Supporting social innovation
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Supporting social innovation Social innovation for a better world in our time Fondazione Mondo Digitale Rome, October 2009 DAVID ALBURY Co-Chair, The Innovation Unit
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Supporting social innovation. Social innovation for a better world in our time Fondazione Mondo Digitale Rome, October 2009 DAVID ALBURY Co-Chair, The Innovation Unit. Why social innovation?. Supporting social innovators. Creating the conditions for social innovation. A perfect storm … . - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Supporting social innovation
Supporting social innovation
Social innovation for a better world in our timeFondazione Mondo DigitaleRome, October 2009
DAVID ALBURYCo-Chair, The Innovation Unit
Why social innovation?
Supporting social innovators
Creating the conditions for social innovation
A perfect storm …
Long-term challenges which are becoming
more pressing
Recession, leading to massive tightening of
public finances
Persistent issues with no known pathway to
solution
Increasing pressures and demands on
services
Radical and compelling social innovation: significantly better outcomes, for significantly lower costs
… in educationGlobal inter-
connectedness, demographics: new ways of living and
working
Recession, leading to massive tightening of
public finances
Those disengaged, de-motivated or
disenfranchised
21st century skills, potentials and
pervasiveness of ICT
Radical and compelling social innovation: facilitated, peer and collaborative learning enabled by new and emerging technologies
… and in health
Ageing society, long-term conditions, climate change
Recession, leading to massive tightening of
public finances
Drug and alcohol abuse, increased
obesity
More informed and demanding consumers
Radical and compelling social innovation: wellness focused, self-care supporting services, closer to home
Not just incremental improvement
• Exhaustion of traditional public services
• Limitations of ‘top-down’, ‘command-and-control’
• Need not just ‘best practice’, but ‘next practice’
• Radical innovation: but where from?
Sources of radical innovation
• Rarely from inside current system– too vested and invested in existing processes and
practices, existing mindsets and methods
• Sometimes from edge and margins …
• … but more frequently from social innovators and social entrepreneurs: start-ups
Supporting social innovators
Why social innovation
Creating the conditions for social innovation
Stimulating social innovation
Analyse need and identify real problem
Scan horizons: other sectors and countries
Seek innovators, engage ‘users’
Generate creative options
STIMULATING
Ideas for ‘next practice’ field trials, potential radical innovations
Incubating social innovation
INCUBATING
Prototype, test and trial
Model and simulate
Manage and lead change
Develop business case, secure finance
Models of ‘next practice’, of radical innovation, in action
Accelerating social innovation
Cultivate communities of practice
Social networking and viral marketing
Synthesise evaluation and research
Enrol national agencies
ACCELERATING
Two examples
Communities of learning Excluded young people
with schools and groups of schools, communities and the Training and Development Agency
with third sector organisations, commissioners of services and social investors
Technology and social innovation
Technology as driver of social innovation eg need for new skills, new learning
Technology as enabler of social innovation eg more informed and expert patients
Technology as connector of social innovators eg networks and exchanges
Creating the conditions for social innovation
Why social innovation?
Supporting social innovators
Lessons for policy-makers
Creating the conditionsCULTURE
and LEADERSHIP
SUPPORTand
INVESTMENT(intermediaries)
REWARDSand
INCENTIVES(demand)
SHAPEand
OPENNESS(supply)
CITIZEN AND USER ENGAGEMENT
• Passionate about outcomes: ambitious, clear and simple goals and aspirations ….
…. and relaxed about how to achieve them
• Focuses majority of innovation effort on small number of challenges and priorities
• Encourages and celebrates disciplined innovation and experimentation, informed and managed risk-taking
• Externally oriented: towards users, frontline staff, other sectors, other countries
CULTUREand
LEADERSHIP
• Investment funds and venture capital to create possibilities, incubate promising ideas, support start-ups
• Support is not just finance, but wrapping round innovators necessary skills and expertise for disciplined innovation
• Financial and reputational rewards for organisations, teams and individuals who innovate, and adopt innovations, successfully
• Granular, timely outcome and performance information
SUPPORT and
INVESTMENT(intermediaries)
REWARDSand
INCENTIVES(demand)
• High performing, innovative sectors have common characteristics:– small number of large, dominant players (oligopolised core)– wide periphery of niche providers, specialist suppliers and innovative
start-ups– much innovation comes from periphery, but large players take to scale
• Openness to:– new providers– new models– ideas and individuals
from other sectors,other countries
SHAPEand
OPENNESS(supply)
Extensive networking and high mobility of staff between organisations
• Beyond surveys and user groups, deeply engage users in the innovation process
• User-driven innovation, citizens as co-designers and co-producers
• Models of ‘open’ innovation (think Linux or e-bay) blur boundaries of consumers/producers
• New practices often require action/behaviour change by, new relationships with, citizens and users
CITIZEN AND USER ENGAGEMENT
DAVID ALBURYIndependent policy and organisational consultant
+44 (0) 7976 205970
Co-Chair, The Innovation Unit LtdExpert Adviser, CapgeminiDemos AssociateVisiting Professor in Innovation Studies, King’s College LondonMember, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Public Sector Steering Group
