SIX Blog - SIX

Many of us in the network have to present complicated issues in a striking way visually. Here are a few of my favourite sites providing ideas and practical tools for presenting complex social issues. This is a field that is advancing very rapidly – so updates would be welcome..

An excellent site with many examples is http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/ which also connects to a blog.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/02/data-visualization-modern-app... is another collection, full of fascinating and beautiful examples.

A similar collection aimed at advocacy and argument is http://www.tacticaltech.org/infodesign.

Others include: the now famous Hans Rosling and www.gapfinder.org which has been bought by Google and is the liveliest example of animated data.

I also like: the complexity maps group working on local mapping - www.complexitymaps.net; www.socialwatch.org – for showing social data on inequality etc; www.wiserearth.org – for a more grassroots use of Googlemaps, and http://www.softhook.com/ Christian Nold’s site for public participation in representation.

It'd be good to have other ideas and examples.

Friends and Colleagues,

I am writing to invite you to participate in an experiment of sorts, a scan aimed at understanding how innovation works in small (<$500,000) and mid-size (<$2.9m) NGOs. This project was created to collect and share information how organizations come up with ideas and new solutions and to ascertain whether or not organizations currently use innovation strategies (specific tools and practices) to support social innovation.

The project came from a desire to better understand attitudes about "innovation" within NGOs, current practices and use of tools and opportunities for development in the understanding of social innovation, especially in the United States. Primarily, it is a way to better understand how tools, processes and practices can help NGOs to enhance program design and development and to capture, pilot and realize "new ideas that work". This scan is part of a William Davidson Institute fellowship that I am doing with a large national foundation which is interested in improving adoption of constituent-engaged innovation in the nonprofit sector.

In an effort not only to collect information but also to share learnings, we have created a both a wiki and a survey so participants can choose the instrument that most fits their technology preference. While this project is based in the US, ideas from international NGOs will be a tremendous asset. There is such exciting work being done in the international community. Please share your thoughts and ideas.

You can find the wiki here:
http://npo-innovation.wikispaces.com/

Or take the survey here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=OJN7cmDHHThtE5IGj5lIkg_3d_3d

Please email me at floosen@umich.edu with any additional questions or feedback.

Thank you for your time and assistance. See you in San Sebastian!

If you like sun, beatiful beaches good food and above all want to share and learn Social Innovative methods and tools with some of the top practitioners and thinkers in the field, please come and join us in San Sebastian from the 28th  to the 30th of July.

For program and registration details check here: http://www.socialinnovationexchange.org/node/709 

Some pictures from the NEXTREV - International
Conference on Social Innovation.

Unfortunately the pictures do not fully capture how fantastic the event was.
There were around 400 people addressing three fundamental questions over two
days:

What is social innovation? (and what a great group of case studies!!)

How does it happen?

Why is it important?

The presentations and videos will be posted up shortly so stay tuned.

Thank you to everybody that made this event possible, particularly to TESE for all
their hard work.

As Saki Mafundikwa aptly stated, "Africa is not poor, it just doesn't have a lot of money!" The principal question that perspectives from the continent at the Change the Change conference need to address is: "If Africa does not have a lot of money, what then does it have?" Additionally, and more specifically, "How can design help accelerate and perpetuate enabling conditions that will help secure a truly sustainable future for all its denizens?"...

Africa has a predominantly youthful demographic with a population that is expected to rise to a billion within the next eight years. Failing infrastructure, material deprivation, epidemics, civil war, and pervasive political dysfunctionalism have failed to dampen the continent's sense of optimism. This historic and diverse continent is incredibly wealthy in natural resources, and richer still in human capital- if one looks beyond popular projections coloured by cynicism and skepticism, a picture begins to emerge- one of a vibrant, engaging and resilient people making the most of their common lot. The robust anthropocentric philosophy of ubuntu (whereby an individual's humanity is reaffirmed by their community) is increasingly being invoked. Ubuntuzeitgeist of the African Renaissance to rally the people of Africa in proactive response to the challenges facing the continent, as well as through the agency of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

Across the continent, examplars of home-grown/grassroots sustainability are emerging. In eastern Africa, for example, the Jua Kali informal manufacturing sector offers gainful employment opportunities that far supersede those of the formal economic sector. Indeed this phenomenon is integral in Kenya's vision of becoming an industrialized country by the year 2020! Entrepreneurship via small and micro-enterprises is constantly growing covering a vast number of business sectors with promising potential role for self-sustaining distributed economies. Similarly, a highly empowering sustainable rural transportation project was facilitated by the SABS Design Institute in South Africa. Other initiatives include an eco-village project by the Sustainability Institute in South Africa. Proactive engagement with international partners has created practical models for local designers to emulate. These include the innovative communication design project in Uganda by Designers Without Borders, as well as cost-effective eco-design projects in Kenya and Namibia by the Design for Development Society.

Africa needs to tell the rest of the world its own success stories- and this forum could well be the catalyst for Africa to respond to Ezio Manzini's challenge to "leap-frog" into an advanced multi-local society wherein the continent's spirit of resilience informs humanity's collective vision of sustainability...

(this is a blog article for conference, Changing the change
www.changingthechange.org)

Victor Margolin
(International advisory committee coordinator)

The term "social design" is relatively new in the design vocabulary. Of course, one could say that all design is social in one way or another since its products are introduced into society. But the term "social" as in "social work", "social welfare", or "social responsibility" also carries the connotation of serving a social good. Today, we understand "social good" to be a concept that is larger than the satisfaction of each member of society. In material terms, we now realize that it is not possible to satisfy everyone by providing the same level of goods and material consumption that is currently enjoyed by those in the most economically developed countries. We also know that consumption has its side effects. It pollutes the atmosphere and contributes to climate change; it produces waste material that is difficult to dispose of; and it absorbs resources that might be otherwise used for more beneficial purposes.

