Public Service Innovation in City of Vancouver: A Public Administration Case Study

Thesis Abstract

Urban public service delivery in Vancouver faces heightened demand for accessible, transparent, and citizen-centric services amid rapid population growth, digital transformation, and evolving governance expectations. This study addresses the problem of how municipal public administration can systematically foster service innovations that improve performance, equity, and citizen satisfaction while maintaining fiscal discipline. The aim is to develop an empirically grounded understanding of the drivers, processes, and outcomes of public service innovation (PSI) in Vancouver, with specific objectives to (1) map the current PSI landscape across key service domains, (2) identify organizational, Technological, and socio-political determinants of PSI, (3) assess the impact of PSI initiatives on service delivery performance and user experience, (4) evaluate stakeholder perceptions of legitimacy, trust, and accountability in innovative interventions, and (5) propose a framework for scalable, sustainable PSI practices for the City of Vancouver. A mixed-methods design combines quantitative and qualitative strands to ensure rigorous triangulation. The study analyzes a population of municipal departments responsible for core citizen-facing services, focusing on 12 discrete programs representing parks and recreation, housing and homelessness, transportation planning, 311/enhanced service delivery, and digital government. A purposive sample of 180 frontline staff, 40 middle managers, and 25 senior executives is drawn from these programs, complemented by 300 randomly selected residents who engaged with PSI-enabled services in the past two years. Data collection instruments include structured surveys for staff and residents, in-depth semi-structured interviews with managers and executives, document analysis of policy papers and project charters, and system usage logs from digital service platforms. Validity and reliability are ensured through pilot testing, Cronbach’s alpha assessment for multi-item scales, and triangulation across data sources. Quantitative data will be analyzed using multiple regression to explore predictors of service delivery performance, factor analysis to identify underlying dimensions of PSI capability, and difference-in-differences where applicable to compare pre- and post-implementation outcomes. Qualitative data will be examined via thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke, with coding conducted by two independent researchers and a third reviewer to establish trustworthiness. A meta-inference will integrate quantitative and qualitative findings to construct a comprehensive interpretive model. Key expected findings include (a) a typology of PSI mechanisms employed across Vancouver’s municipal services, (b) evidence that governance orientation, digital maturity, and staff empowerment significantly predict PSI success, (c) demonstrable improvements in service accessibility, cycle time, and user satisfaction in programs with standardized innovation processes, and (d) nuanced insights into user trust, perceived legitimacy, and accountability challenges arising from rapid experimentation. The study anticipates identifying a positive moderation effect of cross-departmental collaboration on PSI outcomes and a curvilinear relationship between the scale of innovation and perceived risk, highlighting the need for risk-aware governance structures. The contribution to knowledge rests on advancing a contextually grounded understanding of PSI in a mature urban municipality, extending public administration theory by integrating innovation management, digital government, and governance legitimacy literatures. It proposes a pragmatic framework for Vancouver that links organizational capacity, process design, stakeholder engagement, and performance metrics, and offers transferable lessons for other mid-sized to large cities pursuing PSI at scale. The study also contributes methodologically by demonstrating how mixed-methods designs can operationalize PSI assessment in real-world government settings, including robust measurement of service delivery outcomes and citizen experience. The main conclusion is that sustained PSI success in Vancouver hinges on integrating (i) a clear innovation governance model with explicit accountability; (ii) adaptive digital infrastructure enabling iterative experimentation and data-driven decision-making; and (iii) inclusive stakeholder participation to maintain legitimacy and public trust. Recommendations include establishing a city-wide PSI office with standardized project charters, developing a repository of reusable innovation patterns, investing in digital service analytics capabilities, and implementing ongoing training in design thinking, data ethics, and change management for municipal staff. Further research should examine long-term impacts of PSI on fiscal sustainability and cross-jurisdictional knowledge exchange for scaling successful innovations.