Innovation in Government: Navigating the Age of AI

About this course

Lead government innovation with skills to detect change early, overcome constraints, and harness AI's power—turn disruption into mission-driven success. Government organizations don’t have the luxury of standing still. Missions change. Budgets shrink. New technologies emerge. In this course, you’ll explore how successful agencies overcome constraints—legal, structural, cultural, and technological—to drive meaningful innovation. Michael Raynor, co-author of The Innovator’s Solution and author of The Three Rules, partners with John Johnson, UMD’s Lead Faculty in Agile and Product Management, to reveal how public sector leaders can sense change early, organize for innovation, and deliver results that matter. Through real-world case studies—from software factories and health exchanges to drone warfare and cloud disruption—you’ll examine how government organizations adapt and thrive in the face of disruption, and how AI is amplifying both the challenges and the opportunities. This course is designed for anyone working in or with government who wants to lead change, not just react to it.

What you will learn

• Drive successful AI and tech adoption within your organization by analyzing factors enabling or stalling innovation and overcoming cultural barriers.
• Lead cross-functional teams and align stakeholders to deliver innovative solutions while driving innovative, mission-focused roadmaps.
• Be able to detect and respond to early signs of market or mission change to safeguard organizational performance and prevent organizational crises.
• Apply the four innovation models to improve efficiency, service delivery, and policy impact within government environments.