The UK Government has launched the One Big Thing 2024 initiative, an innovative programme designed to inspire civil servants to implement small, impactful changes that drive innovation across various departments. This programme is set to run from 14 October 2024 to 14 February 2025 and aims to equip 470,000 civil servants with the tools, skills, and motivation needed to generate and experiment with new ideas.
In partnership with Wazoku, a scale-up renowned for its innovation platform, the initiative encourages civil servants to collaborate, track their progress, and share innovative concepts across departments. By fostering a culture of collaboration, the programme aims to unlock creativity and drive improvements in public service delivery.
“One Big Thing 2024 is about using our combined creativity to improve how we work and how we serve the public,” said Joe Torjussen, Head of Innovation at the Civil Service Strategy Unit, Cabinet Office. Emphasising small, actionable changes fosters a secure environment that enables civil servants to experiment, learn, and grow, resulting in a more innovative and ambitious Civil Service.
The findings from the 2023 People Survey revealed that less than half of civil servants (42.6%) feel equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to turn ideas into impactful outcomes. To address this, the AI functionality embedded in Wazoku’s platform ensures that all ideas regardless of their success are captured, shared, and celebrated as vital learning opportunities.
One Big Thing 2024 consists of three key steps aimed at promoting learning, collaboration, and action among civil servants. The first step involves completing an Innovation Masterclass, a structured online course that teaches practical ideation and innovation strategies. Subsequently, teams will convene to share ideas and agree on a “small change” to implement, with Wazoku’s platform facilitating discussions and tracking progress.
In the third stage, teams will be encouraged to experiment with their chosen changes, monitor the impact, and reflect on the outcomes. Wazoku’s platform provides the capability for teams to submit case studies and share their successes and insights across various departments.
One Big Thing aims to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement throughout the Civil Service. Encouraging civil servants to embrace boldness and creativity is essential for enhancing service and operational efficiency, Joe Torjussen added. “Utilising a platform like Wazoku will support this effort. Innovation is not confined to specific roles or fields; we all need to respond creatively to the challenges we encounter within our teams, functions, or departments.”
Now in its second year, the One Big Thing initiative has already made a significant impact. Last year’s programme provided over half a million hours of data learning to 212,000 civil servants, and the 2024 initiative aims to engage the entire UK Civil Service.
Wazoku’s Innovation Ecosystem Platform supports its Total Innovation framework, designed to democratise innovation within organisations by enabling crowdsourcing, capturing, and managing ideas effectively. Wazoku collaborates with government departments such as MoD and HMRC, along with private sector companies including Sanofi, A2A, and Asda.
“Governments recognise the importance of innovation, and One Big Thing stands as one of the most ambitious innovation programmes any government has undertaken,” said Simon Hill, CEO of Wazoku. By leveraging the combined expertise of the Civil Service, the government can effect positive change and amplify the best ideas to transform its departments.
