UPDATE: Online course for Public Service Innovators fully published!

Welcome to the Course: Innovative Decision-Making in Public Services

This self-paced online course (6 core modules + 1 extra module) empowers curious minds to tackle today’s complex public sector challenges using structured creativity, strategic project thinking, and data-informed decision-making.

Designed for public service professionals, civic innovators, and anyone committed to improving public outcomes, the course introduces practical tools like TRIZ, Value Engineering, the EU’s PM² methodology, and data science principles to create meaningful impact across the Baltic Sea Region and beyond.

This course is a key educational component of the INTERREG Baltic Sea Region project “3I Solutions for Public Services”, which focuses on enabling better public services in the Baltic Sea Region through Immersive, Intelligent, and Innovative solutions.

What You’ll Learn

Ever asked yourself:

• How can I generate innovative solutions when my project is stuck?
• What tools help choose the right project?
• How can I turn raw data into better public decisions?
• How can we build and maintain effective stakeholder communication?
• How to write complete project proposals?
• What innovations are happening across the Baltic Sea Region?

This course helps you answer these questions—and more. You’ll explore:

• Algorithms of systematic creativity (TRIZ, Value Engineering)
• Project management for the public sector (PM²)
• Tools to develop new and patentable ideas
• Using data and open data for smarter decisions
• Real-world examples of innovations around BSR

How It Works

• Self-paced – Learn at your speed
• Interactive – Videos, quizzes, and practical exercises
• Real-world – Apply tools to your own civic or public service challenges
• Flexibility – Choose what you are interested to learn
• Certificate – At the and of the course you can ask for certificate

Course Content Overview

1. Creativity in Public Service Problem Solving

   • 1.1 Value Engineering: A framework to choose the project

   • 1.2 Introduction to TRIZ

   • 1.3 VA + TRIZ + Examples

2. Buzzwords in Project Management

   • 2.1 Project Management Basics for Public Service

   • 2.2 PM² by European Commission

   • 2.3 Free Tools to Manage Your Projects

3. “DATA” – Not Scary

   • 3.1 Data for Decision Makers

   • 3.2 Data Sources for City Administration

   • 3.3 Introduction to Open Data

4. EXTRA Module: Diving Deep into DATA

   • Data Publication Standards and Good Practices

   • Benefits of Opening Up Public Data

   • Challenges and Barriers to Opening Data

5. Stay Connected with Stakeholders

   • Understanding Stakeholders and Their Importance

   • Building Communication Channels for Cities and Municipalities

   • 4.3 Examples of Good Communication

6. Write the Project from 0 to the Final Proposal

   • Preparation for Writing the Proposal

   • Writing the Proposal

   • Decision (Win or Lose, how do you react?)

7. Cases, Cases, Cases

   • Types of Innovations in the Baltic Sea Region

   • Main Goals of the BSR

   • Public Service Innovations Case Studies

Certificate of Completion
Earn an official certificate to showcase your new skills—perfect for your CV, LinkedIn, or professional portfolio.

If you are still reading this, enrol now and transform public challenges into innovative solutions!

Programme Manual Online

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