EMSD: Promotor and Facilitator of Innovation and Technology in the Public Sector

In December 2017, the Electrical and Mechanical Services department (EMSD) held its first Innovative Technology Day in collaboration with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation at EMSD’s Hong Kong headquarters. The event, which brought together government departments and related organizations as well as developers of innovative technologies, was a first step in responding to the new policy direction outlined by the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in her first policy address and to the challenge issued to EMSD staff by the director of Electrical and Mechanical Services. Supervising engineers at EMSD were directed to develop a strategic roadmap and implementation plan to move EMSD forward to implement the organization’s new mandate: to be a promoter and facilitator of innovation and technology (I&T).

This case is suitable for undergraduate- or graduate-level courses, engineers at all levels of an organization, as well as executives who are responsible for innovation and technology initiatives in both the public and private sectors. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:</ul><li>Describe rapid disruptions in the industry and trade and EMSD’s agile strategy in providing timely and relevant innovations and business models to client departments in the public sector.</li><li>Explain how to create buy-in and articulate the strategic rationale of EMSD’s I&T initiative to support the government’s agile transformation agenda, collaborating with multiple stakeholders across sectors.</li><li>Identify critical success factors, as well as the challenges EMSD faces, in creating an ecosystem that can bridge public sector customers (government departments and related organizations) and developers of innovative technologies.</li><li>Identify the requirements for developing a strategic roadmap and implementation plan that engages many stakeholders outside of EMSD.</li><li>Describe the required work style and organizational alignment for successful and sustainable I&T implementation.</li><ul>

• leadership
• disruption
• leading change
• agile leadership
• implementation