Thus, we can recognize social design as design that contributes to the social good. Recently, Archeworks, a one-year school in Chicago that focuses on social design projects, published a book called Design Denied. The book states that design which addresses social needs should be available to everyone though we know this not to be the case. So one aim of social design is to reach people who are currently not receiving the benefits of design. Another is to produce goods and services that avoid the negative effects of much that we currently produce.

Fortunately, the need to change our social habits has become more evident. Thoughtful people accept the reality of climate change. They also understand that
the gap between wealthy and poor people is growing and needs to be narrowed. And they know that we cannot create infinite landfills. Many people are already
addressing these problems, designers among them. The purpose of Changing the Change is to bring together people who are working in new directions that are intended to improve social wellbeing. Last June a group of designers and design educators met in Brighton, England, to discuss the future of design. The main point of their manifesto, Brighton 05/06/07, was that design?s principal purpose is human wellbeing.
This is a fundamental shift from the traditional aim of putting market success first. It demands more thought about what should be designed and how. Listening to
presentations of projects that are focused on these questions is a good start. From gatherings of people with shared objectives come social networks, new projects, and increased effects. That is what the organizers of Changing the Change are hoping for.

(this is a blog article for conference, Changing the change
www.changingthechange.org)

 When I came to work for Cisco, there was much talk about the virtues of something CEO John Chambers described as the "networked virtual organisation".  Because it was the IT industry, the concept was immediately credentialed with its very own acronym - NVO.  Just what the world needs, more acronyms. 

Some people thought it was a bit of typically glib tech speak and what you'd expect from a company that sold networks.  But not unlike other ideas that bubble up from Cisco, it turns out that Chambers was spot on.  Not necessarily alone in his insight, of course, but adopting a typically forthright and leading edge position. 

The idea of NVO is simple - organisations get to be much more impactful in terms of their mission and business goals if they stop trying to everything themselves.  A concept, you will recognise, notable for the radical absence of rocket science.  An NVO is a cluster of networked organisations that share business processes and a fierce commitment to common customer-focused outcomes, and who have recognised that TEAM is the key - together, each achieves more. 

Fast forward to Spring 2008 (which is now, for those of you in the northern hemisphere) and the current edition of the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) - one of the best journals of its type, I think.  In this edition, there is an article titled "The Networked Nonprofit", written by two business academics, Jane Wei-Skillern and Sonia Marciano.  Here's the URL from the SSIR site http://www.ssireview.org/images/articles/2008SP_feature_wei-skillern_marciano.pdf

Just a couple of brief excerpts to give you a feel for its provocative message:

Most social issues dwarf even the most well-resourced, well-managed nonprofit.  And so it is wrongheaded for nonprofit leaders simply to build their organisations.  Instead, they must build capacity outside of their organisations.  This require them to focus on their mission, not their organisation, on trust, not control; and on being a node, not the hub...

GBDA (Guides Bogs for the Blind Association) likewise gives up control, funding and recognition to support competitor NGOs and local governments that are dedicated to the same mission. 

According to our research, nonprofits that pursue their missions through networks of long-term, trust-based relationships consistently achieve more mission impact with fewer resources than do monolithic organisations that try to do everything themselves.

So what gets in the way?  Well, the ingrained instincts and behaviour of nonprofit leaders, boards and donors to start with, reinforcing internally focused metrics which are all about input growth and selfish kudos-seeking.  Too much concern with "what we did" as opposed to "what did we do" for our customers or the social change we're trying to pull off. 

For the networked nonprofit, everything is up for grabs - strategy, relationships, business processes, the death of ego (organisationally that is) and fundamental redesign of accountability models and metrics (a particular hobby horse of mine - the bit we usually leave undone).

Hunt it down and read it.  We might adopt it as a founding text of the social innovation movement.  Big call?  Well, ignore the editorial from me and read it for yourself.  It's full of indispensable insights and practical hints - a timely glimpse into an inevitable future. 

Just a quick note to let you know that during the first 30 days, SIX had around 1500 visits from 68 countries and we have now more than 200 members. Thank you for all you support and we will keep  working to guarantee that SIX will become a fundamental tool to all social innovators.   

The Young Foundation has just started a major project to survey and assess the many methods being used for social innovation worldwide. Imaginative methods are being used from fields as diverse as design and technology to public policy, venture capital and appreciative inquiry.

We're going to publish a first overview in mid April and are then keen to draw as many insights from practitioners as possible, with a view to creating a living, online guide to methods later in the year.

If you would like more information, contact me at julie.caulier-grice@youngfoundation.org

Welcome to SIX!

SIX hopes to support social innovation by bringing together people, ideas and resources from around the world.

There are many existing networks of social innovators – both groups and individuals – spanning particular sectors or countries and regions, or both. SIX does not aim to compete with or supplant any of these initiatives.

Instead, SIX hopes to link them together in a global network of networks. It is neutral in its approach, geography and sector; it is a clearing house, a matching portal and an innovators’ resource bank.

SIX is intended to help accelerate the development of social innovation by sharing, spreading and disseminating good ideas, evidence of what works and what doesn’t.

To do this, SIX needs your help.

After creating your profile, you can start sharing case studies, articles, uploading organisations, discussing with our Specialists in Residence and other practitioners from around the world.

With your support, SIX will become an integral part of every social innovator’s toolkit.