Dr. Leona Craffert CoLab for eInclusion and Social Innovation

Innovation for Social Development: Looking

back to carve the way forward

31 July 2017

Storyline

• Introduction • Practical examples of innovation for social development

• Where did it start?

• Social Innovation: A contested concept

• Conceptual framework for thinking about social innovation

• A few perspectives for the way forward

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Introduction

Nothing is as practical as a good theory

If all else fails, read the manual …

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South African Successes

The FunDza Literacy Trust is a South African non-profit dedicated to improving literacy among teens and young adults - Mignon Hardy becoming

South African Successes

Social Innovation: Gearing business to address social systemic challenges, Yellowwood, 2016

FOS: Fibre Optic Society: Mitchell’s Plain Mitchell’s Plain People Forum: Initiative to install Fibre Optic within the community by means of training and enabling community members to participate in the process. Various “new initiatives” are identified and created for greater involvement and ownership by communities.

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South African Successes

Waste to Food (W2F): Phillipi South African households waste approximately 1.4m tonnes of food per year. This equates to R21.7 billion per year (0.8% of GDP). W2F, has developed has developed a combination of technologies to overcome the widespread disposal of organic waste to landfills in South Africa. In doing so they also contribute to employment and food security.

Common Good First: A study of Social Innovation (2017 draft report, p.2); Co-funded by the E rasmus+ program of the European Union

Jozi@work

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Looking Back: Where did it start?

Growing interest since the 1980’s” Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest on the part of the scientific community (and, more recently, of policy makers) in the concept of social innovation: • Difficulties facing traditional welfare systems to address societal needs (1980s) • Resulting in the wave of privatizations in the 1990s with the transfer of welfare functions to the

private sector (neo-liberalism of the 1990s reflecting the belief in the ability of unfettered market forces to meet societal needs)

• Failure of the traditional paradigm consisting of only two actors (market and the state) - to meet growing and diversified needs of society (market only populated by profit-seeking firms).

• Disillusion with the market and recent financial crisis

Carlo Borzaga1, Riccardo Bodini2: WHAT TO MAKE OF SOCIAL INNOVATION? TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT (2012) These privatisations are widely regarded as the source of the recent financial crisis becoming

Looking Back: Reflecting on the discourse

“The increased attention devoted to social innovation over the past few years seems to be indicative of a deeper shift in the way we think about

the economy and society”.

Carlo Borzaga1, Riccardo Bodini2: WHAT TO MAKE OF SOCIAL INNOVATION? TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT (2012, p.15))

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Looking Back: Developments

Establishment of Research Centres • Centre de Recherche sur les Innovations Sociales, (Canada, 1986)

• Center for Social Innovation: Stanford Graduate School of Business (US, 2000)

• Centre for Social Innovation (Toronto, 2004)

• The Social Innovation Exchange, created by the Young Foundation in London (2005)

• Social Innovation Japan (Tokyo, 2005) • The Netherlands Centre for Social Innovation (2006)

Carlo Borzaga1, Riccardo Bodini2: WHAT TO MAKE OF SOCIAL INNOVATION? TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT

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Looking Back: Developments

Social Innovation has become a prominent feature in policy debate since the onset of the economic crisis (2008): • President Barack Obama: Office for Social Innovation and Civic Participation; • David Cameron (UK): in the context of his “big society” approach; • European level: SI one of the tenets of the policies of the European Commission (José Manuel

Barroso) • Recently launched the Social Innovation Europe Initiative

Carlo Borzaga1, Riccardo Bodini2: WHAT TO MAKE OF SOCIAL INNOVATION? TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT (2012) Common Good First: A study of Social Innovation (2017 draft report); Co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union becoming

Looking Back: Developments Large Research Projects WILCO (2010-2014): Examine the link between local welfare systems and –innovations, and how they can change social inequalities (1)

The investigated cases “concerned economic (e.g. funding arrangements) and political dimensions (e.g. new arrangements in decision-making and participation)” and marked by a “high degree of risk and uncertainty due inter alia to the specific context wherein they appear” (CGF: SI, p. 7)

TEPSIE (2014 - ): Aimed at understanding the theoretical, empirical and policy foundations for developing the field of social innovation in Europe (3)

Social innovations must “aim to transform social relations by improving the access to power and resources for a specific target group”, and “contribute to discourses about the public good and the just society” (4)

(1) WILCO is an acronym for: Welfare Innovations at the Local level in favour of Cohesion” (wilco.eu 2014) (2) Common Good First: A study of Social Innovation (2017 draft report); Co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union (3) The Danish Technological Institute, Denmark, The Young Foundation, UK, The University of Heidelberg, Germany, The Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal, Atlantis Consulting, Greece, Wroclaw Research Centre EIT+, Poland (TEPSIE n.d.). (4) (TEPSIE 2014, 14).

Looking Back: Developments

Large Research Projects SI-Drive (2014 -): EU funded project intended to present conclusions and recommendations for policies and practices relating to social innovation (1)

“map, analyse and promote social innovations in Europe and world regions to better understand and enable social innovations in their capacity for changing societies” (SI-Drive 2014)(2)

Common Good First (2017 – 2019): Erasmus+ funded program investigating cases of social innovation in South Africa and Europe

The project’s objective is to create a digital network and platform on which social innovations can be shared and showcased with the help from academics and practitioners (3,4)

(1) SI-Drive is an acronym for: Social Innovation – Driving Force of Social Change. (2) SI-Drive 2014 (3) Roskilde University, University of Johannesburg, Glasgow Caledonian University, Rhodes University, Reykjavik University, University of Alicante, University of South

East Norway, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, University of the Free State, University of the Western Cape, North West University, & Social Innovation Exchange

(4) Common Good First: A study of Social Innovation (2017 draft report, p.2); Co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union

Social Innovation: A Contested Concept

Bureau of European Policy Advisors (2010) “new ideas (products, services, and models) that simultaneously meet social needs (more effectively than alternatives) and create new social relationships or collaborations” (BEPA 2010). Phills, Deiglmeier & Miller (1)

“A novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than existing solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than private individuals”.

