The City of Tshwane has cemented its commitment to drive transformative change in the realm of public service by announcing a strategic partnership with the University of South Africa (Unisa) for the 2024 Innovation Festival.
This significant collaboration underscores the city’s resolve to embrace innovation as a catalyst for enhancing service delivery and fostering a thriving community.
Scheduled for November 28, 2024, the event will take place at the Bamboo Auditorium in the Kgorong Building on Unisa's Muckleneuk Campus. The City’s innovation team will be at the helm of an innovation workshop aimed at gathering thought leaders from across South Africa’s innovation landscape.
This interactive platform promises to spur meaningful dialogues that could shape the trajectory of the City of Tshwane's innovation strategy for years to come.
In line with the city’s motto of ‘Igniting Excellence’, the workshop will delve into Tshwane’s 2023-2027 innovation strategy, focusing specifically on its interventions and the progress of their implementation. Attendees will not only offer insights but also have the opportunity to comment on the best ways to advance the city’s innovation programme—especially in relation to public service impact.
“The engagement at this workshop is crucial as it serves as a feedback loop,” remarked a spokesperson for the City of Tshwane. “We aim to collect valuable nuggets of information that will help improve our future innovation strategy review scheduled for early 2025.”
The workshop will spotlight a diverse array of dialogues and presentations led by innovation luminaries and industry experts.
The discussions will encompass critical topics, including the 2024 Municipal Innovation Maturity Index results funding and commercialisation of innovation in government, alongside legislative challenges; a comparative study of rewards and recognition for innovation in the public versus private sectors; and a detailed overview of the Tshwane Innovation Unit Strategy and the operational plan for 2024/25.
This proactive approach by the City of Tshwane, paired with the academic prowess of Unisa, promises to unearth novel insights and strategies that could lead to enhanced innovation in public service.
As South Africa strives to navigate the complexities of governance and service delivery, partnerships like this stand as beacons of hope, showcasing a collective commitment to progress and excellence.