Author: Laura Kirchner, Expert in govtech policy, Gobe

Experience only adds value when we focus on learning, iterating, and refining our methodology. 

Since Gobe Studio launched in the spring of 2022, we have initiated 2 GovTech Labs, 3 GovTech open innovation projects, and 3 GovTech reports, in collaboration with institutions such as the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the Community of Madrid, the Basque Government, the Madrid City Council, the European Commission, and CAF-Development Bank of Latin America. Together, these initiatives account for more than 30 challenges, over 600 startup proposals, 3 pilots completed, and 15 currently underway.

During these nearly two years, we have refined our own GovTech methodology, which is built on open innovation processes, while incorporating service design and scouting for startups and SMEs with products that can impact the public sector. We've also gained valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges posed by these processes, and I’d like to share three key learnings with you:

1. Problem Definition: A Space for Reflection and New Solution Pathways

This section highlights the importance of clearly defining problems in GovTech labs and innovation processes in general: A well-defined problem attracts an effective solution. We collaborate directly with departments to dissect the issue, investigate its causes, and break it down, transforming a broad initial problem into several more manageable challenges, with clearly identified, actionable causes.

Over the past two years, we’ve observed several consistent benefits for challenge teams:

• Space for Reflection: The daily rush often limits our ability to fully grasp problems. Teams have appreciated having both the space and methodology to reflect on their issues and their root causes.
• Order and Clarity: The most frequent feedback we’ve received is: “We thought we understood our problems, but now we have them structured and know where to start.”
• Actionable, Specific Challenges with Multiple Solution Pathways: The process often identifies up to four challenges, even though only one is chosen for the GovTech open innovation process. However, identifying three additional, well-defined challenges opens up opportunities for alternative solutions—whether through internal development by the public tech company, collaboration with major tech providers, or by recognizing the issue as more of a service redesign than a purely technological one.

2. Govtech Pilots: A Chance to Rethink Service

With the first GovTech solution pilots, we realized that service design plays a pivotal role not only in defining the challenge but also in the piloting phase and, most importantly, when scaling the solution. Introducing a new digital solution into an existing service completely transforms how teams operate, raising important questions: Should the team’s organization be restructured? Are new roles needed? Will new processes emerge? What will the user experience—both internal and external—look like? Ultimately, it’s about rethinking the entire service offering.

To facilitate this, we used the Service Blueprint tool during the Learning Session at the end of the pilot. The result? Teams were able to identify positive changes in their workflow and pinpoint areas where they’d like to approach things differently. Although redesigning a service is resource- and time-intensive, just including this reflection gave teams a clear view of their progress and key insights for scaling the solution. As one colleague put it, “it helped us see where the seams might tear if we scaled this solution.” 

3. Activating the Relationship with Digitalization Teams and Public Technology Providers

Public sector departments often feel their digital needs are not prioritized by the digitalization team or the associated public technology provider within their government, even though they depend on these entities to address those needs. Over two years, we’ve seen that open innovation processes improve this relationship in several ways:

• Optimized Technology Demand: As a result of the challenge definition process, business teams can better structure their needs, improving communication with the technology provider.
• Pilot Learnings: Teams gain valuable insights by experimenting with real-world solutions, identifying the most useful functionalities and feeding this information into future technology demands.
• Collaboration: Including a representative from the technology provider in the challenge team throughout all phases of the innovation process has been crucial for strengthening this relationship.

These are the three main lessons we've learned about govtech open innovation processes during these first two years. We believe that years of experience only contribute if we focus on learning, iterating, and improving our methodology and processes to promote a digital transformation of the administration that positively impacts people's lives.