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
What is a system?
•
•
•
•
is 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.
4
Types of systems
•
Simple
•
Complicated
•
Complex
Types of Issues
Close to
Agreement
Degree of Uncertainty/ Degree of Agreement Matrix
Close to
Certainty
Far from
Simple
Complicated Complex
Following a Recipe A Rocket to the Moon
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

Raising a Child
Close to
Agreement
Simple
Simple
Plan, control
Close to
Certainty
Far from
Simple
Complicated Complex
Following a Recipe

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


Writing a Thesis
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
Raising a
Child
Complicated
Agreement
Socially
Complicated
Close to
Build relationships,
create common
ground
Simple
Plan, control
Close to
Technically Complicated
Experiment, coordinate expertise
Certainty
Far from
Simple
Complicated Complex
Following a Recipe
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

A Rocket to the Moon

Sending one rocket
increases assurance
that next will be ok

Raising a
Child
Formulae have only a
limited application
Raising one child
gives no assurance of
success with the next
High level of expertise in  Expertise can help but
many specialized fields
is not sufficient;
+ coordination
relationships are
key
Rockets similar in critical
ways

High degree of certainty
of outcome

Every child is unique
Uncertainty of
outcome remains
Most Intractable Social Problems Are In the
Zone of Complexity
Chaos
Massive Avoidance
Agreement
Socially
Complicated
Close to
Build
relationships,
create common
ground
Simple
Plan, control
Close to
Zone of
Complexity
Technically Complicated
Experiment, coordinate expertise
Certainty
Far from
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
Macro:
Federal government, long-term cultural changes, global economic
trends, demographic trends, national mental health policy
Meso:
Provincial government, provincial mental health funding and
policy, financial institutions, migration, local economic
conditions
Micro:
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