Translated by Andrés Martínez

The Creative Bureaucracy Festival in Berlin is globally recognized as a significant event in public and social innovation. It annually attracts over 1,000 international leaders from public administration, politics, civil society, and other change-making organizations to share and spotlight innovative practices worldwide.

In late 2023, the festival opened nominations for various awards. This week, after reviewing 230 cases from 40 countries, the Bogotá Public Innovation Governance Model (iBO Expanded) was announced as one of the most representative initiatives of the year.

Iván Durán, the High Advisor on ICT for Bogotá, remarked, 'This distinction is a milestone for our city. The Model's nomination for multiple international accolades is a testament to the transformative power of innovation in our urban initiatives. Bogotá stands out as a global beacon of ingenuity — a status we've earned through our commitment to pioneering projects that tangibly elevate the quality of life for our citizens.

The Model comprises eight strategic lines involving 15 entities and departments, which meet thrice yearly to coordinate joint actions towards achieving the city's innovation goals. This approach ensures public innovation is grounded in institutional collaboration, goal attainment, and knowledge management.

These entities foster innovation in areas like culture, citizen participation, and public servant training. iBO Expanded is incorporated into the Bogotá Smart Territory (BTI) public policy, strengthening the city's Public Innovation Ecosystem.

"The Model aims to break the paradigm that innovation management should be in the hands of a single entity and leadership; on the contrary, it should be the sum of committed and coordinated innovative public entities to improve the quality of life for citizens," said Santiago Amador, Director of Bogotá's I-team and Member of iBO.

To monitor data effectively, the Bogotá Public Innovation Laboratory - iBO developed a dashboard. This tool not only reports each entity's progress but also tracks performance indicators for each model line. It displays objective fulfillment percentages, resources utilized, the number of beneficiaries, contributions to Sustainable Development Goals, flagship projects, and challenges each team faces. The dashboard presents governance model results clearly and simply, aiding informed decision-making and continuous improvement.

The winners are expected to be announced on March 21, with the awards ceremony scheduled for June 13 in Berlin, Germany. Support for this initiative can be shown by registering at https://bit.ly/3SPihR9.

Learn more about iBO

The Bogotá Public Innovation Laboratory - iBO aims to inspire a new mindset for addressing city challenges. iBO approaches problems by understanding people and their contexts through a systemic lens, designing collaborative processes for empathetic and unique solutions, and viewing innovation as the best path forward.

It operates under four strategic lines: Solution Makers, District Innovation Ecosystem Dynamization, Capacity Strengthening, and Govtech. iBO, under the High ICT Council, is part of Bogotá's innovation team alongside Ágata and Connect Bogotá Región. Learn more at ibo.bogota.gov.co.