Author: Bert Lukkien, Digicampus
In the world of innovation and technological progress, it is crucial to work in a structured and goal-oriented way. The European project GovTech4all acts as an incubator, where ideas grow from concept to working solutions that have a real impact on society. But how does the innovation team navigate to this goal, and what steps are essential on this journey?
Idea to Working Solution: The Growth Model
One of the key questions that every innovation team needs to answer is: how do you transform an idea into a working solution? It starts with a clear goal. The GovTech4all program recognizes that in order to know where you want to go, you need to understand where you stand. This premise is essential when navigating the complexities of the innovation process.
The roadmap to the ultimate goal, the solution of the societal challenge, determines the steps that need to be taken. This goal includes not only technological innovation, but also the societal field. The citizen, who will use the final solution, must be involved, but also public and private organisations responsible for delivering the public service.
Public Service: More than Technology
Innovative technology is only one facet of delivering public services. It goes beyond developing cutting-edge solutions; It involves understanding the societal landscape and engaging diverse stakeholders. The GovTech4all project recognizes the complexity of this task and understands that there are many obstacles to overcome. How do you tackle this complex issue? GovTech4all introduces the maturity model as a powerful tool for innovation teams.
The Govtech Maturity Level Assessment: An Integrated Approach
The maturity model is an integrated approach that encompasses all aspects needed to achieve societal impact and arrive at an accepted and working solution. This model includes growth models for three crucial aspects: technology, society and organisations responsible for the realisation of the public service.
1. Technique:
The technological aspect of the maturity model focuses on the development of the solution itself. It starts with the question: How advanced is the technology we want to implement: the technical readiness level? The model provides a structured growth path, giving teams insight into their current state and the next steps they can take.
2. Society:
The societal aspect recognises the importance of involving the end user, citizens and other stakeholders. It asks questions such as: what needs to be done so that citizens can and want to use the solution (societal readiness level)? The maturity model provides guidance to increase societal acceptance, integrating the understanding of the social landscape into the development phase.
3. Organizations:
The organisational dimension looks at the public and private entities involved in the delivery of the public service. The maturity model provides a structured growth path to foster collaboration and coordination between these organizations, overcoming obstacles and achieving GovTech4all's objectives.
Navigating with the Govtech Maturity Level Assessment
The Govtech Maturity Level Assessment is a practical tool in the form of a questionnaire that provides insight into where a team stands in the development of their solution. This insight helps to determine which follow-up steps can be taken, which barriers are known and which tools can be used. Thus, answering these questions not only leads to a deeper understanding of the current situation, but also acts as a roadmap for further development. It enables innovation teams to take targeted steps, identify and overcome obstacles, and ultimately achieve a socially impactful solution.
Conclusion: A Structured Journey to Solving Societal Challenges
GovTech4all has not only set an ambitious goal but also introduced a thoughtful approach to achieving this goal. The maturity model and accompanying questionnaire provide innovation teams with concrete tools to structure and improve their journey towards a working solution.
By recognizing that the provision of public services is more than just technology, GovTech4all emphasizes the integrated approach to technology, society and organizations. With this integrated approach, innovation teams have the opportunity to overcome obstacles, create better solutions, and ultimately achieve the desired societal impact. GovTech4all offers not only an incubator for ideas, but also a compass to navigate towards a future of innovative and effective public services.