This document provides a framework for thinking about collaboration spaces, both online and in-person, to promote social innovation. It outlines the complex landscape including new policies, networks, technology, and roles. The framework focuses on defining goals, engaging relevant people, choosing appropriate methods, and establishing structures to support solutions. Collaboration spaces can enable connecting different domains, developing new skills and attitudes, and blending online and offline work. Networks are increasingly important as they help define contexts and provide structures for action.

1. How do we promote and support social
innovation in the current, confused landscape
of new policies, roles, technology, spaces
Social Service
changes Cuts
councillors
Behavioural Social apps Mobile
economics
Business
Innovation Online connectors
Network hubs spaces
weavers Knowledge Personal
Hyperlocal hub apps
sites
Social Community
action Cloud Social Spaces
organisers
Social
Mutual Localism
reporters
support

2. I developed these slides to give myself a
framework for thinking about collaboration
spaces , online and face-to-face.
I’m hoping the framework will be be
useful for a number of projects
I’m starting in 2011.
I’ll report on those at
http://socialreporter.com
There’s some references in the final slide
David Wilcox david@socialreporter.com

3. Collaboration spaces When tackling social challenges we need
to think about the goal; the people
for social innovation involved; then the methods
that may be appropriate; and the
Context structure to carry things forward.
• Politics What’s possible will be influenced
• Policies by the local culture, and wider social
• Networks Culture of
organisation,
and economic context
network
Goals
Challenges Methods Solutions
and structures
Networks are increasingly important
People and their roles because they party define the context
and culture, as well as providing
structures for action.
Methods may be online or offline
activities, individual apps, or processes.
From model developed
People will be defined partly by roles, and
by Ann Holmes also by skills, attitudes, and preferences.
Collaboration spaces enable us to work through the way we define goals, engage people, choose
methods, create processes ... whether workshops or online innovation hubs.

4. How can we design collaboration spaces and processes
amidst new policies, in a media rich networked environment?
Lo
r ity cal
uste ism
A Need to connect ...
1. Domains of 2. New attitudes
Service changes
Social action
innovation and skills
Goals
Challenges Methods
and structures
Solutions
Ne People and their roles
infl tw i al
ue ork oc dia
nc S e
e m

5. 1. Landscape view: domains for a social innovation framework
Ne
les w
ro str
ewimate Co uc
N An nn
ec tur
t es
Social Social
artists networks
What social spaces
Challenges Solutions
to combine?
Social
Social apps
assets
En
Ne ab
ces
le
w sta
in
ur
me t, su
so
re
r
ppo
tho Su
ds N ew

6. 2. Personal view: each domain requires new skills ...
Develop Raise profile, increase Build
new skills, social capital personal
attitudes network
What personal spaces
Blend and capacity to work across Use network
on-offline knowledge
domains?
Use Manage
personal knowledge
apps Design workflow
... in personal workspaces

7. Solutions: develop within domains + between them
Community organisers
Social reporters Knowledge hub
Connected councillors Hyperlocal
Network
Partnership coordinators Our Society
weaving
Business connectors
Local and
Guides, training
interest network
for new roles
platforms
Social collaboration
spaces Network and
Workflow design and personal asset mapping
workspaces
Social
Social apps assets
stores
Sustainability
planning
Big Society Bank
Social app store Crowdsourced funding
Knowledge hub store Volunteering
Social collaboration spaces online and face to face, local and central

8. Collaborative
development We need work on specifics
• Roles in networks and network development
• Tailored guides on using social media apps for specific roles
• Design of personal workflows in the use of apps
• Ways to blend online and offline methods
• Systems/network thinking for sustainability planning
Workshops Game sessions
We also need collaboration spaces to bring
different domains and ideas together
• Online spaces like Simpl and the
innovation hub
• Social by Social game
• Other workshops - like Social Spaces
Travelling Pantry
• Social Media Surgeries
Online spaces

9. The Social by Social game
Full description here http://socialbysocial.net/notes/Social_by_Social_game
The game creates a collaboration space within
which people follow the sequence previously
outlined, from developing a scenario to
developing a plan, with the main emphasis being
on choosing methods. - the social apps domain.
There are limited options within the game for
exploring other domains: the network of
stakeholders to be engaged, the roles and
resources.
The game has been used with
• presentations and exercises beforehand to
familiarise people with the ideas and methods
(apps)
• hands-on demonstrations or social media
surgeries so people can explore the practicalities
of the plan that they have developed
The game provides one way to put the collaboration framework into practice for a local community,
network or organisation.
We can develop it so that there is more balance between the different domains of role, apps,
networks, resources - and/or make these modules.
We can also develop links between the game method cards (apps) and an evolving social apps store:
the roles and guides; and ways of mapping networks and planning use of resources.

