The challenges of scaling up local innovation
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Social innovations for Social Cohesion Preliminary findings from the WILCO project Marie Nordfeldt, Ersta Sköndal University College, Sweden www.wilcoproject.eu
description
Presentation given by Marie Nordfeldt from Ersta Sköndal University College and the European WILCO consortium at the FEANTSA/HABITACT seminar "Tackling homelessness as a social investment for the future: Looking at the bigger picture", 12th June 2013, Amsterdam
Transcript of The challenges of scaling up local innovation
Social innovations for Social CohesionPreliminary findings from the
WILCO project
Marie Nordfeldt, Ersta Sköndal University College, Sweden
www.wilcoproject.eu
Background
International comparative project, 14 partners, 3 years (2010-2013)Funded by the 7th European Framework Programme (2.4 million Euro grant)Coordinated by Radboud University Nijmegen (Taco Brandsen)
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Key issues
Strong social exclusionProblems perpetuated across generations and geographical areasDespite years of public programs
these wicked problems remain
Objectives and overall design
To chart patterns of social inequality and exclusion in European cities.
To identify (socially) innovative practices in European cities.
(a) finding models, features and trends in local social innovation that appear across Europe
(b) looking at local contexts and welfare systems: key factors for diffusion and upgrading of innovations?
Ten EU-countries, 20 cities – one large and one mid-sized city
Focus on:– three groups (single mothers, young people at risk, migrants)– three policy fields (housing & neightbourhood revitalization; child
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Social innovations
Broad definition:
Social innovation refers to new services, products, processes and approaches that more effectively meet urgent needs and create new types of collaboration among (esp. local) governments, business, non-profit organizations and citizens
New in the local context where they appear
Types and balance of local innovations
A pool of about 80 innovations
Service innovations are dominating.Most innovative services/approaches to be found within the third sector; yet local welfare policies and administrations can be part in various ways (by programs, funding, initiative)Many small scale and time-limited projects, (EU-funded), sometimes implemented by integration in established organisations/programmes or achieve self-sufficiency.Occasionally commercial viable
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Prel. results: Diffusion – opportunities and challenges
Diffusion - sometimes hard to traceSocial innovations - often local in focus Innovators sometimes interested in spreading their approach/idea, but not always an interest in, or time to, “sell” an innovation to other places. A crucial role for intermediariesDiffusion appear to be easiest for less complex innovations that require limited resources
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‘Translation’ of innovations necessary when they travelFailure can be connected to lack of capacity, initial financial resources and consensus. Time limited projects.Requires change in how people/organisations work together; therefore resistance is not unusualResearch on diffusion tends to focus on the adoption of innovations; yet changes in local relations / discourses that precede adoption are at least as important
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Concluding remarksDifficult scaling up social innovationsContext dependent, based on social relations and collaboration of different actorsOften hybrids formed of different ideas or inspirationsTo avoid inventing the wheel over and over – support structures based on the specific features of social innovationsHousing first – a successful exception?
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Thank you!
More information; national, city and comparative raports on
www.wilcoproject.euwww.facebook.com/wilcoproject
