Innovation is helping to:
Improve internal government operations
Improve service delivery
Simplify administrative procedures for firms and residents
Critical success factors:
Dedicated funding
Focus on measurement
Dedicated innovation team
Cincinnati
United States
Mayor
John Cranley
Population
301,301 (2017)
Innovation Website
Lead Innovation Officer
Nicollette Staton
Spotlight on innovation in Cincinnati
Cincinnati’s innovation strategy has moved away from a "lean six sigma"/anti-tech model to more technology-oriented model as technology is often a component of the solution. The city’s innovation strategy focuses on being realistic about the role of technology in process enhancement/improvement while still ensuring that tech solutions are human-centric (and process-appropriate).
Note: The City Innovation Snapshot (PDF version) was produced in 2019 and some aggregate findings have been updated with the latest survey results below.
Vision and approach to innovation capacity
Along with 50% of cities surveyed, Cincinnati has an explicit innovation strategy. Similar to more than half of cities surveyed, Cincinnati approaches innovation capacity both from a holistic/macro level, as well as in specific policy areas.
Policy areas that Cincinnati is focused on
Policy areas by number of cities
Cincinnati utilizes 3 different innovation skills or roles
Innovation roles by number of cities
Situated in the City Manager’s office, Cincinnati’s dedicated team for innovation consists of 6 staff.
Terms Cincinnati most associates with innovation
Cincinnati's most common innovation activities
- 1
Taking risks or testing new ideas
- 2
Data-driven analytics/public data management
- 3
Engaging residents in new ways
- 4
Developing new solutions based on digital technologies
- 5
Organizational change within the municipality
- 6
Human-centered design
- 7
Rethinking your city’s approach to financing partnerships
Its innovation activities also include engaging residents in new ways and developing new solutions based on digital technologies.
How is innovation funded here?
Like 81% of cities surveyed, Cincinnati has dedicated funding to support innovation capacity.
Top sources of funding
Activities being funded
47 cities
Launching or sustaining a project
79 cities
Idea generation & brainstorming
51 cities
Investing in digital systems
36 cities
Investing in physical infrastructure
30 cities
Paying for services
Cincinnati also invests in digital systems.
How is innovation measured?
Cincinnati has developed partnerships to promote its innovation capacity with other public agencies. To improve data use, the city has also developed data partnerships with other cities.