OpenIDEO - What global challenge do you think innovation leaders should work to solve right now? - Agenda Concepts - In what ways can we innovate *with, not for* communities?

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The Challenge

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What global challenge do you think innovation leaders should work to solve right now?

Inspiration 159 inspirations

Agenda Concepts 106 concepts

Applause 106 final concepts

Evaluate Shortlist 36 final concepts

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In what ways can we innovate with, not for communities?

Communities become resilient from within. Some of the best ideas for improving community life – health & well-being, social interaction, safety, etc can best conceptualised by the community itself. How can we support and encourage processes which provide voice, collaboration and creative thinking within local groups? That way resulting ideas are both relevant plus have local support and motivation.

This question is important because increasing numbers of top-down initiatives are failing communities in need, due to lack of contextual knowledge. External skills and expertise are often required – but these are more likely to make their mark if communities themselves are part of the conversation.

Check out some examples of existing solutions in the Related Inspirations field to the right of this post. (Images from Global Studio: http://theglobalstudio.com/)

20 Evaluations so far

Does this concept deserve a place on the i20 agenda?

Yes – it's definitely a significant global issue requiring innovation
Maybe – it's important but there are other issues which deserve more attention
No – it's interesting but not of global significance

Does this concept point to innovation opportunities that i20 leaders can discuss?

It points to a range of opportunities
It points to a single opportunity
It's indeed a challenge but doesn't point to opportunities

Is this concept well framed?

Yes – it relevantly covers the issue to promote onwards discussion
Somewhat – though the scope is either too narrow or too wide
Not really – interesting issue but this concept doesn't really invite conversation

Does this concept deserve a place on the i20 agenda?

Yes – it's definitely a significant global issue requiring innovation Maybe – it's important but there are other issues which deserve more attention No – it's interesting but not of global significance

Does this concept point to innovation opportunities that i20 leaders can discuss?

It points to a range of opportunities It points to a single opportunity It's indeed a challenge but doesn't point to opportunities

Is this concept well framed?

Yes – it relevantly covers the issue to promote onwards discussion Somewhat – though the scope is either too narrow or too wide Not really – interesting issue but this concept doesn't really invite conversation

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Comments

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Ryan Shelby

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December 10, 2011, 07:36AM

In my work with Native American tribes in CA, I make sure i avoid the issue of going out and designing for or telling the tribes what to do by following the co-design methodology.

In my work, the tribal members are co-researchers: they collect the energy data, crunch the numbers, install the wind turbines and make the reports with us in tandem.

It has been very effective and I think you should check out my paper on this: Co-Design Methodology for the Development of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Systems for Underserved Communities: A Case Study with the Pinoleville Pomo Nation DETC2011-47748

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Ranyee Chiang

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December 05, 2011, 03:57AM

I think this is a great concept. It reminds me of this quote from Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed: “Education…the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” In addition to innovating WITH communities, I think we can push this idea further by also thinking about innovation FROM communities.

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Hubertine

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April 18, 2011, 08:38PM

Have you heard of the work of a Brazilian architect, urbanist, and inspired social entrepreneur named Edgard Gouveia? He co-founded a community leadership initiative in Brazil called Instituto Elos (http://elosbrasil.org/en/teste/). They have developed an great social methodology to ignite meaningful action with communities, called the Oasis Game. Their idea is to approach a community-development project as a game, and invite a diversity people to participate, from street children to regional officials and business owners. This inclusiveness attracts more people to join the game and once involved, each person is invited to bring their most unique and valuable talents to the table. Communities can better help themselves if they are inspired by an empowering entrepreneurial spirit and work collectively for the common good. This is a great tool for engaging local communities anywhere in the world and the methodology could also be used in the corporate world.

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Meena Kadri's reply to Ryan Shelby's comment

Meena Kadri

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April 18, 2011, 09:07PM

Wow Hurbertine – that sounds really cool.
Those savvy Brazilians, huh?!

