Social innovation lab processes have a clear process design and expert facilitation. Expert facilitation of a clearly structured process provides participants with a clear sense of the process, ensures all voices are heard and direction and momentum are maintained. They typically have the following core elements, being:

Co-creative Diverse participants work together as a team of equals, acknowledging the limits of any one perspective and neutralising power dynamics. The participation and collaboration of diverse stakeholders, as opposed to their consultation by and for teams of experts or technocrats, is the basis of a social innovation lab. The greater the diversity, the greater the potential for innovation.

Experimental As it is impossible to be sure how things will play out in a complex system, we need to experiment. The team takes an iterative approach to the challenges it is addressing, prototyping interventions and managing a portfolio of promising solutions.

Sense-making Participants come together to understand the system as a whole, what’s happening and why. Letting go of preconceived ideas creates an openness to novel responses.

Systemic This means developing solutions or interventions that go beyond dealing only with a part of the whole, or symptoms, and address the root cause of why things are not working.

The ZCB innovation lab will support organisations to take the necessary steps to develop the systems required to face the climate emergency. Please contact us to discuss your needs or to find out more.