The aim of the project was to review the literature on innovation to identify lessons for the encouragement and replication of innovation in public services and to scope an action research approach to apply the lessons of the review to a number of current challenging policy areas.

Two workshops were held as part of the project, involving officials from central and local government, and the work also drew on a session on innovation at the Local Government Association’s (LGA) annual conference and an evening discussion on the topic.