intentional innovation
DESCRIPTION
From the Ontario Trillium Foundation 2009 Professional Development Conference According to a recent Kellogg Foundation report, if an organization builds a culture that systematically supports innovation, the ideas will come. The key is to be deliberate, open to ideas from anywhere, comfortable with unpredictability, and generous in sharing learnings – all great approaches to building a social infrastructure for youth organizing and engagement in Ontario. Young people are already making significant contributions to their communities, and now is the time to sustain and increase that activity. In March 2009, OTF partnered with the Laidlaw Foundation and Tides Canada to create the conditions that would allow youth-led and youth-serving organizations to connect with each other, share resources and develop new knowledge and practices. 50 young people from diverse sectors and groups agreed on the need for a coordinated provincial model, but where they go from there is deliberately unplanned. No required changes have been identified up front, and no expected outcomes have been proposed. The only certainty is that a strong foundation is being built for future generations. Work through a fascinating case study on this unique process to find out more about: - the five stages of intentional innovation; - thinking big and trusting to “wisdom of crowds”; - the definition of a social infrastructure; and - the kind of supports needed by youth to strengthen their work Presenters: Abe Drennan, Program Director, The Switch Yard Centre Arti Freeman, OTF Program Manager, Province-Wide,TRANSCRIPT
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in Ontario
Arti Freeman: Program ManagerThe Ontario Trillium Foundation
Abe Drennan: Program DirectorThe Switch Yard Youth CentreThe Celebrate Youth Movement
OTF 2009 ConferenceNovember 5, 2009
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Session Objectives
Using the Youth Social Infrastructure project as a case study, we will aim to:
1. Understand the five stages of intentional innovation;
2. Learn the importance of thinking big and trusting to “wisdom of crowds”;
3. Explore the definition of a social infrastructure;4. Identify kind of supports needed by youth to
strengthen their work
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Some Points to Ponder
1. Innovation is not new
2. Innovation remains largely episodic in the Social sector
3. Innovation that is intentional and systematic can have a greater impact in addressing issues that we care about
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Why Intentional Innovation?• Roles of sectors are shifting
• New technologies emerging
• Number of uncertainties are growing
• Foundation could become less relevant and less effective if we don’t work harder to examine old assumptions and refresh our approaches
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Case Study
The Process of building a Youth Social Infrastructure in Ontario
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Background
1. OTF Granting to Youth
2. Youth Research Project• OTF’s flexibility in programming and grantmaking;
• The “start-up funding” provided by OTF grants;
• OTF’s spirit of partnership and existing support to youth engagement initiatives
3. Youth Engagement
4. OTFs role in advancing youth engagement
Youth Led
Youth Input
Youth Engaged
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Youth social infrastructure
A social infrastructure for youth organizing encompasses a variety of different elements that work collectively to build capacity and sustainable support, placing power in the hands of young people in communities.
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Where are we heading?YSI is looking to move from the “Established Approach” to the
“Emerging Approach”
Established• Adult run and controlled• Defining youth as a problem to be fixed• Limited support (grey area of
support)• Bureaucratic soiled approach• One way solution
• Needs approach• Individualistic approach
Emerging• Youth led, adult supported• Youth as skilled, motivated citizens
• Overcoming grey area of support
• Networked holistic approach• Head, Heart, hands – using cognitive approach, knowledge, values• Rights Approach• Emerging communities of equals
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Our Journey
.
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
The Process
•Collaboration•Change agents needed•Create space for innovation•Tap into end users•Create support system•Get everyone involved •Use new technology•Encourage volume/speed/iteration •Embrace failure
According to the Kellogg Foundation, all the activities above are indicative of intentional innovation
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
The Principle of Emergence
• Multiple local actions connected together create change
• Emergence happens through connections• YSI aims at connecting youth all over Ontario in order
to provide the conditions for a community of practice, that will transform and sustain youth organizing, to emerge
Berkana Institute
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
The Wisdom of Crowds
• Collective Knowledge• Everyone brings a different
perspective• No right and wrong• The bigger picture is the result of
multiple perspectives• The spring gathering aims to
bring diverse perspectives from different sectors, demographics and cultures
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
Five Stages of Innovation
1. Set conditions required to support innovation
2. Identify problem/opportunity about which you want to innovate
3. Generate ideas to solve problem or capture opportunity
4. Experiment and pilot ideas to test how they work in practice
5. Share innovations with broader set of stakeholders W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Intentional Innovation: Building a Youth Social Infrastructure in
Ontario
“A great deal of innovation takes place at the edges and margins, as people and organizations faced with the greatest obstacles (and often the smallest resources) use ingenuity to improvise solutions and find the power to change the world around them. Foundations and donors have the unique positioning to help seed and spur these ideas, and to help them go to scale.” W.K. Kellogg Foundation