About us

Creativity is about unleashing the ability of the mind to think differently and conceive new ideas. It’s about ingenuity, imagination, responsiveness, adaptability and flexibility. 

Innovation is about the implementation of creative ideas. It’s about turning creativity into action and doing things differently.

Creative bureaucracy is about bureaucrats using their imagination and resourcefulness to solve problems with flexibility and adaptability. Creative bureaucrats are responsive and empathetic towards citizens’ needs and wishes, while never neglecting the legalities and political mandates that are the foundations of modern bureaucracies. Creative bureaucracies are able to work collaboratively and bottom-up around joint missions to experiment in real life settings as a way to identify new and better ways to deliver and solve problems, building bridges between different actors across disciplines and sectors. Creative bureaucracies work openly, transparently and humbly – acknowledging the limits of their knowledge and living a culture of continuous learning.

We use the term “bureaucrat“ to refer to any individual working for a government entity, intergovernmental organisation or any other type of public body. They can be elected or appointed, working as policymakers or at an operational level. We consider “allies“ to be individuals and organisations across sectors who work alongside bureaucracies to help them become future-fit and to advance the common good.

Our current systems have been built to reinforce certain power dynamics, social norms and mindsets. Without addressing those imbalances, we have no hope of securing healthy democracies and a thriving planetary future.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is a term used to describe commitments – manifest through policies, programs, campaigns and other actions – to address these power imbalances.

For guidance on best practices, we recommend this DEI Resource Bank by Finnish non-profit Inklusiiv.