Analysing public sector innovation in local governments. an empirical assessment of Spanish city councils

Abstract

Evidence from both surveys and interviews exist to study the fundamental dimensions of public sector innovation (PSI). In this article, these dimensions are tailored to acknowledge the distinctive features of the public sector and to measure PSI in local governments. These dimensions encompass the level of novelty, complexity, breadth, and value of PSI. They are systematically gauged through a survey administered to PSI managers within Spanish local governments. In addition to formulating a PSI index, this article assesses its validity through a statistical analysis testing the influence of environmental factors. These factors encompass the political, socioeconomic, and institutional facets of city councils. Our study empirically confirms both the efficacy of the index in quantifying the adoption of innovation at the local level of government and the significance of critical issues as PSI antecedents, including political stability, economic diversity, and institutional pressures.