Flip the Mammoth: Bold Innovation and Ethical Hacking in Bureaucracy

Public innovation often celebrates agility, disruption and “breaking silos.” But what happens when innovation starts breaking more than procedures? Drawing from her experience transforming large public organisations, Cornelia Baccega-Findeisen explores the hidden tension at the heart of creative bureaucracy: innovation requires challenging outdated rules and rigid systems — yet democracy also depends on protecting fundamental ethical boundaries and the rule of law. Using the metaphor of the upside-down French “Tarte Tatin,” she argues that transforming mammoth organisations is an act of balance, almost acrobatics: daring enough to challenge what is obsolete, rigorous enough to safeguard what is essential. In a time of growing distrust toward institutions, creative bureaucracy can strengthen democracy only if bold agility is combined with ethical courage, integrity and accountability.