Supporting social innovation

1. Supporting social innovation Social innovation for a better world in our time FondazioneMondoDigitale Rome, October 2009 DAVID ALBURY Co-Chair, The Innovation Unit

2. Why social innovation? Supporting social innovators Creating the conditions for social innovation davidalbury@btinternet.com

3. A perfect storm … Long-term challenges which are becoming more pressing Increasing pressures and demands on services Radical and compelling social innovation: significantly better outcomes, for significantly lower costs Persistent issues with no known pathway to solution Recession, leading to massive tightening of public finances davidalbury@btinternet.com

4. … in education Global inter-connectedness, demographics: new ways of living and working 21st century skills, potentials and pervasiveness of ICT Radical and compelling social innovation: facilitated, peer and collaborative learning enabled by new and emerging technologies Those disengaged, de-motivated or disenfranchised Recession, leading to massive tightening of public finances davidalbury@btinternet.com

5. … and in health Ageing society, long-term conditions, climate change More informed and demanding consumers Radical and compelling social innovation: wellness focused, self-care supporting services, closer to home Drug and alcohol abuse, increased obesity Recession, leading to massive tightening of public finances davidalbury@btinternet.com

6. 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? davidalbury@btinternet.com

7. 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 davidalbury@btinternet.com

8. Why social innovation Supporting social innovators Creating the conditions for social innovation davidalbury@btinternet.com

9. Three diamond innovation support STIMULATING INCUBATING ACCELERATING davidalbury@btinternet.com

10. Stimulating social innovation Analyse need and identify real problem Ideas for ‘next practice’ field trials, potential radical innovations Scan horizons: other sectors and countries STIMULATING Seek innovators, engage ‘users’ Generate creative options davidalbury@btinternet.com

11. Incubating social innovation Prototype, test and trial Models of ‘next practice’, of radical innovation, in action Model and simulate INCUBATING Manage and lead change Develop business case, secure finance davidalbury@btinternet.com

12. Accelerating social innovation Cultivate communities of practice Social networking and viral marketing ACCELERATING Synthesise evaluation and research Enrol national agencies davidalbury@btinternet.com

13. 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 davidalbury@btinternet.com

14. 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 davidalbury@btinternet.com

15. Why social innovation? Supporting social innovators Creating the conditions for social innovation Lessons for policy-makers davidalbury@btinternet.com

16. Creating the conditions CULTURE and LEADERSHIP SUPPORT and INVESTMENT (intermediaries) SHAPE and OPENNESS (supply) REWARDS and INCENTIVES (demand) CITIZEN AND USER ENGAGEMENT davidalbury@btinternet.com

17. CULTURE and LEADERSHIP • 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 davidalbury@btinternet.com

18. 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) REWARDS and INCENTIVES (demand) davidalbury@btinternet.com

19. 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 SHAPE and OPENNESS (supply) Extensive networking and high mobility of staff between organisations davidalbury@btinternet.com

20. 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 davidalbury@btinternet.com

21. DAVID ALBURY Independent policy and organisational consultant davidalbury@btinternet.com +44 (0) 7976 205970 Co-Chair, The Innovation Unit Ltd Expert Adviser, Capgemini Demos Associate Visiting Professor in Innovation Studies, King’s College London Member, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Public Sector Steering Group davidalbury@btinternet.com