wicked-open-innovate
TOPS Symposium 2014
Sameer Vasta
MaRS Discovery District
wicked problems
• 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
• unclear problem definition, not finite• requires innovation and learning, as well as multiple
agencies• adaptive leadership: to create multi-stakeholders
environments and experiment
tame problem
crisis problem
wicked problem
Grint, Keith. "Problems, problems, problems: The social construction of ‘leadership’." Human relations 58, no. 11 (2005): 1467-1494.
wicked problems
wicked proble
m
No agreement on the nature of the problem, and certainly no clear view on what interventions might work to resolve it. (Rittel & Webber, 1973; Grint, 2005)
There is often a gap between the expressed values, beliefs and attitudes of a
community (or organization) and their behaviours in practice. (Heifetz, 1995)
There are multiple stakeholders involved, some of them are unknown or invisible
There are complex interdependencies, which may reveal or create new problems
when trying to solve aspects of the wicked problem
Normal solutions do not longer seem to work
You only understand the problem once you try solving it
social & economic challenges
public systems
com
ple
xit y
time
government society
difficult to attract and retain people, potential shortages
less public resources due to the financial crisis
operating in vertical structures
people better educated and informed,
and many want to be engaged
more private capital for social good
available than ever before
technology enables us to collaborate and perform complex tasks
horizontally
decrease of problem solving capacity
problem solving capacity record high
meeting system challenges with society
(not for society)
innovation
the implementation of a new or significantly improved
product (good or service), or process, a new marketing method, or a new organisational method in business
practices, workplace organisation or external relations.
Oslo Manual, OECD and Eurostat, 2007
open government innovation for wicked problems
with stakeholder
s
understand
with innovators
ideate
with early adopters
experiment
with early majority
implement
How many designers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
with stakeholder
s
understand
How many designers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Why does it have to be a light bulb?Seriously … why?
with stakeholder
s
understand
start with the citizenask “stupid” questions (question assumptions)
listen + observemap the relations
look for uncertainties (opportunities for change)
with stakeholder
s
understand
How can we sell more cars?
with innovators
ideate
How can we sell more cars?
Design the best cars possible.Manufacture the best quality cars
possible.Offer the most generous loans
possible.
with innovators
ideate
include users, experts & innovatorswild cards, outsiders and unusual
suspectsthink about scaling early
leverage assets in the whole system
with innovators
ideate
Use cases, scenariosContinuous evaluation
Prototypes(vs.)
Pilots
with early adopters
experiment
meet wicked challengeswith open government
with society
So
Solutions
Po
Policy
CA
Capacity
H
Hypothesis
U
Understand
F
Frame
ST
Stakeholder
R
Research
Co
Co-create
V
Vision
I
Innovator
T
Test
PR
Prototype
Ev
Evidence
EA
Early Adopter
M
Market
SC
Scale
PC
Policy Change
EM
Early Majority
Periodic Table of Systems Change
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