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James Nyika

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January 13, 2011, 01:50AM

Congratulations on making it to the final 9 on the agenda! Well done!
http://reasonedprogression.wordpress.com

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Kale

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December 25, 2010, 09:53AM

Great concept. I evaluated your work and I think the best way to solve the issue is through the pure application of resource based economics as well as the philosophy associated with it. In an RBE society, the community would be global and much more personal than ever before.

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Pablo F. Méndez

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December 11, 2010, 05:41PM

Very relevant concept. Top-down initiatives from the stewards fail because they propose blueprint solutions, most of which do not take into account local stakeholders in the development of the initiative itself. This normally increase distrust and aversion among the locals. Moreover, the blueprints do not take into account social uncertainty and do not develope mechanisms for dealing with change and surprise. More participatory, inclusive and flexible processes are needed. Of course you always have troublemakers but then you can design for diversity and cancel non-constructive people...and many many more things...you all know.

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Christian Nicolaj Halsted

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December 03, 2010, 04:57PM

Hi Meena,
Very relevant suggestion!
I only just saw your post now and I believe it relates to mine in many ways - Design as cultural imperialism, homogenization and biased intellectual capital? http://bit.ly/gYIvMJ

Would like to hear your views on this too.
I hope your question will be picked for the i20 summit.
Cheerio,
Chris

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Meena Kadri

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November 28, 2010, 07:06PM

Just noticed a relevant article from this week's NYT about technology and citizen engagement: http://nyti.ms/hbd0AU

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Jeffrey Blydenburgh

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November 27, 2010, 02:21PM

Appreciative Inquiry is a process I can recommend: Discover, dream, design, and deliver. It is another version of the open ideo process. Their common denominator is facilitated conversations to reach solutions that matter.

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Meena Kadri

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November 27, 2010, 09:05AM

@Adriana – a challenge indeed. And that will give i20 global innovation leaders something to talk about ; )

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Adriana Peon

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November 27, 2010, 07:33AM

Great question, the challenge, however, is scalability. Community programs involving co-creation and co-implementation are critical but then you face the "Glocal" challenge. How can you create local globalized programs?

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Meena Kadri

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November 25, 2010, 04:13AM

Indeed – in line with participatory budgeting (I built on your inspiration for this) and great to check out another example in that vein. There's also something along the participatory budgeting line in the Us Now film – really worth a watch when you have time: http://bit.ly/gdvOdC

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Nicole Skibola

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November 25, 2010, 12:18AM

Hey, in line with participatory budgeting, here is a really cool initiative I found in Chicago: In in 2009, residents of Chicago’s diverse 49th Ward began deciding how to spend the $1.3 million capital budget of Alderman Joe Moore in “an innovative experiment in direct democracy.” The 49th Ward is the first political jurisdiction in the nation to implement a permanent participatory budgeting process. See what the ballot looked like: http://participatorybudgeting49.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/pb-ballot-english-sample4.pdf

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Meena Kadri

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November 23, 2010, 03:33PM

@Reinhard: I love the Serious Play approach! – another brilliant one for community engagement. You might also be interested in this blog post which outlines a recent community co-production initiative in the UK: http://bit.ly/fbxcZt

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Reinhard Ematinger

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November 23, 2010, 03:02PM

Great questino, Meena! Actually this very question is what I try to answer using the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY approach ... involving not only so called stakeholders who often neither have a stake in nor care about the results but enganging employees who have the knowledge and experience and let them share it using kind of new language - which is LEGO. I really hope that this question will make it to the i20!

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Johan Löfström

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November 23, 2010, 11:05AM

This is very relevant also with emergency aid! Sometimes nations in the west can send useless or unwanted objects –as part of catastrophic help packages– to a country that suffered a natural disaster. (out of ignorance, lack of knowledge, or simply egoistic reasons when they try to promote a special companies products or services)

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