Students’ research. The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Innovativeness of Lithuanian Public Sector

Project idea

The main goal of the project is to improve the students' scientific competencies by conducting a research, which examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the innovation of Lithuanian public sector. There were not many aspirations to research innovations in Lithuanian public administration, but the research points to the bureaucratic approach towards innovative projects and a problem of insufficient capacities in the public sector. However, the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has become not only a challenge, but also an opportunity for change in the public governance. States have chosen different measures to stop the virus and control its effects. Agile public-private partnerships have become particularly important during this period, and the need for efficient solutions has led to innovative solutions in public administration. However, the application of innovative public management practices or tools is also associated with institutional, political or even ethical challenges. During the research project, a theoretical model will be developed, based on different theoretical approaches to identify conditions, environment, actors, and other factors relevant to the development of innovations in public administration. It will contribute to the development of public administration innovation research, while the empirical analysis will identify changes in Lithuanian public sector innovativeness during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide evidence-based recommendations to policy makers. The project includes preparation of commentary that will be published on the country's news portals to ensure the promotion of scientific activities and the dissemination of evidence-based information.