Presentación de Ken Caplan, director de “Partnerships in Practice”, para la Conferencia #itdUPM2015

1. Prospects and Pitfalls for Innovation in
Partnerships
Ken Caplan
Directora de “Partnerships in Practice”

2. Creating space for innovation
Innovations through partnerships could be around new
products, services, approaches...
Enablers for innovation will depend on:
• How risky the proposed innovation
is in terms of scale & ambition
• How radical the innovation is in
relation to current norms and
standards / rules
• How innovation is recognised,
valued and rewarded

3. •Influence or overcome the obstacle
e.g. Obtain changes in rules from decision-makers
or special dispensation to pilot project
• Circumvent
Through innovations, or by enlisting partners that
allow for different approaches to be used.
• Move away
By redirecting the partnership
Addressing thedisabling factorsforinnovating

4. Considerations… (1)
• Who has what influence? - to impact on strategic or
operational decision-making, implementation and scaling
[Requires understanding partner Interests]
• Who has what responsibility? – directly or indirectly
dependent; towards whom are there legal, commercial,
operational or ethical/moral responsibilities? [Requires
understanding who can bring what Claims or Entitlements]
• How are partners reliant on each other? – must be engaged in
order to make it work [Requires understanding Incentives to
engage]
• How can we foster creative tension?– may need immediate
attention with regard to financial / economic, social or
environmental issues [Requires an understanding of Power
Dynamics as well as Prioritising and Sequencing]

5. Considerations… (2)
• How can we foster diversity? – bringing in those whose views
can lead to a new understanding of the situation. [Requires
defusing points of conflict but also efforts to avoid lowest
common denominator]
• Do partners have sufficient internal cohesion to make it
work? – includes consistent or compatible attitudes to risk
internally [Requires solid skills of the internal partnership
broker]
• Is there sufficient predictability to make it work? – assumes
that trust between partners may or may not be present
[Requires creating processes that can be trusted]
• Practical issues – Is knowledge of the market, timing and
resource allocation appropriate?

6. Thank You!
Developing effective
relationships for sustainability
Partnerships in Practice, Ltd. The Old Coach House, Castle Ditch Lane, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1YJ
Tel. 44 (0) 79515 76776 - http://www.partnershipsinpractice.co.uk
Co. Registration Number 8903016