Section on Personnel and Labor Relations (1983 -1984) and Section on International and Comparative Administration

Abstract Innovation requires processes of adaptation, anticipation and openness to change. Change provides the opportunity to achieve new and different approaches. In order to replicate a best practice one of the pre-conditions is that the government who is implementing the best practice has the necessary capacity to do so. This implies, among other things, the right policy environment; support from leadership, involvement of stakeholders, adequate funding and an appropriate transfer plan. It also implies the capacity of the organization to constantly adapt to changing circumstances both internal and external, i.e. to operate as a learning organization. This article will: 1. Establish the importance of innovation to governance in general and development administration and implementation in particular; 2. Explore the relationships among organizational learning, knowledge management, and innovation diffusion and adoption; 3. Explore the utility of the concept of "best practices" in development administration; 4. Review the criteria for successful program implementation in a development context; 5. Present and discuss workable program implementation techniques; and 6. Discuss their applicability to specific sectors of development administration.