The need to design collaboration: improving the effectiveness of commissioning with design thinking

Abstract

Public policies and programs are intended to improve the lives of citizens and considerable efforts are being made to increase the likelihood that they will generate intended effects. We explore the neglected connection between design thinking and the effective commissioning of public services. First, we discuss the potential benefits of collaboration and factors that may hinder effective collaboration in the provision of public services. Second, we explore evidence of how differences in the implementation and management of public services can generate strikingly different local outcomes. Third, we contend that design thinking can contribute to more effective commissioning and improve the returns from public investments. Fourth, we use charter schooling to show how acquiring and sharing knowledge of local contexts can improve commissioning. Overall, improvements in the analytical capability of governance systems through the application of design thinking promises to improve commissioning and will generate valued social and economic outcomes.