Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

Good Practices and InnovATIONS in Public Governance
Meanwhile, private enterprises had experience using ICT and other new technologies.
However, they had difficulties entering the public-sector market without a track
record of success in public-sector applications of their work.
The Solution
To resolve this dilemma, the Saga prefectural government introduced the Innovation
Saga Project as a public-private research and development effort. The aim is to let
government and private businesses jointly develop new public services, using the
latest technologies and know-how available in the private sector to meet the growing
demands on the public sector.
The Innovation Saga Project is not only helping to solve the supply-demand mismatch
regarding public services, but it is also generating a new concept: a public
sphere supported by multiple service providers—government agencies, civil-society
organisations and private enterprises—rather than by government alone.
Since 2007, this project has created a knowledge-sharing platform where the public
administration outlines new demands on the public sector and invites private enterprises
to respond with the latest technologies and know-how. Working with the private
sector in this way, the Saga prefectural government has introduced three innovations.
The first is the creation of new solutions to public-service needs through application
of the latest technologies, especially ICT. An example is the adoption of a GISbased
pandemic influenza surveillance system. Before this project, the Saga prefectural
government had developed an action plan in case a new influenza virus
emerged, but it had no active surveillance system to help public organisations decide
when to take countermeasures against the spread of influenza (e.g., close
schools and other facilities). The new surveillance system, the product of collaboration
with a specialized GIS company called Pasco, Inc., provides two-dimensional
information on the spread of influenza. When the H1N1 flu began spreading in April
2009, Saga’s surveillance system helped public organisations, including 303
schools, analyse the situation and decide on countermeasures in a prompt manner.
The system is also expected to work against the second wave of H1N1 and against
an outbreak of highly virulent H5N1 influenza.
The second innovation resulting from the Innovation Saga Project is the creation of
new business opportunities for small and medium-sized local enterprises. This has
been possible by building connections with national or global enterprises with cutting-edge
technologies. One example is an experiment with Fujikura, a nationwide
telecommunications technology company, to establish regional WiMAX services
(high-speed wireless Internet services). Fujikura helped Saga win four local WiMAX
business licenses, the largest number of the regional business licenses in Japan.
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