Social Innovation Generation Workshop An Introduction to Social Innovation: Complexity and Scale Presenter: Ola Tjornbo

Social Innovation Social innovation is an initiative, product, process or program that profoundly changes the basic routines, resource and authority flows or beliefs of any social system. Successful social innovations have durability and broad impact. While social innovation has recognizable stages and phases, achieving durability and scale is a dynamic process that requires both emergence of opportunity and deliberate agency, and a connection between the two.

Lecture 1: The Stacey Matrix Seeing problems through a complexity lens Understanding the broader context or the environment of a problem So that we will know how to respond to that problem appropriately

4 What is a system? i s made up of interrelating, interdependent parts behavior does not depend on what each part is doing but on how each part is interacting with the rest fits with a larger system of which it is a part is non-obvious: what we call the parts and their relationship is fundamentally a matter of perspective and purpose.

Types of systems Simple Complicated Complex

Types of Issues Degree of Uncertainty/ Degree of Agreement Matrix Certainty Agreement Close to Far from Close to

Following a Recipe A Rocket to the Moon Raising a Child ComplicatedComplex The recipe is essential Recipes are tested to assure replicability of later efforts No particular expertise; knowing how to cook increases success Recipes produce standard products Certainty of same results every time Simple

Certainty Agreement Close to Far from Close to Simple Plan, control

Following a Recipe Writing a Thesis Raising a Child Methods are critical and necessary Uncertainty about the problem High level of expertise in many specialized fields + coordination Research projects have critical similarities Success in one project increases chances of future success ComplicatedComplex The recipe is essential Recipes are tested to assure replicability of later efforts No particular expertise; knowing how to cook increases success Recipes produce standard products Certainty of same results every time Simple

Complicated Certainty Agreement Close to Far from Close to Simple Plan, control Technically Complicated Experiment, coordinate expertise Socially Complicated Build relationships, create common ground

Following a Recipe A Rocket to the Moon Raising a Child Sending one rocket increases assurance that next will be ok High level of expertise in many specialized fields + coordination Rockets similar in critical ways High degree of certainty of outcome Formulae have only a limited application Raising one child gives no assurance of success with the next Expertise can help but is not sufficient; relationships are key Every child is unique Uncertainty of outcome remains ComplicatedComplex The recipe is essential Recipes are tested to assure replicability of later efforts No particular expertise; knowing how to cook increases success Recipes produce standard products Certainty of same results every time Simple

Most Intractable Social Problems Are In the Zone of Complexity Certainty Agreement Close to Far from Close to Simple Plan, control Zone of Complexity Technically Complicated Experiment, coordinate expertise Socially Complicated Build relationships, create common ground Chaos Massive Avoidance

Lecture 2: The Scale Tool A way of parsing complex problems in order to find opportunities for intervention and to anticipate obstacles Different strategies appropriate to the dynamics characteristic of different scales

Scales Micro – the smallest relevant scale Meso – the scale in between micro and macro Macro – the largest relevant scale

Photo: Albert Fuller Graves

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: NOAA

Federal government, long-term cultural changes, global economic trends, demographic trends, national mental health policy Macro: Meso: Micro: Provincial government, provincial mental health funding and policy, financial institutions, migration, local economic conditions Local government employees, interactions between different population groups, local businesses, community organizations

PLAN: Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network & RDSP: The Registered Disability Savings Plan

PLAN S Sustainability Objectives Embed full citizen perspective in structures and institutions Change cultural consciousness from needs and inability to contribution and participation

Macro: Meso: Micro:

Social Innovation Social innovation is an initiative, product, process or program that profoundly changes the basic routines, resource and authority flows or beliefs of any social system. Successful social innovations have durability and broad impact. While social innovation has recognizable stages and phases, achieving durability and scale is a dynamic process that requires both emergence of opportunity and deliberate agency, and a connection between the two.

Lecture 3: Social Innovation