Social Innovation

  WEEK 6:   Revenue Generation   Main Ideas and Topics of the Week: Social entrepreneurs have a hard time finding and keeping funding when seeking to grow or scale.  This week we learned about options for funding. Some funding is external in the marketplace, it can be internal within an organization, there are also new ideas like crowd sourcing and classics like grants and donors.  Entrepreneurs have too much to do and limited time in which to do it so making good choices based upon understanding priorities and trade-offs is valuable in order to pursue best matched capital sources. “For example, bank relationships take time to build and the money can seem expensive at first, especially for start-ups, but might be a best choice over the long term. Socially responsible investors / Impact investors may have closer mission alignment and more attractive rates, but might be difficult to access, require extensive documentation, which carries a cost, as well.”  I learned this week that organiz

  WEEK 5 :   Solution and Impact Evaluation   Main Ideas and Topics of the Week: This week we considered 6 questions- 1.      Why is it important to measure impact 2.      How do you measure impact 3.      Does the solution work 4.      How well does it work 5.      Does it work the way it was designed 6.      Are there intended positive or negative results   It can be difficult in social innovation to come up with a solution that works and doesn’t end up creating more problems.  Impact is crucial to the survival and success of social innovation.  If you want results you have to measure outputs, outcomes and impact.   Outputs:   These are the activities done by an organization and are easy to count. Outcomes:   These are the observed effects of the outputs and are more difficult to measure. Impact:   This is the “degree to which the outcomes observed by an organization are attributable to its activities.”  These are very difficult to measure and require analysis.    If the impact is mo

  WEEK Four:   Design Thinking   Main Ideas and Topics of the Week: This week we focused on creating solutions to social innovation problems.  Solutions focus on the root cause and create sustainable, long-term change.  Long-term change is daunting, but the method of design thinking has the power to create or redefine complicated systems.  Instead of thinking outside the box, design thinking empowers us to rethink how we use the box.   Design thinking consists of four key elements:   1.      Define the problem or defining the right problem to solve (most important of the four stages) a.      Starts with observation- discern what people actually do rather than what you are told that they do. b.      Requires cross functional insight into each problem by varied perspectives as well as constant and relentless questioning. c.       Requires the suspension of judgement in defining the problem statement. d.      The goal of the definition stage is to target the right problem to solve and the

  WEEK THREE:   Addressing Big Problems & Root Cause Analysis   Main Ideas and Topics of the Week: Social innovation is all about solitons, however to effectively create a solution we have to understand the problem.  This week we learned about “wicked problems” which are social problems that are characterized by the interconnectedness and shares other system or social problems. Next, we learned how to understand problems the cause and effect fishbone diagram and the 5 why’s problem solving skill.  The fishbone diagram is used when you have a serious problem, it's important to explore all of the things that could cause a problem, before you start to think about a solution. That way you can solve the problem completely, first time round, rather than just addressing part of it and having the problem run on and on. The 5 why’s are a powerful tool for cutting quickly through the outward symptoms of a problem to reveal its underlying causes.  The 5 Whys uses "counter-measures,&q

  WEEK TWO:   Become the Change You Wish to See   Main Ideas and Topics of the Week: If I were to sum up this week in one phrase it would be, “Do good better.”  Social innovation has many definitions but I liked how the Ballard Center states its core concepts as being sustainable, scalable, and replicable.   I need to look at what I gifts and talents I have and how that translates into social innovation.  Social innovation is broken onto three categories.  Picture it as a pyramid with the top being the smallest portion, social entrepreneurs.  These are the people with the ideas that blaze trails.  The next part of the pyramid is double the size of the first, they are the social intrapreneurs or implementers.  They are the ones who take the great ideas and put them into motion.  They carry out the mission.  The last part of the pyramid is double the size of the second, they are the volunteers and donors.  This group are those who give of their time, talents and money to make the world a