Innovations in Government: Research, Recognition, and Replication presents a comprehensive approach to advancing the practice and study of innovation in government. It discusses new research on innovation, explores the impact of several programs that recognize innovation, and considers challenges to the replication of innovations.

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"Not only does this book capture the remarkable story of the Kennedy School's Innovations Program, one of the most ambitious efforts ever to search for new ideas for making government work better, but it's also an invaluable analysis of what it takes to make these new ideas stick and spread."

Donald F. Kettl, University of Pennsylvania

"If our public institutions are to meet the extraordinary challenges of the 21st century, they must innovate as a way of life. This collection of essays offers a useful look at a variety of aspects of that challenge. Academic readers will find much to intrigue them within these pages."

David Osborne, coauthor of REINVENTING GOVERNMENT, senior partner of the Public Strategies Group

Contributors and Institutional Affiliations (in order by chapters):

• Sandford Borins, University of Toronto
• Jonathan Walters, Governing Magazine
• Steven Kelman, Harvard Kennedy School
• Archon Fung, Harvard Kennedy School
• Marta Ferreira Santos Farah, Center Public Administration and Government, Fundação Getulio Vargas
• Peter Spink, Center Public Administration and Government, Fundação Getulio Vargas
• John D. Donahue, Harvard Kennedy School
• Eugene Bardach, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley
• Robert Behn, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
• Jean Hartley, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
• Gowher Rizvi, Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School

Decentralizing Governance: Emerging Concepts and Practices traces the evolution and performance of decentralization concepts, from the transfer of authority within government to the sharing of power, authority, and responsibilities among broader governance institutions. The book’s contributors assess the emerging concepts of decentralization – devolution, empowerment, capacity building, and democratic governance - and detail factors driving the decentralization movement.

Governing by Network examines, for the first time, government’s transformation from centralized control over public programs to facilitating services through networks of nongovernmental entities, as seen through the experience of dozens of public innovators.

In this model, the role of government is transformed from direct service provider to generator of public value. There are huge advantages to governing by network—flexibility, speed, innovation and specialization to name just a few—but also serious challenges.

Managing a portfolio of provider networks is different than managing divisions of public employees. It requires a form of public management different from what governments and their citizens have become accustomed to over the past 100 years.

This book outlines what this new model of government would look like and provides a roadmap for actually governing the networked state. Drawing from dozens of case studies, as well as established best practices, it provides lessons to inform elected officials, business executives, and the broader public.

Governing by Network is co-published by the Brookings Institution Press and the Innovations in American Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Also available in Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.