Background
Learning labs can take many forms. Their main purpose is to provide a
space in which innovation can flourish. They usually involve people
meeting and working together within agencies and across public
organisations to solve common problems which are perceived to exist by
those who are delivering the service.
The "Modernising Government" White Paper (1999) sets out
the government’s vision for public services in the future. It
emphasises staff commitment and involvement which is increasingly
recognised as a vital aspect of successful delivery of public services.
This has already been acknowledged through initiatives such as
"Investors in People" and the involvement of staff in quality
circles and working groups. Learning labs are one of the innovative ways
to pursue this vision. They are part of a strategy for delivering better
public services and represent a novel approach to the involvement of
frontline staff. They are based on the idea that frontline staff are
well placed to identify and find ways of removing barriers to better
service delivery.
Learning labs are also potentially an innovative method to develop
inter-agency working. Agencies working together in a learning lab can
bring together frontline staff who will be taking forward any new
initiatives and they can explore the detail of how to work together
across agency boundaries.
The main aim of a learning lab is better service delivery keeping a
focus on the experiences and needs of clients and users of the services.
