Zachary Spicer (York University) , Joe Lyons (Western University) , Tyler Romualdi (Western University)
Innovation in government is often portrayed through the lens of high-tech disruption, start-up culture, and private-sector mythology. Yet evidence from dozens of Canadian municipalities reveals a very different innovation story—one rooted not in digital tools, but in the quiet restructuring of routines, norms, and relationships inside public institutions. Drawing on original research and 26 practitioner-authored case studies, this paper challenges the assumption that the public sector is inherently resistant to change. Instead, it shows that local governments innovate constantly, but in forms that are slower, more collective, and less visible than tech-driven narratives suggest. Innovation emerges not from outsiders “disrupting” government, but from frontline staff reframing problems, experimenting with processes, and redesigning institutional constraints from within. Leadership matters—not as heroic vision, but as the creation of psychological safety, risk tolerance, and time for experimentation. The findings demonstrate that meaningful public-sector innovation is less about technology adoption and more about shifting culture, governance structures, and accountability relationships. The paper concludes by arguing that local governments do not lack innovation capacity; they lack recognition and resourcing for the innovation already underway. Reframing innovation as institutional problem-solving rather than product design has significant implications for how we train public administrators, evaluate success, structure intergovernmental support, and design policy environments that reward learning rather than perfection.