Within the framework of the INSPIRE PA – Introducing Social Practices to Improve the Resilience of Public Administration project, our consortium has completed a comprehensive Skills Gap Research aimed at identifying the competencies public officials need to drive social innovation within local administrations.

Led by the Association of Romanian Municipalities (AMR), the study engaged public servants from Italy, Greece, and Romania through national focus groups and an online European survey with over 200 respondents.

The research mapped how public officials perceive social innovation, the barriers they face in introducing it into their institutions, and the skills required to transform administrations into proactive, citizen-centered actors of change.

Key findings

  • Public administrations across Europe share common challenges: bureaucratic rigidity, fragmented decision-making, and limited frameworks for piloting innovative initiatives.
  • There is a strong demand for new professional competencies, including systems thinking, participatory governance, co-creation, impact evaluation, and cross-sector collaboration.
  • The role of the Social Innovation Officer (SIO) emerges as crucial — a transversal professional bridging institutions, citizens, and communities.
  • Public officials call for modular, practice-oriented, and collaborative training formats, emphasizing peer learning, mentoring, and real-life case studies.
  • A significant skills gap persists in strategic and innovation management, participatory tools, and leadership capacities needed to foster institutional change.

From research to action

The findings of this research will directly inform the design of the INSPIRE PA Certified Curriculum for Social Innovation Officers, ensuring that training content reflects the real needs identified across European administrations.

By validating the most relevant skills and barriers, this study lays the groundwork for professionalizing innovation within the public sector – supporting a transition toward more adaptive, inclusive, and resilient governance.

The full “Skills Gap Research” report is now available for download.
👉 Download the full report here to explore how European public administrations are shaping the future of social innovation.