CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s collaboration with the UNICEF Office of Innovation and the OECD will now move into a focused implementation phase, with the State Planning Commission (SPC) initiating steps to frame a State-level Public Sector Innovation Policy, develop innovation frameworks and a State Innovation Index, and establish monitoring, evaluation and structured capacity-building systems across departments.
In this regard, sectoral working groups comprising domain experts and representatives of reputed institutions have been constituted to guide policy formulation and ensure time-bound, outcome-oriented implementation.
A statement from the SPC said the initiative reaffirms the TN government’s commitment to strengthen public institutions and advance a responsive, citizen-centric and welfare-oriented model of governance through sustained and systematic innovation.
The SPC delegation, led by its Executive Vice Chairman J Jeyaranjan, visited the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris on January 21 and 22 for structured consultations with senior officials and experts.
The SPC said TN’s push for innovation in governance and welfare has received international recognition through a partnership with the UNICEF and OECD.
The collaboration was formalised on January 5 in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin through an exchange of letters, with technical support from the OECD’s Observatory of Public Sector Innovation in Paris. With this, Tamil Nadu has become the first sub-national government globally to enter into such a strategic partnership to mainstream innovation.
The SPC delegation also took part in the UNICEF COMPASS Programme at the UNICEF Innovation Office, Stockholm, on January 26 and 27, alongside representatives from more than 15 countries. During the programme, the SPC executive vice chairman presented Tamil Nadu’s integrated approach to governance wherein innovation is embedded within policy design and public service delivery.