Risk and Reward: A Framework for Federal Innovation

The federal government is one of the most prolific innovators in modern history, sending astronauts to the moon, curing diseases across the globe and helping launch the internet. Other less heralded but critically important government innovations have improved federal agency productivity and efficiency, saving taxpayers millions of dollars while providing a better customer experience to the American people.

What unites these seemingly disparate examples is a definition of government innovation that is focused on impact: a new or improved process, product or service that delivers significant positive outcomes in furtherance of the public good. To launch and sustain these initiatives, federal leaders brought vision, collaboration and resources to address formidable challenges.