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Innovation in Government: Navigating the Age of AI

University of Maryland, College Park via Coursera

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Overview

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Lead government innovation with skills to detect change early, overcome constraints, and harness AI's power—turn disruption into mission-driven success. Government organizations don’t have the luxury of standing still. Missions change. Budgets shrink. New technologies emerge. In this course, you’ll explore how successful agencies overcome constraints—legal, structural, cultural, and technological—to drive meaningful innovation. Michael Raynor, co-author of The Innovator’s Solution and author of The Three Rules, partners with John Johnson, UMD’s Lead Faculty in Agile and Product Management, to reveal how public sector leaders can sense change early, organize for innovation, and deliver results that matter. Through real-world case studies—from software factories and health exchanges to drone warfare and cloud disruption—you’ll examine how government organizations adapt and thrive in the face of disruption, and how AI is amplifying both the challenges and the opportunities. This course is designed for anyone working in or with government who wants to lead change, not just react to it.

Syllabus

Week 1 - What Is Innovation In Government?

Explore how innovation, especially in government, is driven by necessity in response to changing circumstances, focusing on four main drivers such as market disruption and mission changes.

Week 2 - Sensing Change And Preparing To Act

This module emphasizes understanding your current position, selecting the right innovation strategy based on breaking cost or performance constraints, and building a coalition of trusted change agents to drive adoption across the organization.

Week 3 - Innovation Pathways in Practice

Explore the four pathways to innovation adoption and how new technologies evolve from niche solutions to widespread use. Learn how organizations overcome performance and cost constraints to scale innovations and create value across diverse markets.

Week 4 - Rules For Success

Explore how prioritizing quality, mission impact, and value creation leads to sustainable innovation in government. Through real-world case studies, learn how focusing on critical constraints and measurable outcomes can drive meaningful performance improvements in complex environments.

Week 5 - Planning Your Innovation Journey

Explore foundational innovation frameworks that help transform ideas into scalable solutions through deliberate, incremental progress. Learn how user-centered approaches, modular design, and continuous learning support effective innovation in government and technology projects.