Social Innovation Generation Workshop An Introduction to Social Innovation: Complexity and Scale Presenter: Ola Tjornbo.

Social Innovation Generation Workshop

An Introduction to Social Innovation: Complexity and Scale

Presenter: Ola Tjornbo

Social Innovation

“ Social innovation is an initiative, product, process or program that profoundly changes the basic routines, resource and authority flows or beliefs of any social system. Successful social innovations have durability and broad impact. While social innovation has recognizable stages and phases, achieving durability and scale is a dynamic process that requires both emergence of opportunity and deliberate agency, and a connection between the two.”

Lecture 1: The Stacey Matrix

Seeing problems through a complexity lens

Understanding the broader context or the environment of a problem

So that we will know how to respond to that problem appropriately

4

What is a system?

• is made up of interrelating, interdependent parts

• behavior does not depend on what each part is doing but on how each part is interacting with the rest

• fits with a larger system of which it is a part

• is non-obvious: what we call the parts and their relationship is fundamentally a matter of perspective and purpose.

Types of systems

• Simple

• Complicated

• Complex

Types of IssuesDegree of Uncertainty/ Degree of Agreement Matrix

Certainty

Ag

reem

en

t

Close to Far from

Far

from

Clo

se to

Following a Recipe A Rocket to the Moon Raising a Child

Complicated Complex

The recipe is essential

Recipes are tested to assure replicability of later efforts

No particular expertise; knowing how to cook increases success

Recipes produce standard products

Certainty of same results every time

Simple

Simple

Certainty

Ag

reem

en

t

Close to Far from

Far

from

Clo

se to Simple

Plan, control

Following a Recipe Writing a Thesis Raising a Child

Methods are critical and necessary

Uncertainty about the problem

High level of expertise in many specialized fields + coordination

Research projects have critical similarities

Success in one project increases chances of future success

Complicated Complex

The recipe is essential

Recipes are tested to assure replicability of later efforts

No particular expertise; knowing how to cook increases success

Recipes produce standard products

Certainty of same results every time

Simple

Complicated

Certainty

Ag

reem

en

t

Close to Far from

Far

from

Clo

se to Simple

Plan, controlTechnically Complicated

Experiment, coordinate expertise

SociallyComplicated Build relationships, create common ground

Following a Recipe A Rocket to the Moon Raising a Child

Sending one rocket increases assurance that next will be ok

High level of expertise in many specialized fields + coordination

Rockets similar in critical ways

High degree of certainty of outcome

Formulae have only a limited application

Raising one child gives no assurance of success with the next

Expertise can help but is not sufficient; relationships are key

Every child is unique

Uncertainty of outcome remains

Complicated Complex

The recipe is essential

Recipes are tested to assure replicability of later efforts

No particular expertise; knowing how to cook increases success

Recipes produce standard products

Certainty of same results every time

Simple

Most Intractable Social Problems Are In the Zone of Complexity

Certainty

Ag

reem

en

t

Close to Far from

Far

from

Clo

se to Simple

Plan, control

Zone of Complexity

Technically Complicated Experiment, coordinate expertise

SociallyComplicated Build relationships, create common ground

ChaosMassive

Avoidance

Lecture 2: The Scale Tool

A way of parsing complex problems in order to find opportunities for intervention and to anticipate obstacles

Different strategies appropriate to the dynamics characteristic of different scales

Scales

Micro – the smallest relevant scale

Meso – the scale in between micro and macro

Macro – the largest relevant scale

Photo: Albert Fuller Graves

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: NOAA

Federal government, long-term cultural changes, global economic trends, demographic trends, national mental health policy

Macro:

Meso:

Micro:

Provincial government, provincial mental health funding and policy, financial institutions, migration, local economic conditions

Local government employees, interactions between different population groups, local businesses, community organizations

PLAN: Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network&

RDSP: The Registered Disability Savings Plan

PLAN’S Sustainability Objectives

• Embed full citizen perspective in structures and institutions

• Change cultural consciousness from needs and inability to contribution and participation

Macro:

Meso:

Micro:

Social Innovation

“ Social innovation is an initiative, product, process or program that profoundly changes the basic routines, resource and authority flows or beliefs of any social system. Successful social innovations have durability and broad impact. While social innovation has recognizable stages and phases, achieving durability and scale is a dynamic process that requires both emergence of opportunity and deliberate agency, and a connection between the two.”

Lecture 3: Social Innovation