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The FutureGov Knowledge Bank is an AI-powered dynamic hub of practical tools, applied research, and case studies designed to generate solutions around Public Sector Inclusion, Integrity, and Innovation.

National Innovation Ecosystems (NIEs) Toolkit

In 2022, the UNDP Accelerator Labs launched a global survey to capture an overview of the work undertaken across its network of 91 labs to support national innovation ecosystems. The results were clear and coherent.

A solid majority of Labs had partnered with governments to deploy interventions in support of innovation ecosystems or were planning to do so in the near future, pointing to a surge of government investment in innovation across the Global South. Furthermore, many of these governments were looking beyond traditional Global North examples to support innovation and learning from each other.

The survey also revealed that UNDP is widely recognized as a leading organization in supporting Global South governments on this journey. Moreover, collaboration with governments that have invested in innovation was found to be smoother and more impactful.

In 2023, the Accelerator Labs, in partnership with the UNDP Chief Digital Office, curated the accumulated experience of its network into a toolkit — a collection of documented resources. This resource is designed to inspire champions of national innovation ecosystems and to empower them with ready-made materials that can be adapted to diverse contexts. As such, it represents an initial prototype of an R&D product.

Champions of innovation in the Global South are often found within UNDP itself. This toolkit is intended to support UNDP Country Offices working with government partners to nurture innovation ecosystems, as well as Regional Bureaus such as those of Africa and Asia-Pacific in advancing public sector innovation. Given that innovation ecosystems are inherently multi-stakeholder and require constructive government–civil society partnerships, the toolkit is also relevant for the Governance Community of Practice in its efforts to expand civic spaces.

Thematic Area(s)
  • Public Sector Transformation
Type of Contribution

Manuals/Guidelines/Tools

Inclusion
  • Inclusion
Innovation
  • Innovation
  • System design
  • User-centric design

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