Towards Non‐Incremental Strategies in Developing Public Products and Services

The influence of government planning on the public sector can be seen in the attempt to increase efficiency, which often overlooks more distant objectives. The most usual strategic policy has been one of incrementalism — a policy of small‐scale change introduced gradually. The claims of this and rival strategies like “branching” and “inventive” operations are examined, and the limitations of the incremental approach made apparent. This needs extensive knowledge of policy effects over time, and there is a possibility of suddenly‐revealed “threshold” or “sleeper” effects. A multivariate model is presented, and the effects of different variables explored. Either more sophisticated incrementalism is needed, or it is shown to be worthwhile to follow more dynamic new initiatives.