Abstract:
This study is about barriers to public sector
innovation in Namibia. It is motivated by
the fact that while the Government of the
Republic of Namibia has adopted a wide
range of public policies and programmes,
and established institutions to promote the
efficiency and effectiveness of its public
sector, not much is known as to whether
these measures are enhancing innovation in
service delivery and public administration.
There is a paucity of evidence-based analysis
on public sector innovation in Namibia. The
study fills the gap and aims to stimulate further
academic inquiry into this area. Based
on an online survey, face-to-face interviews,
and focus group discussions at regional
and national workshops, we identified and
analysed barriers to public sector innovation in the country. The study recommends a
strategic policy framework and whole-ofgovernment
institutional configuration to
spur on innovation in public service delivery
and administration. It suggests further
research on the measurement of public sector
innovation, and detailed analysis of specific
barriers to innovation in public services.
