Ireland stands at a critical crossroads. An ageing population, an ongoing housing crisis, and geopolitical instability present daunting challenges that demand urgent attention. According to ‘Future Forty’, the next decade represents a window of critical opportunity to boost economic growth, address structural challenges, and implement meaningful reforms.
How can Ireland’s public and civil servants rise to meet this historic moment? The answer lies in public sector transformation – building innovation capacity and capabilities at scale across our public service institutions.
Understanding Public Sector Transformation
Public sector transformation encompasses innovation, collective leadership, and systems thinking – all essential elements for accomplishing change at scale. Yet it operates within unique constraints: diverse stakeholder interests, public and political scrutiny, and sudden changes in leadership. Despite these challenges, public sector transformation addresses our world’s most entrenched problems whilst creating public value rather than financial profit.
Reframing Success in Public Sector Transformation
Most innovation leads to evolutionary changes – incremental improvements to processes, services, or ways of working. Revolutionary innovations are comparatively rare. Don’t hinge interventions on immediate success or failure. Instead, recognise that each small advancement allows progress to compound over time. Cultures of innovation allow that progress to endure and grow.
The challenges ahead require courage, creativity, and new ways of thinking and working together. Innovation is iterative and rarely linear. Ultimately, the best way to learn about public sector transformation is to do it.
Explore the full report below for in-depth insights, real-world examples, and practical guidance on fostering an innovation culture in your organisation. Alternatively, you can view the report on our Issuu: Public Service Transformation.
If you’d like to learn more or have any enquiries, please email us at innovationacademy@ucd.ie
Published 12 November 2025