Building Innovative Capacity of Public Servants: The Case of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Innovative capacity receives significant attention from public and private sector organizations, as well as scholars and researchers. Some studies invoke human capital, leadership, organizational changes, and generational differences in their job preferences. These studies have been partly addressed by the OECD, World Bank, World Economic Forum, Mercer and Oracle. However, the assumptions, factors and solutions have not been tested or applied. The study therefore explores how civil servants see themselves within the civil service system and beyond, as well as how they evaluate current competencies for pursuing innovative endeavors. To this end, a questionnaire was developed to collect data from a study sample consisting of public servants from all regions of the country. Overall, 10,629 civil servants at regional level of public administration participated in the survey. Factor analysis results revealed that work environment and conditions, as well as career, trust and scheduling were strong determinants of innovative capacity. Supplemental Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure and Bartlett's Test indicated factors were sufficient and a reasonably good fit for the conceptual model overall. Moreover, through a 360-degree assessment tool, data were obtained for each competency in order to identify weaknesses and “growth points” for innovative capacity. Additionally, to investigate how talented public officials (HiPo) could potentially be recruited and promoted, a retrospective analysis of public administration reforms, as well as a comparative case study were conducted, based on the experience of Singapore and Kazakhstan. Thus, by using factor analysis, a case study and appraisal tools, the paper responds to calls for research and exploration of innovative capacity development for further improvement of state apparatus effectiveness.