Training jointly provided by EQUILIBRIUM.INT and the Regional School of Public Administration, (ReSPA).
The Rapid Innovation Lab is a practical 3-day in-person workshop in Brussels designed to help public sector professionals turn real challenges into concrete solutions.
Participants come with their own case — linked either to their Master thesis, institutional role, or a current organisational challenge. The Lab provides a safe space to experiment, test ideas, and explore new approaches to the digitalisation of public services and the responsible use of AI.
Through a structured process inspired by human-centred design and agile methods, participants learn how to better understand users and stakeholders, redefine problems, generate ideas, build rapid prototypes, test solutions, and present a clear action plan.
Before the workshop, participants complete a short one-page questionnaire. This allows the facilitation team to tailor the Lab to the specific needs, cases, and professional contexts of the group.
By the end of the workshop, participants will have:
- A clearer definition of their challenge
- A concrete solution concept or prototype
- Practical tools they can reuse in their organisation
- A Rapid Innovation Lab playbook to replicate the method
- The confidence to experiment with innovation, digital services, and AI in a low-risk environment
The workshop is especially relevant for public sector leaders, managers, and professionals who want to innovate faster, improve public services, and develop practical solutions they can continue working on after the Lab.
Optional mentoring and coaching can be offered after the workshop to support implementation.
Modules
The content, teaching hours, methods, case studies, and tools described below may be adapted by the delivery team to reflect the latest state of the art, emerging regulatory developments, participant needs, institutional priorities, and the specific public sector context in which the workshop is delivered. This ensures that the Rapid Innovation Lab remains current, practical, and aligned with real-world challenges in digital government and AI-enabled public services.
Module 1: Innovation and Quality of Digital Government — Responsible Use of AI
This module introduces participants to the foundations of digital government innovation, with a strong focus on quality, accountability, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the public sector.
Participants explore how governments can design, manage, and improve digital public services while ensuring that innovation remains ethical, transparent, inclusive, and compliant with relevant regulatory frameworks. The module covers quality management for digital services, innovation lifecycle oversight, performance indicators, continuous improvement, and responsible AI governance.
A key feature of this module is the challenge-clustering workshop, where participants’ own cases are analysed and grouped around common priorities. This allows the programme to be customised around real institutional and sector-specific challenges.
Key topics include:
- Principles of digital government innovation
- Quality management for digital public services
- QA frameworks, KPIs, and continuous improvement
- Responsible AI in the public sector
- Ethics, transparency, explainability, and bias mitigation
- GDPR alignment, AI governance, and Digital Decade priorities
- Evaluation frameworks for AI-enabled public services
Learning outcomes
By the end of this module, participants will be able to understand the key quality dimensions of digital public services and apply management approaches such as QA frameworks, KPIs, and continuous improvement to innovation projects.
They will also be able to identify responsible AI principles, recognise relevant compliance requirements, and develop a basic AI governance checklist and evaluation plan for an AI-enabled public service.
Module 2: Service Design and Human-Centred Design for Public Services
This module focuses on designing public services around the real needs, behaviours, and expectations of users. Participants learn how to apply human-centred design methods to improve digital public services and create more accessible, inclusive, and user-friendly experiences.
The module is highly practical. Participants work on selected public service challenges and use tools such as user research, personas, journey mapping, service blueprints, rapid prototyping, and usability testing. The aim is to move from assumptions to evidence-based service improvements.
Special attention is given to accessibility and inclusion, including WCAG principles, mobile-first design, and multichannel service delivery.
Key topics include:
- Human-centred design principles
- User research and stakeholder understanding
- Personas and user journey mapping
- Service blueprints
- Accessibility and inclusion, including WCAG
- Mobile-first and multichannel public service design
- Rapid prototyping and iteration
- Service metrics, completion rates, and user satisfaction
Learning outcomes
By the end of this module, participants will be able to apply human-centred design methods to map user journeys, identify pain points, and define opportunities for service improvement.
They will produce a low-fidelity prototype, conduct a short usability test, and generate practical recommendations based on user feedback.
Participants will also define relevant service KPIs and create an accessibility checklist to support inclusive and user-friendly digital public service delivery.
Module 3: Agile Management, Prototyping and Testing
This module helps participants move from ideas to tested solutions. It introduces the basics of agile project management, rapid prototyping, iterative delivery, and pilot planning for public sector innovation.
Participants learn how to define a minimum viable public service solution, structure work using agile approaches such as Scrum or Kanban, and test prototypes through practical feedback loops. The module also includes demonstration sessions, where participants present their solution, receive stakeholder feedback, and refine their implementation roadmap.
The focus is on making innovation practical, manageable, and scalable.
Key topics include:
- Agile project management for public services
- Scrum and Kanban basics
- Iterative delivery and MVP definition
- Rapid prototyping techniques
- Functional, usability, and basic security testing
- Stakeholder demonstrations and feedback loops
- Pilot criteria and go/no-go decisions
- Roll-out and scale-up planning
Learning outcomes
By the end of this module, participants will be able to plan and complete an agile iteration that results in a minimum viable prototype for a public service challenge.
They will design and execute a basic test plan, including usability and security considerations, analyse the results, and present a demonstration with clear recommendations.
Participants will also define go/no-go criteria and prepare a phased roadmap for piloting, scaling, or further developing their solution.
Meet the trainers
Helen Tueni is a seasoned digital transformation consultant, AI literacy trainer and GovTech entrepreneur specialising in responsible AI, public sector innovation and AI standardisation.
Her work draws on hands-on experience leading large-scale digital programmes in various sectors, several years working as a trainer and consultant and her role in CEN-CENELEC JTC 21 on AI standardisation.
Bojana Bajic is an IT expert with extensive knowledge and experience in various areas of information technology.
She possesses a strong understanding of technologies and tools that support modern business operations and is capable of efficiently solving problems and making informed decisions in a dynamic environment.
Goran Pastrovic is an expert in the field of digital transformation and public sector innovation, with extensive experience in supporting the modernisation of public services and digital governance initiatives.
He is actively engaged in the design and coordination of regional panels and knowledge-sharing events, with a particular focus on showcasing good practices and innovative examples from the region and beyond.
Practical aspects:
DATE: 1-3 December 2026
LOCATION: Brussels
PRICE PER PARTICIPANT: 1.500 € excl. VAT (minimum of 15 participants to run the course) – travel, accommodation and dinner not included.
This course is eligible under the AI4Gov-X extracurricular activity funding scheme, allowing enrolled or accepted participants to request reimbursement of up to 50% of eligible costs, including travel, accommodation, and registration fees, up to a maximum of €5,000 per person.