NEW RESEARCH | Culture clash hinders innovation in government projects

Public authorities want to innovate to meet climate targets, but find themselves in cultural clashes with forward-thinking consultants. But is it resistance that is the problem?

– The ambition is clear: Swedish authorities should be more innovative to cope with the climate transition. But when traditional project logic meets exploratory working methods, cultural clashes arise that risk stopping innovation, says Klara Granheimer, Luleå University of Technology.

In her doctoral thesis, she studied how public clients can promote innovation and sustainable development. The study, which followed projects within the Swedish Transport Administration, identifies deep structural differences between the authorities’ traditional way of working and the flexible approach that consultants bring with them from other industries.

Two different approaches

– Government project logic focuses on three parameters: time, cost and content. This engineering approach means that projects are planned from start to finish according to a predetermined plan.

But consultants with a background in the tech industry, for example, bring completely different ways of working.

– For them, it is obvious that an innovation project cannot be planned in detail from start to finish, but changes and takes new directions along the way, says Klara Granheimer, and continues

– This can easily become a source of frustration on both sides. Government project managers expect clear plans and deadlines, while consultants want to reshape the whole process, including the way the government works.

Doing the right thing or doing the right things

Public projects don’t just need to “do things right” – they also need to “do the right things”, according to Klara Granheimer. So the question shouldn’t always be how to build a road, but also whether it should be built at all – or whether the problem can be solved in other ways.

– In addition, in the projects I have studied, the climate goals have often been added too late – after it has already been decided what to build. This makes it possible to choose more climate-smart materials, but not to question the basic idea of the project, she says.

System failure, not resistance

Research shows that in the public sector, traditional measures of success guide decision-making and create a logic that discourages risk-taking and experimentation.

– This is a systemic failure, rather than active resistance from individuals in the public sector. On the contrary, many are committed and ambitious. But they are stuck in structures that hinder innovation.

Reflection instead of control

Klara Granheimer calls for more reflection in the world of government.

– We have to ask ourselves what the purpose of the project is. If it’s to reduce traffic accidents from a sustainable perspective, it may be enough to reduce speed instead of rebuilding an existing road, she says, and points out that politics also has a responsibility:

– Today, government governance is characterized by a strong focus on cost control, which trickles down to every level of projects. More trust – rather than control – would put authorities in a better position to drive innovation.

Contact klara.granheimer@trafikverket.se