From Containment to Free Flow

Innovation cannot be directed, but it does not emerge by chance either. It requires a delicate process where enterprising doers lead the way, new ideas are tried out, administrators gradually find their way, and dogged finishers upscale initiatives and make them workable in practice.

In this book, Menno Spaan presents sixteen cases of successful innovation in the Netherlands. These range from infrastructure projects to the development and use of new technology, and from public organisations that decide to do away with managers to local residents who determine what their town should look like.

The Netherlands has a public sector that ranks highly in international indices. As a country that largely lies below sea level, the Netherlands depends greatly on its innovation capacity to survive. Collaboration across organisational boundaries is deeply ingrained in the culture and has produced some truly special innovations.

This book is intended for people in leadership, innovation managers, employees, and anyone who is involved in the innovation of public organisations. The practice-based innovation model presented in this book will empower you to get started right away in areas that are relevant to your situation.

‘A clear and fascinating answer to the question of how public organisations should innovate’ – Mathieu Weggeman, Professor of Organisational Science