Innovation in Government: Navigating the Age of AI
The University of Maryland, College Park
Learn to find and break constraints in your organization to innovate and deliver on the mission—even in environments shaped by budget limits, shifting priorities, and rapid change.
About this Course
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'll Learn
- How to recognize signs of mission and market shifts before they become crises
- Four types of innovation (Diffusion, Democratization, Low-End Disruption, Cross-Market Disruption) and how they show up in government
- Why some innovations succeed and others stall—especially in AI adoption
- How to organize teams and align stakeholders to support innovation
- How to chart a realistic roadmap for driving innovation in mission-focused environments
- How government organizations are breaking constraints to deliver faster, better, and more resilient outcomes
Instructors
John Johnson
Professional Programs Manager, Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland
Michael Raynor
Adjunct Faculty, Clark School of Engineering