10. NEW GAME FOR NEIGHBOURHOODS AND NETWORKS
Players also agree any existing working links between roles by producing a
Background basic network map. The game is now ready to start.
The Social by Social game has been successful in helping people plan Play
what social media and other communication methods they might use in
localities, organisations and networks. During the course of play in a Players examines the activities, methods and resources allocated to their role
workshop, people also explore other aspects of the situation ... the and decide what initiatives they wish to take, while considering the allocations
stakeholders, resources available, and who would do what. made to other roles. A period of dealing (say 15 minutes ) now ensues where
alliances may be formed to:
The current policy context makes it even more important to take a
whole system approach when there will be fewer resources, and • Pool resources
projects and services may be delivered by local groups and social • Act towards a shared goal
enterprises rather than public agencies. We need to do “more with
more” by releasing assets in the community or organisation, and • Act jointly to secure resources from outside the network.
animating the total network of interests involved.
At the end of dealing period, players will announce the deals that have been
Outline made and the projects that they support, listing the activities, methods and
The following notes outline a possible game that simulates this resources entailed. The Facilitator, representing policy makers and all external
approach. It could be used “for real” or as a way to open discussion elements, will announce:
around the key issues, and new frameworks for thinking that are
needed. It brings together key elements in our thinking about social • external events that have local effects
innovation: • The results of funding or other support bid for
• Roles • Any local events which may directly affect local initiatives
• Methods • Any national events that may affect role types (eg changes in charity law,
etc.)
• Networks
• Assets Players now carry out other rounds of dealing and announcing results. The
It should be possible to "focus" the game from the point of view of each
of these elements - that is, from the point of view of roles or assets number of these rounds to be determined by the time available.
depending on what a group of participants wants to explore.
Conclusion
Game process At the end of the game, players hold a facilitated discussion on:
The game will build on the existing Social Media game but with the
addition of role playing and network mapping elements. The process • How successful collaborations were in achieving the goals
will be something like this: • What alliances, networks emerged
• How efficiently the overall resources were used to achieve the goals
Setting out the Aims and context
The players will agree what they are trying to achieve and the specific • What range of methods were used
local context in which they will work by developing a scenario and
agreeing broad goals. Social by Social game http://socialbysocial.net/notes/Social_by_Social_game
Defining the roles Drew Mackie and David Wilcox
Players will list a set of roles that are active within the scenario defined
including agencies, interest groups and stakeholders. The Facilitator drewmackie@mac.com
then cuts the list to the number of players and assigns a role to each.
david@socialreporter.com
Each player then spends a short while writing a description of the role
and listing its current aims, activities, methods and resources (some of January 5 2011
these may be generated randomly).

11. References
•The context for current thinking is set partly by the UK Government’s Big Society ideas and policies - http://
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/big-society
•I’m helping develop http://oursociety.org.uk which focusses on the local opportunities
•There’s more on social innovation and social technology in the Social by Social book, including a development process for
projects http://socialbysocial.com
•Here’s a post and links on designing events for social innovation http://socialreporter.com/?p=799
•The idea of the Social Apps Store developed here http://socialreporter.com/?p=951
•We talked about roles in Social by Social http://www.socialbysocial.com/book/emerging-roles and I wrote about social artists
here - http://socialreporter.com/?p=474
•The UK Government is planning to support training for hundreds or maybe thousands of community organisers http://bit.ly/
gQO0Mf
•Antony Mayfield helped me think about workflow http://bit.ly/eK4mLq
•Simpl is a social innovation marketplace currently in beta - http://www.futuregovnetwork.com/items/170
•The Innovation Hub is a government online innovation space http://innovate.direct.gov.uk/blogs/dotgovlabs
•About the Knowledge Hub http://www.local.gov.uk/lgv2/core/page.do?pageId=174022
• More here about Tessy Britton’s project Social Spaces http://www.socialspaces.org/ and Travelling Pantry workshops http://
www.socialspaces.org/#814982/Blog-posts-about-the-Pantry
• Earlier workshop games at http://usefulgames.co.uk
As the framework evolves, I’ll connect resources more directly