An international study highlights that LA-BORA! gov promotes an environment for civil servants to innovate in the public sector.

An international study highlights that LA-BORA! gov promotes an environment for civil servants to innovate in the public sector.

Developed in partnership with MIT GovLab (USA), the case study of the innovation laboratory of Seges/MGI addresses how the so-called Free-las and Flexible Team operate.

Amid the public innovation laboratories of Latin America, which focus on building services and developing infrastructure, LA-BORA! gov, from the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI), stands out for creating an environment conducive to innovation among civil servants themselves, as a way to generate public value. This is indicated by a case study launched on Monday (03/04), in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Governance Lab (MIT GovLab), from the United States.

Titled "Catching Innovative Feels: How One Lab in Brazil Is Creating the Space and Support for Civil Servants to Innovate," the study addresses the roles of the so-called Free-Las and the Flexible Team, created to simplify and scale work possibilities in Public Administration without additional costs.

The Free-Las are civil servants who register to be invited to occasionally work on projects or services according to their competencies and interests, with the aim of simplifying and scaling work possibilities and increasing diversity of the team and ideas in public service. Meanwhile, the Flexible Team consists of civil servants who work in LA-BORA! gov continuously, on projects or services, with a weekly agreed-upon workload, maintaining their original link and unity of exercise.

"It [LA-BORA! gov] exists to help public servants build trust, promote psychological safety, and collaboration in the workplace. This is rare: most public innovation laboratories focus on designing services and initiatives that reform the practice of serving the public. This case explores the challenges and opportunities of launching a laboratory that, instead, creates public value by improving the employee experience within public service," the article points out.

Study

For about two months, representatives from LA-BORA! gov and the Free-Las received Indian researcher Vineet Abhishek from MIT, who conducted interviews with 15 civil servants in various states of Brazil to understand the dynamics of innovation within the MGI laboratory. The research involves actions that allow civil servants to work on intragovernmental innovation projects and develop new skills while remaining linked to their original agencies.

The study emphasizes the importance of a participatory and inclusive approach in promoting innovation in the public sector, highlighting how LA-BORA! gov and the Free-Las are leading the way in transforming public services. According to the article, by providing support and space for civil servants to explore new ideas and approaches in their work, the Brazilian innovation laboratory values experimentation, continuous learning, and psychological safety of civil servants, essential factors for the future of work.

"The LA-BORA! gov case study, in partnership with one of the world's best universities, MIT, is a milestone in recognizing Brazil as an innovative country, highlighting the crucial role of the civil servant as a transformative agent willing to innovate. This resurgence of the perception of public service shows how network collaboration and the creation of psychological safety environments can support tackling current complex challenges and improve citizens' lives," evaluated Luana Silveira de Faria, leader of LA-BORA! gov.

Resulting from the collaboration between LA-BORA! gov and MIT GovLab, the case study will serve as a source of inspiration for other government institutions around the world, demonstrating the potential that collaborative innovation has to transform public service and improve citizens' lives.

Know LA-BORA! gov

LA-BORA! gov is part of the Governmental Innovation Department of the MGI Management and Innovation Secretariat and aims to support and inspire people and agencies to innovate and improve the experience of civil servants to generate public value. Created in December 2019, it operates as a space for creative trust, experimentation, learning, and innovation.

For the laboratory's permanent team, acting as Free-LA can rejuvenate public service, providing opportunities for skills development and greater engagement of civil servants, generating greater public value, and improving deliveries to society.

For more information about the study, access the complete article on Medium.