CIG Contributes City Innovation Insights at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge Ideas Camp

BOGOTÁ (Colombia), 22 July 2025 – The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) participated in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge 2025 Ideas Camp held in Bogotá, Colombia. The Mayors Challenge is a global innovation competition that supports cities in developing bold, scalable solutions to pressing urban challenges. The Ideas Camp marks a key milestone in the competition, bringing together 50 finalist cities to push their ideas forward, with input from global experts, peers, and advisors.

Mr. Wu Wei Neng, Chief Executive Officer of CIG and a member of the Mayors Challenge Advisory Committee, spoke on a panel titled "Behind the Breakthroughs: Transforming City Systems", which focused on how cities can use prototyping, testing and feedback loops to drive core city service innovation and translate ambitious ideas into meaningful, system-level change.

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Through CIG’s engagement with the finalist cities, several insights emerged about what it takes for city innovation to move from concept to implementation:

First, prototyping is often narrowly interpreted as physical mock-ups or small-scale pilots. In practice, effective prototyping demands a disciplined effort to uncover assumptions, test critical unknowns, and surface operational constraints. Importantly, success at small scale does not guarantee scalability; differences in implementation timelines, system integration, and end-user diversity must be considered. As such, the value of a prototype lies in what it reveals, not just in what it proves.

Second, innovation must be situated within the broader ecosystem in which it operates. Beyond product design, innovation must consider prevailing social norms, regulatory environments, financing models, and institutional capacity. Without this integration, well-intended solutions risk becoming detached from operational realities.

Finally, as emphasised by James Anderson, Head of Government Innovation Programmes at Bloomberg Philanthropies, innovation should not be pursued as an end in itself. It should directly respond to the city’s priorities, challenges, and capacity to deliver. Innovation in city government should be led by a commitment to excellence: identifying where change is possible, testing responsibly, and scaling what works to deliver meaningful value to residents.

CIG is honoured to support this initiative and remains committed to strengthening government capabilities that can help to transform ideas into real, lasting outcomes.

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About the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG)

The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) is a non-profit organisation that works with governments worldwide to build a strong and efficient public sector. We are a team of seasoned government practitioners grounded in real-world experience, focusing on the critical ‘how’ of governance in our partnerships with governments to strengthen institutions and systems, equip leaders, and share knowledge. Drawing on proven practices from Singapore and around the world, we tailor our solutions to each country’s unique needs – because context matters in governance. We are not affiliated with any national government or political party, and we do not represent any partisan or commercial interests. 

For more news and information, visit https://www.chandlerinstitute.org or follow CIG on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @ChandlerINST

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For media clarifications, please contact:

Chandler Institute of Governance
Email: communications@chandlerinstitute.org