The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, has announced that the Public Service Innovation Conference 2022 will be hosted in partnership with Microsoft Ireland.
The conference, the flagship event of National Public Service Innovation Week 2022, takes place on Monday, 24 October, in Cork City Hall.
This partnership meets commitments set out in Making Innovation Real, the Public Service Innovation Strategy, and Connecting Government 2030, for the Government to collaborate closely with industry to embed a culture of innovation and transformation throughout the Public Service.
Speaking about the new partnership, Minister McGrath said, “I am pleased that this year’s Innovation Conference will take place in association with Microsoft Ireland. This conference will promote our growing culture of innovation across the Public and Civil Service, and the need to embrace transformation that creates inclusive user experiences for all stakeholders involved in public service delivery.”
“My Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) will work with industry stakeholders to utilise technology to solve pressing problems faced by public service organisations, as provided for in Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service. Ireland’s public service must continuously challenge itself in order to develop and modernise. The Government’s Making Innovation Real policy, and the Civil Service Renewal 2030 Strategy, outline how innovations we deliver can positively impact the lives of our citizens.”
The theme for this year’s conference is Championing Innovation and Transformation in the Public Service. The event will feature contributions from senior political figures, senior leaders from the Irish Public and Civil Service, and prominent public figures and speakers.
Frank O Donnell, Public Sector Lead at Microsoft Ireland, added, “we’re delighted that Microsoft Ireland is part of this year’s Public Service Innovation Conference. Through our collaboration with a wide range of Government organisations in recent years, we have seen unprecedented levels of innovation through the adoption of technology to benefit our citizens, particularly in meeting the challenges of Covid and in response to cyber threats.”
“Particularly with the focus of this year’s conference being on the championing of innovation and transformation in the public sector, Microsoft remains committed to supporting customers in innovating and futureproofing systems so they are prepared to meet any challenges on the horizon.”
The conference is one of a number of initiatives organised by DPER for National Public Service Innovation Week 2022 in October to further foster a culture of innovation and transformation in Ireland’s Public and Civil Service. Other highlights include:
• Launch of the Public Service innovation Fund 2023
• The Design in Government Conference
• Workshops on design thinking and ideation
