{"id":10727,"date":"2026-01-22T13:48:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T12:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=10727"},"modified":"2026-01-22T13:49:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T12:49:17","slug":"why-the-government-needs-to-borrow-a-startup-mentality-to-innovate-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=10727","title":{"rendered":"Why the government needs to borrow a \u2018startup mentality\u2019 to innovate better"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While governments can\u2019t afford to mimic the startup model entirely – nor should it with the margin for error far narrower – what they can and should do, argues Dr Jon Rimmer, Chief Experience Officer at Mercator Digital, is borrow key traits to improve innovation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, governments are under a huge amount of pressure to match the pace of innovation seen in the startup world; whether that\u2019s rolling out new tech, delivering more responsive public services, or making decisions more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the comparison only goes so far. Unlike startups, governments operate under intense public scrutiny, face strict accountability for every penny spent, and have to work through any political fallout if things go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That in itself is a huge challenge, not least because innovation, by nature, involves risk and even a degree of failure (as many as 90%<\/a> of startups fail). Add to this the high-stakes world of government digital transformation – where services must be secure, scalable, and citizen-focused – and it\u2019s easy to understand why governments look to big, established systems integrators (SIs) to handle their tech projects. The problem, however, is that the traditional delivery models commonly used here often carry the weight of hierarchy and red tape, stalling innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Take the NHS Test and Trace (NHST&T) initiative as a key example. While much of the underlying technology needed to make the system work already existed, complex structures and layers of approval slowed progress and huge costs. Large SIs were awarded major multi-million pound contracts, often with minimal competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, and a total budget that ended up rising to some \u00a337 billion<\/a> over two years, the project ended up seeing a series of well-documented setbacks. Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said<\/a>: \u201cDespite the unimaginable resources thrown at this project, Test and Trace cannot point to a measurable difference to the progress of the pandemic, and the promise on which this huge expense was justified – avoiding another lockdown \u2013 has been broken, twice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It highlights a clear challenge: a default to large SIs and complex hierarchical delivery models, even in cases where smaller, more agile innovators might have delivered faster, cheaper and more responsively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What needs to change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With examples like Track and Trace still fresh in the public\u2019s memory, and digital transformation now central to public sector reform, partnering with SMEs directly or borrowing the startup-style way of thinking could offer a solution. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n