Why policy failure is a prerequisite for innovation in the public sector

Researchers and practitioners agree that collaborative innovation is crucial for problem-solving in public policy. This article contributes to our understanding of innovation in public governance, by arguing that failure in public policy is often a prerequisite for successful policy learning and innovation. Using insights from the ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’ – a theory from business studies – to develop its argument, the article emphasises how voter myopia (Nair and Howlett, 2017) plus blame avoidance by decision-makers and ill-structured policy issues, create an ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’ that produces failure before successful innovation. The article compares this theory with other concepts of innovation in the public sector and theorises different pathways to successful policy innovation. It concludes that decision-makers need to take the Innovator’s Dilemma more seriously and integrate its lessons into existing innovation models designed for the public sector.