Murray, Grice, Mulgan (2)

“ … social innovations as new ideas (products, services and models) that simultaneously meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations. In other words, they are innovations that are both good for society and enhance society’s capacity to act (3).

(1) Phills, Deiglmeier & Miller, (2008). In Borzaga, C. and Bodini, R. (2012): WHAT TO MAKE OF SOCIAL INNOVATION? TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT, (p.

(2) Murray et. al. (2010). In Ayob, N., Teasdale, S.,Fagan, K (2016) How Social Innovation ‘Came to Be’: Tracing the Evolution of a Contested Concept. Journal of Social Policy (p.12)

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Key Aspects for Impact

Target audience(s) Current understanding and awareness of the benefits – rolemodels Crossing barriers: access, cost, local content, relevance, Moving beyond entry-levels usage: meaningful use Peer group learning and/or trusted partnerships Coaching environment

Ayob, N., Teasdale, S., Fagan, K (2016). How Social Innovation ‘Came to Be’: Tracing the Evolution of a Contested Concept. Journal of Social Policy

Overview Article: Academic Publications

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Key Aspects for Impact

Target audience(s) Current understanding and awareness of the benefits – rolemodels Crossing barriers: access, cost, local content, relevance, Moving beyond entry-levels usage: meaningful use Peer group learning and/or trusted partnerships Coaching environment

Ayob, N., Teasdale, S., Fagan, K (2016). How Social Innovation ‘Came to Be’: Tracing the Evolution of a Contested Concept. Journal of Social Policy, P.

A conceptual model for Social Innovation Co-Production

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Applying the framework to The CodeJam Model

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P1 – P4: Stakeholders (public, private partnerships)

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• “Social innovation” was captured in the 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology – but nothing further since then since then

• Significant increase in publications since 2010 – contested concept

• Academic literature – mostly on social entrepreneurship • Popular Literature – mostly publications from industry

• Dominant paradigm: social entrepreneurship (utilitarian)

Hero Leaders - Hero social entrepreneur – (visionary) Popular media: business oriented (invitations to participate)

• Five SA Higher Education Institutions published: The University of Pretoria (8), University of Cape Town (7), Stellenbosch University (5), and the University of the Free State (4) (5)

• Discourse and action in terms of policy frameworks and an enabling context (for especially

social inclusion) is sorely lacking as well as information on methodologies applied in social innovation initiatives

SA Perspective

Common Good First: A study of Social Innovation (2017 draft report); Co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union becoming

Suggestions for the way forward Big Social Challenges Conceptual Clarity • Publication of Harvard identify digital literacy or digital inclusion as a big social challenge

(poverty, youth unemployment, substance abuse • Move towards the digital economy – development of necessary skills, capabilities across all

sectors to ensure inclusion, relevance and productive participation – vulnerable individuals/groups

Solving/addressing a big social challenge: New Mental Models Required • Systems change starts by examining the conventional wisdom perpetuating an underperforming

or failing system (Gary White, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer) (1)

• Systems change means fundamentally, and on a large scale, changing the way a majority of relevant players solve a big social challenge (Martin Fisher, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, KickStart International) (1)

• Checking our own assumptions: individual and institutional • How do we think about development (development model) • Develop a conceptual clarity of sensitivity and clarity around nature of social innovation, process

that leads to social innovation and the characteristics of the actors or organisations (1)

WEF: Beyond Organizational Scale: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Systems Change (2017) becoming

Suggestions for the way forward Policy Framework • Framework to facilitate social innovation (beyond “hero social entrepreneurs”) • Consider the process and characteristics of role-players: 3 types of institutions, focus on 3rd

sector (1)

Government • Strategies, practises and processes to facilitate co-production (Human-centred development) • Procurement Business: • Prof. Subi Rangan: “The prevailing aspiration of business is performance, while that of society is

progress” and, whilst capitalism has delivered impressive results in the past, “it now seems uncontroversial that modern capitalism is in some crisis”. (2)

• Paul Barnett: “The challenges of our time” do indeed require that we “take a look at the world with new eyes”. Valueism serves this purpose, being a means of transforming how we look at the challenges of creating growth and inclusive prosperity” (3) (value created instead of value extracted)

(1) Borzaga, C., Bodini, R. (2012) WHAT TO MAKE OF SOCIAL INNOVATION? TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT . Euricse Working Paper, N.036 | 12 (2) Subi Rangan, Professor of strategy at INSEAD (2) Transforming Management Theory and Practice to Focus Business and Capitalism on Value Creation, by Paul Barnett. (https://www.druckerforum.org/blog/?p=1472). Paul Barnett is Founder & CEO of the Strategic Management Forum – a membership organisation that exist to advance the professional practice of strategic management

Suggestions for the way forward

Higher Education Institutions: Engaged and socially relevant Skills, capability, frameworks for social innovation National and International Examples: Glasgow Caledonian University (Scotland) Examples Social innovation policies Methodologies, approaches,

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Thank You

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