2009 In Search of Social Innovation

Social Innovation 2009 Our Brief Perspective Work in progress BLOG: insearchofsocialinnovation.blogspot.com

What do this projects have in common?
Microfinance : Muhammad Yunus - Microfinance to Poor People helping them in creating their own jobs
Banco Alimentar : Portugal – Organizing food distribution to poor people in Portugal in a efficient manner with significant involvement of the community
Millennium Program – United Nations program to achieve 2015 goals (reducing poverty, improving education..) in a cooperative way between all parties involved
Social Innovation Cabinet : US and UK – Governmental effort for promoting social innovation in a complementary way to governmental programs
New Leaders for New Schools – US – Improving students performance by the involvement of community sponsors (ex.: coaching, support..)
Green Keepers Network : Portugal - Fighting climate change by the mobilization of the youngsters which receives credits that they can use in buying products or goods
Youth unemployment reduction : helping skilled unemployed people in new social innovation projects which creates their own jobs and increase sustainability in their community
New Profit Inc - US: Philantrophic fund to boost social innovation
Immigrant Support : Italy – helping the integration of immigrants
TESE – Portugal - actions to promote social innovation in Portugal (ex.: summer schools, specific seminars...)
All of them belongs to our Social Innovation definition: New approaches to address social problems in a sustainable way.

Are they in different social innvation evolution stages? How can this be defined? Visioning Experimentation Proved Solution Effectiveness Scale Local Community National A A Graameen Bank : Muhammad Yunus - Loans to Poor People B Banco Alimentar : Portugal – Gathering food to distribute in Portugal C Millenium Program – United Nations Achieving 2015 Objectives D Social Innovation Cabinet: USUK –platform to promote social innovation E New Leaders for New Schools – US – improve students performance 1 Evolution Stage 2 4 5 3 B C F Green Keepers Network: Portugal Fighting Climate Change G New Profit Inc - US: Philantrophic fund H Youth unemployment reduction: boost of social innovation jobs I Immigrant Support: Italy – helping the integration of immigrants J TESE– Portugal - ideas and actions to promote social entrepreneurship F E I H G J D

But why it exists a boom in social innovation nowadays? Individual Creativity Social Development Exceeding Capital Human Civilization Development Main Motivations Main Driver
The individual will always want to change society as a part of his meaning of being
Internet Stage Industrial Revolution …… ..
Reasonable amount of capital excedents (ex.: philantropy)

What are the components of Social Innovation projects? Individuals, Organizations Ideas, Values Specific Social Problem Social impact Sustainable Solutions Social Innovation Components Motivation Creativity Beliefs Politics Strategy Globalization Economics Information Logistics Structure Technology Financing

What makes an individual shift to social innovation? Why the values are so important?
Understanding: ex: learn, develop new skills
Social ex: attempting to fit into groups
Enhancement ex: personal or pschicological development
Protective ex: avoid guilt in the future
Career ex: useful experience
However there are other reasons besides values that can enhance social innovation We should consider “individual values” as the main driver
Since the political speech has gone, moral values have ocuppied their place and solidariety has been again exalted
Source: Addapted from Gilled Lipovetsky o Crepúsculo do Dever Source: Addapted from “ The psychology of giving and volunteering” Clary, E.Gil and Mark Snyder”

Social innovation is focused on 3rd Sector? What is the role of the governement? Social Innovation will arise from every sector. Governement should play a vital role enhancing and promoting initiatives. The private sector will also need to “hear” more what society has to say as is proposed by Ashoka: Source: Root Cause Report: Social Entrepreneurship & Governement Source: SKOLL Report: Growing Opportunities

Why social impact measurement is so important? What can be done to define correctly?
Improve accountability based on performance objectives
Contribute to reduce “bad perceptions regarding some 3rd organizations”
Facilitate investments by investment organisations (eg.: philantropic…)
Improve overall recognition of social innovation activities
Difficult on measuring the indirect impact
Difficult on comparing investment (money) and returns (social value)
Measurement will improve transparency in performance contributing to enhance more investment in social innovation What is the “real“ value of reducing poverty? of increasing scholar success? of minimizing diseases?
Addapt business techniques (eg: Social ROI)
Deploy new methods (“greenfield approach”)

What is critical for a social innovation project to be suceeded?
It´s possible to identify 10 critical sucess factors:
Attract and retain the most “talented” individuals
Internal organization governance as a role model
Orientation to Strategic Social Thinking
Focus on Multidisciplinary Team Research & Training
Implementation of an sustainable capital access policy
Data Quality and Information Sharing
Capacity of mission oriented in medium/long term
Capability of measuring without simplifying too much
Continuous capability to reinvent itself
Collaboration between all agents in the value chain

What can be done to boost social innovation at a regional or country level ?
Specific Fund to support social innovation activities
Launch of a Competencies Center (“State of Art”)
Adjustement on Law and Governement organics (eg: Specific Cabinet for 3rd sector)
Strategic Social Plan (Prioritization of social problems)
Creation of a Social Bank
Implementation of a common methodology to evaluate social impact
Establishment of a country network to support social innovation activities
Develop conditions to private sector investment
Implementation of a specific Stock market
Promoting Social Innovation based on wide campaigns
Structure Energize Launch

So What´s next?
The result will be the sum of our efforts so we should try to:
Be enthusiastic and promote the theme with our network
Keep imagining a better world and translate this to concrete actions, always looking for partners to develop them
Maintain an critical perspective (“we are never totally right” “often we are wrong”)
Try to involve distinctive senior people in order to be aware of their “invaluable knowledge” and to “receive challenges” to your ideas
Advance in your professional carreer and find ways to have synergies it with our social innovation actions

..But Why don´t you start right now!
Do you have an idea for a project ? Submit it to our blog and maybe we can help you by:
sharing best pratices ;
identifying people that can be interested in developing the project;
“ pass the word” within our network
advising you in the next steps such as financing, management team, partnerships...
Submit a post to our blog:
Share a best pratice
Tell us your experience as a social innovator (your motivations, difficulties...)

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2009 In Search of Social Innovation

by jsoffer on Aug 09, 2009

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2009 In Search of Social Innovation — Presentation Transcript