A case from MaRS Solutions Lab: Driving massive change through creative collaboration

Joeri van den SteenhovenDirector, MaRS Solutions Lab

@joerivds solutions-lab.marsdd.com

Mission: To help tackle complex societal challenges that require systems change.

Future of Health

Future of Government

Future of Work &

Learning

Future of Food

Wicked problems

Tame problem

Crisis

- Clear problem definition

- Single organization

- Regular leadership: implement existing solution

- Clear and finite problem definition, but urgent need for solution

- Need for new solutions, more permission for action and innovation

- Directive Leadership: demand for action and for someone taking control

Wicked problem

- Unclear problem definition, not finite

- Requires innovation and learning, as well as multiple agencies to solve

- Adaptive Leadership: create multi-stakeholders environments and experiment

Case:

Youth Unemployment in the US

System Map

New$Job$

First year

Youth searching for job

Employer creating job & hiring

The lab process

H R T M

Hypothesis Research Test Market

Developing new solutions

So U Co Pr Sc

Solutions Understand Co-create Prototype Scale

You only understand the problem once you start to solve it.

Policy Change

Po F V Ev Np

Policy change Frame Vision Evidence New policies

Building capacity for change

Ca St I Ea Em

Capacity Stakeholders Innovators Early adopters Early Majority

Periodic Table of Systems Change

Po F V Ev Pc

So U Co Pr Sc

Ca St I Ea Em

H R T M