Social Innovation 1:
Innovative Solutions to
Social Issues
Kim Alter
Managing Director, Virtue Ventures LLC
Visiting Fellow, Skoll Centre for Social
Entrepreneurship, University of Oxford
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Social innovation is driven by a social
concern or issue… in other words,
the social concern is the
opportunity.
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Process
Innovation
3
Technology Innovation
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Innovative Solutions to Social
Concerns
Video case:
Marin Burt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAuSoafjJNQ
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Discuss video case
• What are the social issue(s) that Martin Burt
sought to solve?
• Who is effected by this social issue(s)?
• What is the cause of the social issue(s)?
• How did Burt seek to solve this social issue?
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Social Issue Identification
• What is your social concern/issue?
• Who does this issue effect?
• What is the causes?
• What are the drivers that perpetuate the
issue?
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Social Innovation 2 :
Designing Your Solution
Kim Alter
Managing Director, Virtue Ventures LLC
Visiting Fellow, Skoll Centre for Social
Entrepreneurship, University of Oxford
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Share Short Summary of
your Social Issue
•What is it?
•Who does it effect?
•What are the causes?
What are the drivers?
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Brainstorm solution
• Big ideas for how to solve the social issue?
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Vision
• What does success (or impact) look like?
 The vision is the image of successfully
solving the social concern or issue.
BRAIN STORM!!
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Vision
Its 20 or 30 years
after you started
your social
innovation…
What does
success (or
impact) look like?
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The Road Map
THERE
(long term)
Short
Term
Getting
from
here to
there.
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Creating Your Map
1. Preconditions – what must
happen if our vision of
success is to be realized?
2. Categorize preconditions
•
•
•
Short term
Mid term
Long term
3. Outcomes - state
preconditions of success as
measurable outcomes
4. Assumptions – what are the
main assumptions behind
outcomes?
Includes changes
to…
• Conditions
• Institutions
• Relationships
• Capabilities
• Attitudes
• Behaviors
• Policy
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Roadmap Diagram
Time
Short Term
Outcome
Short Term
Outcome
Mid Term
Outcome
Long Term
Outcome
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Indicators
Of Success
Source: Keystone Accountability (www.keystoneaccountability.org)
Long Term
Outcome
Vision
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Stepping Stones on the Road
Preconditio Restated as Main
Indicator to
n
outcome
assumption validate
s
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Your Roadmap to Change
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Your change strategy
• Example from Fundación Paraguaya
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Who else is involved?
Ecosystem is the network of actors in a defined context who,
Consciously or unconsciously, influence what happens in that
context.
Women
Government
Local Industry
Environment
Families
Funders
Big Business
Policy Makers
Farmers
Men
Workers
Communities
Institutions
Global
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Ecosystem and impacts
Video case:
Biomass Electrification
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K
79tX7I2Y98
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Ecosystem Map
Positive influence similar
purpose & values
Neutral effect (– or +) in future
Positive influence but
different purpose & values
Your vision
outcomes
Negative influence similar
purpose & values
Legend

to

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Ecosystem Strategies
Avoid
Compete
Align
Collaborate
Partner
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Analysis of the Change You Create
Individual Change
Relationship Change
Personal Transformation
Systems Change
Transforming Relationships
Your vision
outcomes
Transforming processes, policies, structures
Cultural Change
Transforming collective
patterns of thinking & acting
Source: Philip Thomas of the Generative Change Community (www.generativedialogue.org)
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Impact
Children -Education
Environment -Renewable
Community -Empowerment
Women Gender roles
Local NGO -Engagement
Local business -Opportunities
Workers Employment
Farmers -Markets
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Pulling it together
What’s your Theory of Change?
• A ‘theory of change’ is an underlying theory
which explains why a particular strategy or
mode of working will be effective, and how
it be executed in its context to help reach a
desired goal or Vision.
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From Theory to Planning
• What five actions/activities will you take in
the next six months to move your social
innovation agenda forward?
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