Innovation management systems support the public sector in responding to emerging issues and future challenges in delivering services to citizens through digitalization while improving employee competencies. The need for educated, capable workers is growing as public-sector innovation becomes more critical with the adoption of new technologies to meet citizens’ demand for better services without spending more money and continuing emergence of new societal challenges. The ADB in 2022 reported that innovation had become a major factor in the Asia-Pacific region’s productivity and inclusive economic growth efforts.

To help member countries examine the characteristics of innovation management systems in the public sector, the APO Secretariat virtually organized a workshop on Organizational Innovation Management on Key Standards and Frameworks, 20–22 February. It aimed to help member economies better understand current developments in innovation management and assess their impacts, especially on productivity performance, using examples of best practices from the public sector. This included the ISO 56002:2019 Innovation Management System as a guide, providing a framework for all organizations seeking to strengthen their innovation capabilities. The workshop focused on recent developments in innovation management systems used in the public sector as well as their contributions to productivity.

Forty-two participants from 11 APO members attended the workshop, and four resource persons, two from I.R. Iran, one from Malaysia, and one from Sweden, gave presentations on the structure, scope, purpose, and features of innovation management systems as defined by ISO 56002:2019. The workshop covered topics like tools, methods, strategies, and policy programs for encouraging innovation in the public sector. Participants also had the opportunity to understand how to link them with the performance and productivity of public-sector organizations and create value as well as discuss opportunities and challenges in the process of managing innovation.