In this column, we provide monthly insights into the daily work of the “Smart City and Administrative Innovation” team. Comprising project managers, service designers, UX/UI designers, and smart city designers, the team brings diverse perspectives to its collaboration with the administration to drive Berlin forward. Balancing long-term strategies with agile solutions, they share their experiences and insights from CityLAB.
Just between us: Administration is on the brink of a breakthrough
For four years, I’ve been working as a service designer at CityLAB Berlin – the city’s public innovation lab that serves as an interface between administration and citizens. In short: a place where ideas meet administrative reality. I’ve often wondered how an innovation lab like ours can bring about lasting change. Looking back, I see many small successes, some setbacks, and a wealth of insights into why change in administration sometimes takes time—and why, provocatively speaking, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Administration: Speedboat vs. Tanker?
At first, I thought innovation in administration was simply a matter of good ideas and the right tools. “If we just understand the challenges correctly, things will work out!” – I believed. My team would sometimes respond with a knowing smile—“Just wait and see!” Over time, I realized that administration is not a startup or a company accustomed to rapidly adapting its structures. It has developed processes designed to keep the system stable and reliable for decades.
This stability has clear advantages: it ensures legal certainty and equal treatment, protects against impulsive decisions, and enables sustainable long-term planning. Change happens more slowly, but that’s precisely what makes administration resilient and crisis-proof. The forces at play are often more complex than they seem. Structures that have evolved over decades cannot simply be replaced by a few new tools or ideas.
And this is where the challenge—but also the strength—of administrative innovation lies. Because administration is not a speedboat—it’s a heavy tanker. The goal isn’t to rush forward at full speed but to find the right levers to carefully and sustainably steer the tanker in a new direction. And that takes time—a lot of time.
Digital Citizen Services: How Administration and Transparency Go Hand in Hand
One of my most defining experiences was working on a project with the Citizen Services Office of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. The idea was simple: an online citizen service platform to make administrative services more accessible. Back then, I was lucky. Full of optimism, I suggested approaching the project with an open mind—just exploring what we would discover. The methods for analysis were quickly defined, but the real challenge soon became clear: the administration had to learn how to deal with new levels of transparency.
Who is responsible for specific processes? What challenges do employees in citizen service offices face? And most importantly, how can they ensure citizens feel heard—even in difficult situations? It took months—many months—until we had a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, identified solutions, and developed a prototype that confirmed our initial hypotheses.
Honestly, there were hurdles, and we took some detours. But that’s precisely the point: we learn alongside the administration, not through quick wins but through continuous refinement, small steps, and the willingness to learn from mistakes.
Change in Administration: How Trust and Small Steps Lead to Big Impact
I’ve learned that resistance is often not due to unwillingness but to the fear of taking responsibility without sufficient support. Someone from the administration once told me: “If I make this decision and it goes wrong—who protects me?” Administration is a system built on security, and that’s why change can be difficult.
But there are also these rare and important moments when something starts to shift. When people in the administration say after a workshop: “I’m going to try this out.” When a digitalization project is no longer just seen as a political initiative, but employees themselves start looking for solutions and using the methods we introduced.
These moments are invaluable. That’s when I know: the tanker is moving!
What have I learned from four years at CityLAB? Building trust, creating networks, and understanding the internal logic of administration. True innovation may not lie in the perfect digital solution but in the courage to embark on the long journey of change—together, step by step.
