Social Innovation Social Innovation 20112011A A Curated Conversation Curated Conversation on Building Network on Building Network SocietySociety@FredGarnett London Knowledge @FredGarnett London Knowledge Lab & OpenRSA…Lab & OpenRSA…

Social InnovationSocial Innovation

Building the Network Society;Building the Network Society;

Nick Jankel, Oliver Ashton, David RobertsNick Jankel, Oliver Ashton, David Roberts

Tessy Briton, Catherine Howe, Tom PhillipsTessy Briton, Catherine Howe, Tom Phillips

Roxanne Commutiny, Malcolm Forbes, Ed Roxanne Commutiny, Malcolm Forbes, Ed AndertonAnderton

Philippa Young, Lucy Innovation, Nicola MillsonPhilippa Young, Lucy Innovation, Nicola Millson

David Wilcox, Alice 00, Generative InnovationsDavid Wilcox, Alice 00, Generative Innovations

3 Big Ideas on Social Innovation3 Big Ideas on Social Innovation

Links to ResourcesLinks to Resources

An Internet of PeopleAn Internet of People

Moving from Hierarchies to NetworksMoving from Hierarchies to Networks

Ben Hammersley in his British Ben Hammersley in his British Council Lecture 2011 said our Council Lecture 2011 said our national problem is the inability to national problem is the inability to build Network Society with build Network Society with hierarchical thinkershierarchical thinkers

Can Social Innovation in the UK solve Can Social Innovation in the UK solve this problem? Here are some this problem? Here are some thoughtsthoughts

Issue 1Issue 1

Do we have the right Social Do we have the right Social Structures?Structures?

What Social Structures What Social Structures might help in creating might help in creating innovation processes innovation processes

for a Network Society?for a Network Society?

Nick Jankel-WonderNick Jankel-Wonder

Build a Maverick NetworkBuild a Maverick Network

RSA fellowsRSA fellows in the 18 in the 18thth Century had Century had ““the temporal and emotional freedom the temporal and emotional freedom to think, meet, talk and co-create The to think, meet, talk and co-create The Enlightenment.Enlightenment.” However it now seems ” However it now seems now you need to be an institutional now you need to be an institutional ‘maverick’ to become innovation. He ‘maverick’ to become innovation. He calls for a network of ‘Mavericks calls for a network of ‘Mavericks Anonymous’ like the one in Anonymous’ like the one in Silicon Silicon ValleyValley, which can be responsive to , which can be responsive to disruptive change. disruptive change.

Ollie Ashton - Ollie Ashton - ThundrBumpThundrBump

In an “Innovation Society”…In an “Innovation Society”…

an innovation society begins with an innovation society begins with education to seed diversity and cross education to seed diversity and cross pollinate curricula, changing industrial pollinate curricula, changing industrial management structure into an management structure into an innovation landscape for a post-innovation landscape for a post-industrial era'.industrial era'.

We can learn from government-funded We can learn from government-funded Bletchley Park & think about how the Bletchley Park & think about how the Victorians became an innovation society Victorians became an innovation society

David Roberts - SalfordDavid Roberts - Salford

By creating “societal innovations”…By creating “societal innovations”…

Societal Innovation is about asking and Societal Innovation is about asking and finding ways forward to the challenges finding ways forward to the challenges of work, worklessness, and how we are of work, worklessness, and how we are to make meaning from our work. to make meaning from our work.

It asks 'how can the future look for It asks 'how can the future look for young people and those currently not young people and those currently not engaged in meaningful work.' It engaged in meaningful work.' It investigates ways in which work and investigates ways in which work and working practices can accommodate working practices can accommodate all in society.all in society.

Issue 2Issue 2

Do we have the right communication Do we have the right communication processes?processes?

How might we talk more How might we talk more effectively to each other effectively to each other

in a Network Society?in a Network Society?

