July edition of Bilgi Cagi magazine takes the issue of ‘Innovation in Public Sector’. The magazine questions how innovative the public sector is and dwells upon the impediments in front of the public sector for innovation. As Faruk Eczacıbaşı states, the topic of July edition is chosen to give a hint for making Turkey having an efficient and effective economy in the international competition area.
The magazine took the views of experts in the field. Sait Gözüm, board member of Deloitte Turkey, states that the current approaches to innovation in public institutions are indefinite and in the experience level and the pilot studies are not taken into granted in government management structuring. Therefore, he proposes an integrated and innovative management model for the governments which includes all the organizations. This integrated model should take innovation in 3 aspects: governance, management and design.
While Dr. Hüseyin Uğur, from TÜYAP Technology Investments, states that Turkey is just starting to innovate in public sector. Uğur states that innovation is a system and the return of investment for innovation requires a long time. However, in the public sector high return is expected in a very short time because of the political reasons. Therefore there has not been a successful innovation example for now.
Leyla Arsan, TAGES CEO, and member of the magazine publication board, is one of the main contributors of the magazine. Leyla Arsan refers to the e-readiness rankings of 2009, the report prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which analyses the quality of the countries’ ICT infrastructure and the ability of its consumers, businesses and governments to use ICT to their benefit. Turkey is the 43rd of out of 70 countries in e-readiness according to this report. Arsan believes that e-transformation steering committee should deal with the issue and a study should be made to analyse the deficiencies stated in the report and to develop melioration proposals for e-readiness.
Arsan believes that the most important criterion for innovation is to provide participation and transparency. She states that there are opportunities for public sector that are provided by the European Union and the ICT Policy Support Programme is one of these opportunities of the EU which aims at stimulating innovation and competitiveness through the wider uptake and best use of ICT by citizens, governments and businesses. Arsan points out the e-participation call for project proposals under ICT PSP programme which will fund projects empowering and involving citizens in transparent decision making in the EU. Public institutions may also benefit from funding by proposing projects or participating to projects under this call. The call will close on 23 September 2009.
TAGES is one of the main contributors in Bilgi Cagi magazine which is published monthly with a vision to watch R&D and innovation processes of Turkey where the target mass is public organisations, NGOs, private sector, universities and all parties responsible for the R&D and innovation improvement of Turkey.
The magazine includes more articles of experts in the field. To read more on ‘Innovation in Public Sector’ you may look at Bilgi Cagi Magazine: