Social Innovation Learning Program JUNE 14 – 17 TH, 2015 The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

Social Innovation: Changing the system dynamics that created the problem in the first place A social innovation is any initiative, product, process, program or design that challenges and, over time, changes, the defining routines, resource and authority flows or beliefs of the broader social system in which it is introduced. Successful social innovations have durability, scale and transformative impact.

Agenda: Self, Relationships, System Identity, self-change, leadership Relationships, self-mastery, collaboration Systemic impact

Systems Entrepreneurship – Social Change Agency in Complex Systems “Farmers don’t grow crops. They create the conditions for crops to grow.” - Gareth Morgan

5 Case: Social Innovation in B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest

6 THE GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST

7 Ecological Context: Original Extent of the World ’ s Forests

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9 Remaining “ Frontier Forests ” D. Bryant, et al., The Last Frontier Forests: Ecosystems and Economies on the Edge. (World Resources Institute: Washington, DC, 1997)The Last Frontier Forests: Ecosystems and Economies on the Edge “Short of a miraculous transformation in the attitude of people and governments, the Earth’s remaining closed canopy forests and their associated biodiversity are destined to disappear in the coming decades.” - Klaus Toepfler, ED, UNEP, 2001, p.1

COASTAL TEMPERATE RAINFOREST Climate Change, carbon storage, and need for large intact ecosystems 25% of world ’ s Coastal Temperate Rainforest Spirit bears, grizzlies, wolves 20%+ of world ’ s wild salmon Richest bio-mass on earth 100+ unlogged valleys (none in US) Cultural, economic and social significance: competing claims

11 COMPETING CLAIMS

12 Competing Claims over the Forest: Decline in coastal Forest Industry – Softwood Lumber, limited supply of wood, expensive access, changes in global economy, restructuring and employment decline Important source of employment in some regions 70-90% unemployment in coastal First Nations communities, traditional ecological knowledge, loss of language and culture Court cases supporting aboriginal rights and title Mass protest, blockades “war in the woods” Global controversy, market campaigns, boycotts Govt. establishes consensus-based land use planning

13 Protest and Boycotts

14 New Vehicles for Collaboration Rainforest Solutions Project (Environmental Orgs) Turning Point (First Nations) Coastal Forest Conservation Initiative (Companies) Joint Solutions Project (Companies and ENGOs) Coast Incentives and Investment Initiative: US foundations, ENGOs, Fed/Prov gov. Everybody ’ s solution (Rural mayors, First Nations, Province, Companies)

FINAL AGREEMENTS Permanent protection – 5 million acres New parks million acres Previous parks - 1 million acres New no-logging zones - 736,000 acres EBM – 21 million acres $120 Million for conservation economy First Nations approve all plans International Marketplace shift

Great Bear Rainforest Through the Adaptive Cycle: 1. Base System: Forest a timber resource exploited by forestry industry based on tenures allocated by province providing jobs for forest workers. Gvt &Industry leads 2. Disturbances: ENGO protests, mass arrests, disrupting provincial legitimacy; First Nations win court claims to rights and title over province; ENGOs launch market campaign which leads to boycotts by IKEA, Staples etc… 3. Province responds by launching land use planning process, FN and ENGOs boycott process 4. ENGO’s satellite mapping of GBR, “virtual blockades”, $300 million in contracts cancelled 5. LOVE STRATEGY Industry representatives losing sales approach ENGOs for a negotiation 6. First Nations groups coalesce to form Turning Point, Industry and ENGOs begin direct negotiations 7. Industry and ENGOs make standstill agreement to halt logging and suspend campaigns: Gvt. not involved 8. Industry and ENGOs form Joint Solutions Project to generate shared solutions to GBR problems, science panel, pilot development 9. ENGO leader Merran Smith realises economic aspect of GBR problem, pursues conservation finance, science panel, pilot development 10. FNs enter negotiations with industry and ENGOS, advance Ecosystem Based Management for GBR, Foundations commit $$$ 11. Government makes announcement of package of solutions for GBR including EBM, parks, conservation financing 12. Federal Govt matches funding 14. ENGOs and Provincial dispute over implementation of EBM ongoing till 2009 at which point new K-phase may be reached 13. FN and Province engage in gvt to gvt negotiations shutting out ENGOs and industry from decisionmaking WWF award

17 A change in conversation A change in routine A change in resource commitment or influence Institutional level A change in culture Change in law or policy A change in resource distribution/availability Organizational level A change in strategies A change in procedures A change in resource distribution/availability Individual level A change of heart A change of habits A change of ambition Network or group level

Provincial level Negotiations mandated New First Nations Power Logging Moratoria Shift in policy Global level Shift market away from “endangered forests” New arena for influence: Forest Certification Individual level Staying centered and owning the shadow keeps negotiations from falling into rigidity trap Cross Scale Interactions

OWNING THE SHADOW: Forest workers: “ Capuccino-sucking urban enviros ” First Nations: “ Eco-colonialists ” Forest Companies: “they’re trying to destroy us and the province we care about, ” dueling scientists Government: “ Irresponsible ” and “ Enemies of BC ” Other environmentalists: “ Corporate sell-outs ” Grains of truth…seeds of transformation

20 Whole Systems Engagement

21 TRANSFORMING PERSISTENT SOCIAL PROBLEMS HOW WHAT ________________ WHO? WHY???

22 Transforming the Self = Changing System Skills, Strategy, Learning & Personal Development Working from clear purpose Transforming motivation from anger to love Meditation/contemplation – Awareness Practice: Loving Kindness, ‘ Tong-len ’ (exchanging self with others – Tibetan perspective taking meditation) Triggering work, and psychotherapy Shadow Awareness Avoiding Burnout/Personal Ecology Mind-Body-Spirit-System connection

Activities of a Systems Entrepreneur Activities in conservation phase: question the broad strategic context) in order to understand reason for decisions, frame these for front line where innovation continues to occur, recognize innovations of interest to policy makers and sell these up to the decision makers Introduce disturbances to precipitate a release phase. Activities in release phase: Sensemaking activities such as branding mapping, surveying, sharing narratives and vision building Non-directed convening activities such as open door town hall meetings, new connections between previously separate groups,. Directed/designed convening activities: future search,scenario planning or otherwhole system approaches Getting to Maybe: the “love” strategy Activities in exploitation phase: Deliberate and strategic marshalling of connections and resources in support of a winning idea set. Building Broader Commitment thru story telling/marketing Leveraging polictical support for policy change Activities in reorganization phase: Entrepreneurial proposal of novel solutions and ideas Brokering partnerships Building umbrella strategies to link competing.solutions Deal making between parties in order to achieve consensus or to link novel ideas. Finding capital for new ideas Shedding ideas “without legs” Questioning the Context Amplifying Disruption Convening/Framing/Sens emaking Identifying/Brokering Selling Slide courtesy of Frances Westley

Critical Transitions Need to overcome “lag” of identity and resistance to change Require different resource investments, realignments Need different forms of evaluation Requires a shift in attention and approach Demands new leadership capacities and combinations of people Demands new and different kinds of social connections and relationships

2. Political 2. Political 3 Cultural 3 Cultural 1. Economic 1. Economic A. Institutional landscape D. Scaling Up - Institutional Entrepreneurs E. Scaling Out/Social entrepreneurs

How do “institutional entrepreneurs” approach system transformation To recognize and support innovation – sometimes from adjacent domains By changing the ideas, discourse, knowledge, social interactions, resource expenditures, and policies/laws which support the current situation to a new pattern which supports innovative alternatives. To work across scales and with multiple agents in the “problem domain”

Bricolage: old elements in new combinations Measured by the ripple effect: how much of the surrounding system is “ disturbed ” ?

Exercise 1)Map the phase of your initiative on the adaptive cycle 1)Note the kinds of capacities needed to move forward 1)What are your strengths and passions? 1)Where do you need to grow? 1)Where might you bring in new collaborators who bring these skills?

Summary The difference between successful and unsuccessful attempts to resolve complex problems is determined in part by the broader context and in part by the skills of institutional/systems entrepreneurs Successful system entrepreneurs sense or discern the larger patterns and connect resources to opportunities in a timely way System entrepreneurs are bridgers, connecting groups, ideas and resources System entrepreneurs convene the ‘field’ and allow for sensemaking and interaction to reconfigure the system

Debrief

selfish-care…. care…. universal care…. Psychological and Cultural Development Psychological and cultural perspectives co-determine what world is seen and acted within Psychological and Cultural Development Psychological and cultural perspectives co-determine what world is seen and acted within Developmental psychology: simplified levels of ego development and evolution of moral spheres of care and concern - Loevinger, Gilligan, Piaget, Wilber, Gardner, Kohlberg.