Tessy Britton – Thriving Tessy Britton – Thriving TooToo

As good decisions come from pooled As good decisions come from pooled knowledgeknowledge

Citizens don’t know everything and nor do Citizens don’t know everything and nor do local authorities but good decisions come out local authorities but good decisions come out of blending those two together. There are of blending those two together. There are necessary levels of activism & unnecessary necessary levels of activism & unnecessary levels of activism, and those normally come levels of activism, and those normally come about through bad decisions. about through bad decisions.

I think that we need to start to think much I think that we need to start to think much more about pulling on the imagination of more about pulling on the imagination of citizens and local authorities alike through citizens and local authorities alike through consultationsconsultations

Catherine Howe – public-iCatherine Howe – public-i

& making policy formation agile..& making policy formation agile..

Agile approaches focus on the plan & not Agile approaches focus on the plan & not the objective, working in iterative evidence the objective, working in iterative evidence based cycles. Agile assumes complexity based cycles. Agile assumes complexity some of the affordances of network society; some of the affordances of network society; real time information, transparency & real time information, transparency & collaboration to deliver outcomes within collaboration to deliver outcomes within each iteration. each iteration.

We work in an open, networked and highly We work in an open, networked and highly agile environment. Would more agile policy agile environment. Would more agile policy making deliver more innovative policy?making deliver more innovative policy?

Tom Phillips - #Gov20Tom Phillips - #Gov20

But delivery targets block agile policyBut delivery targets block agile policy

Local authorities are pressured to turn pilot Local authorities are pressured to turn pilot innovations into mainstream practice often innovations into mainstream practice often well ahead of evaluation. Fear of failure & well ahead of evaluation. Fear of failure & the unknown coupled with "good process" the unknown coupled with "good process" rather than "good outcomes" & “what we rather than "good outcomes" & “what we are doing” gets more airtime than “why we are doing” gets more airtime than “why we need to do it”. need to do it”.

So we perpetuate services that are just good So we perpetuate services that are just good enough, remaining slow and excessively enough, remaining slow and excessively cautious in their reaction to innovationcautious in their reaction to innovation

Issue 3Issue 3

Can failure help us redefine what we Can failure help us redefine what we do?do?

Is Failure the necessary Is Failure the necessary precursor to social precursor to social

innovation?innovation?

Roxanne - CommutinyRoxanne - Commutiny

Failure is ‘the dark heart of success’Failure is ‘the dark heart of success’

A symbiotic relationship which can be A symbiotic relationship which can be positively directed towards learning; positively directed towards learning; reflectively gathering experience-based reflectively gathering experience-based wisdom to inform future decisions and wisdom to inform future decisions and behaviour. behaviour.

Learning from failure builds trust, resilience Learning from failure builds trust, resilience & social capital. It supports collaboration, & social capital. It supports collaboration, mutuality & cognitive surplus. In mutuality & cognitive surplus. In peoplepeople, , facing failure stimulates creativity. In facing failure stimulates creativity. In organisations organisations it supports innovation and it supports innovation and improvement. In improvement. In society society it leads to social it leads to social progress.progress.

Malcolm Forbes - Malcolm Forbes - RegenesysRegenesys

& Redefine institutions as social enterprises& Redefine institutions as social enterprises

Ring fence a Robin Hood tax as a social Ring fence a Robin Hood tax as a social innovation and enterprise fund with key innovation and enterprise fund with key objectives to support the development objectives to support the development of local community networks, action, of local community networks, action, volunteers etc. volunteers etc.

Each local bank branch would be given Each local bank branch would be given responsibilities to ensure the social responsibilities to ensure the social resilience of their local area and resilience of their local area and running an open process to provide the running an open process to provide the funding to assist this. funding to assist this.

Ed Anderton - NominetEd Anderton - Nominet

& bringing empathy to new connections& bringing empathy to new connections

Can empathy can be generated and Can empathy can be generated and sustained between the individuals whose sustained between the individuals whose involvement is required for social involvement is required for social innovation to consistently flourish: innovation to consistently flourish: community members, authorities local community members, authorities local and national, investors/funders, and national, investors/funders, businesses, media (social or otherwise).businesses, media (social or otherwise).

