers training, technical assistance, grants, and other support to city leaders and teams focused on expanding public innovation in local government.
The Innovation Practice focuses on effectively using techniques in data analysis, human-centered design, inclusive innovation, project management, and storytelling to solve problems and drive better results for local communities.
We believe that these are essential skills for government leaders to possess and that public servants should be empowered to apply public innovation approaches to understand challenges, develop creative solutions, and drive implementation – regardless of their political orientation, role, or position.
Join us in the essential work of making our cities better places to live and work with the latest innovation techniques and research.
Our Innovation
Programs
1.
Innovation Teams
Innovation Teams
Bloomberg Philanthropies has launched over 50 Innovation Teams (i-teams) to deliver better results for residents by creating in-house, dedicated innovation capacity in city government.
Now an initiative of the Center, i-teams deploy human-centered design, data-driven practices, behavioral insights, and other innovation techniques to test and evaluate new solutions, while also demonstrating a new way of working to practitioners in city government.
The Center supports new, active i-teams and legacy i-teams and is developing new tools and resources to support cities as they launch their own i-teams.
2.
Innovation Trainings
2.
Innovation Trainings
The Center teaches mayors and city leaders to use innovation tools and techniques to address new or existing problems. With the guidance of a design coach, public servants learn how to collaborate with community members and their peers in government to deliver a more equitable, inclusive approach to problem-solving.
The Center teaches mayors and city leaders to use innovation tools and techniques to address new or existing problems. With the guidance of a design coach, public servants learn how to collaborate with community members and their peers in government to deliver a more equitable, inclusive approach to problem-solving.
The Center delivers the innovation training curriculum to city leaders through two programs:
1.
Innovation Training
This year-long training helps mayors and their leadership teams adopt design-based innovation techniques to engage residents in testing, adapting, and scaling creative ideas that have lasting impact.
2.
Bloomberg Harvard Leadership Program Innovation Initiative
Led in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Harvard University, this seven-month program helps interdisciplinary city teams build their innovation capabilities as they research, test, and prototype solutions to a pressing city problem.
The Center delivers the innovation training curriculum to city leaders through two programs:
This year-long training helps mayors and their leadership teams adopt design-based innovation techniques to engage residents in testing, adapting, and scaling creative ideas that have lasting impact.
2. Bloomberg Harvard Leadership
Program Innovation Initiative
Led in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Harvard University, this seven-month program helps interdisciplinary city teams build their innovation capabilities as they research, design, and prototype solutions to a pressing city problem.
Upcoming Opportunities
Public Innovators Network
The Public Innovators Network welcomes local government leaders and staff who are committed to using innovation, data, collaboration, and resident engagement to deliver exceptional results for people. It is the premier place to learn from one another and access cutting-edge resources and support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Join the Local Infrastructure Hub
The Local Infrastructure Hub helps local leaders navigate and understand the 400+ federal funding opportunities available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Explore grant opportunities, find extensive webinars and learning opportunities, and take advantage of the Hub’s robust, pro-bono bootcamps for small- and mid-sized communities.