Challenges of Introducing Innovation in Public Sector - A Case Study of Upgrading Pakistan Customs Risk Management System

Abstract

It was 8pm on 24th November, 2017 and Mr. Abdullah, the Director of Directorate of Risk Management (RM), was pacing back and forth in his office at Custom House, Karachi. He had just returned after a three hours long meeting with the members of the RMS Committee and despite his best efforts and answering all the technical queries, explaining the results of simulations and referring to international best practices, he could not convince the members to endorse the idea of implementing a new model of Risk Management System in Pakistan Customs. He could still feel the sheer disappointment on faces of his IT team who had worked with him for almost one year in developing, testing and perfecting this model. He could also feel the embarrassment that he was going to face when he would update his technical support in UK-Customs who, being a Pakistani by origin, was as enthusiastic in bringing this innovative idea to Pakistan Customs as the Director himself. Realizing that there was no use of thinking over this situation at that hour, he decided to call it a night and go home to sleep over it and think afresh the next morning.