Individuals adopt roles which tend to Individuals adopt roles which tend to create distance rather than encourage create distance rather than encourage connection in a culture of abstract connection in a culture of abstract analysis and emotional distancing analysis and emotional distancing

Issue 4Issue 4

Change comes from the marginsChange comes from the margins

Where can we start Where can we start small and so grow the small and so grow the

next generation?next generation?

Philippa Young - Philippa Young - FishtankFishtank

Build experience platforms like…Build experience platforms like…Fishtank brings together a filmmaker, Fishtank brings together a filmmaker,

social issue, and a team of people with social issue, and a team of people with no (or little) prior experience of no (or little) prior experience of filmmaking. Together they will produce filmmaking. Together they will produce a film. a film.

Using guerrilla filmmaking strategies Using guerrilla filmmaking strategies they will collaborate, travel with they will collaborate, travel with purpose, connect to an issue, learn new purpose, connect to an issue, learn new skills and participate in the creative skills and participate in the creative process to create something that others process to create something that others can learn from.can learn from.

Lucy - InnovationLucy - Innovation

……and charities as social innovatorsand charities as social innovators

Innovation has become a buzzword Innovation has become a buzzword that has lost its meaning. that has lost its meaning.

How can charities get better at driving How can charities get better at driving innovation, overcoming the innovation, overcoming the barriers barriers of lack of resource, lack of long term of lack of resource, lack of long term vision vision and fear of taking and fear of taking risks risks in new in new product and idea development in case product and idea development in case they are accused of ‘wasting’ donors they are accused of ‘wasting’ donors money. money.

Nicola Millson – Nicola Millson – CarbonCarbon

& address key green innovation issues& address key green innovation issues

Can the current level of green innovation Can the current level of green innovation shift us towards a more sustainable world? shift us towards a more sustainable world? Are new products, services, behaviours or Are new products, services, behaviours or business models – truly making a difference? business models – truly making a difference?

A systemic change framework that A systemic change framework that evaluates innovation programmes against evaluates innovation programmes against characteristics required for systemic change characteristics required for systemic change could help. These characteristics are: could help. These characteristics are: aligned, balanced, learning, engaged and aligned, balanced, learning, engaged and impactful.impactful.

Issue 5Issue 5

We need new forms of social We need new forms of social reportingreporting

How can we tell new How can we tell new stories about the new?stories about the new?

David Wilcox – Social David Wilcox – Social ReporterReporter

New ways of telling new stories…New ways of telling new stories…

Social innovation reporters connect Social innovation reporters connect conversation and people from conversation and people from different fields using a mix of media, different fields using a mix of media, surfacing stories as they go. surfacing stories as they go.

They spot new opportunities, help They spot new opportunities, help make sense of possibilities, and build make sense of possibilities, and build networks to make them happen networks to make them happen

Alice – 00:/Alice – 00:/

Build the future today in collaboration Build the future today in collaboration hubs…hubs…

Hub Westminster is extraordinary. A Hub Westminster is extraordinary. A great space for creative collaborations, great space for creative collaborations, in the heart of London. in the heart of London.

Full of people aspiring to change their Full of people aspiring to change their bit of the world holding events bringing bit of the world holding events bringing new ideas together collaborativelynew ideas together collaboratively

Fred Garnett - LKLFred Garnett - LKL

& creating ‘generative innovations’& creating ‘generative innovations’

Innovation is a heutagogic process Innovation is a heutagogic process enabling us to move out of our comfort enabling us to move out of our comfort zone & play with how we do things as zone & play with how we do things as part of an ongoing collaborative processpart of an ongoing collaborative process

We need to develop ‘open platforms’ for We need to develop ‘open platforms’ for innovation; new hubs & new innovation; new hubs & new communities which develop communities which develop ‘generative ‘generative innovations’innovations’

Social InnovationSocial Innovation

So we have three big ideas on social So we have three big ideas on social innovationinnovation

New New Networks Networks for sharing ideasfor sharing ideas

New forms of public consultation and New forms of public consultation and agile agile conversations conversations with emerging ideaswith emerging ideas

New New platforms platforms of practical opportunities of practical opportunities to build network society collaborativelyto build network society collaboratively

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