There are also some practical actions that I've personally taken which have paid dividends during my time in local government. 

For example, finding and encouraging the natural innovators in the organisation, together with challenging the ‘it wasn't me' syndrome, where people blame other parts of the organisation for what are really shared or corporate problems.  

Developing trust is essential, and building familiarity between services will start to do this. Creating forums for cross-service contact helps, and I believe it is important to create safety and reassure people that it is OK – within reason – to make mistakes.

As colleagues start to see that they're not punished for making errors but coached to improve performance, openness will grow.

The natural innovators I've come across are often people who want to help others, who go out of their way to co-operate, share ideas and collaborate with each other. Many are tolerant of ambiguity, are assertive, sometimes non-conformist, who can make instinctive but informed decisions.

So, there is no quick fix, but many organisations have achieved success. For example, 3M's chairman publicly acknowledges that mistakes are not only acceptable in his company, but desirable for an organisation which is continuously innovating.  

Human resource colleagues claim research reveals few UK firms show evidence of adopting HR practices associated with a culture of innovation.  

Flatter structures, the involvement of employees in problem-solving through ‘idea-capture schemes', rewarding the behaviours which lead to innovation, and coaching managers to give balanced feedback will all contribute towards this agenda.  

So, while I acknowledge local government may not always be nimble, it can make significant progress in creating cultures to encourage innovation which will transform local government services.

Don't rely on one honest lone voice in the crowd to point out you're naked! Let's make behaviours that support innovation common practice, and part of everyday business in local government.

Mark Lloyd is currently chief executive of Durham CC, and will be chief executive of Cambridgeshire from April