Innovation – innovative aid in a rapidly changing world
In an unpredictable and rapidly changing world, it is important that we are not only adaptable but also that we can shape the world for the better. Innovation is fundamentally important to achieving greater results from aid, both in order to respond and adapt to changes and to help shape changes.
What
“New, useful, utilised”. Innovation is about doing something new or doing something in a new way, something that is useful in achieving greater impact from aid and that can be realised. Innovation is more than smart new ideas and digital applications. The practical use of the term innovation often refers to a process: The process of turning new ideas into practices that benefit society: for Norad, this means moving towards a greener world free from poverty.
In order to achieve innovation, we must allow solutions to differ from what we originally envisioned. We start from a need/problem/challenge and use the innovation process to develop solutions and deliver results – i.e. we turn target and performance management upside down a little. We do not start with the solution and plan the different steps it will take to get there, we start with the problems and allow the solutions to develop along the way.
There are different types of innovation:
- Product – changes to products/services
- Process – changes to how products and services are produced and distributed
- Position – changes to the context in which products and services are distributed
- Paradigm – changes to the underlying understanding of what something is/how something is done
There are also different degrees of innovation, from minor changes to serious radical innovation.
Why
The world is experiencing rapid and unpredictable change and established plans, structures and working methods are constantly challenged. The map needs to be frequently updated to ensure that it matches the terrain. Aid must be innovative to ensure that we achieve the development goals we have set even under changed circumstances. In addition to being adaptable, we need to be able to positively influence the world so that we can achieve the development goals we have set. Innovation is also important in driving positive change that helps contribute to achieving the development goals we have set.
How
One of the five development priorities in Norad’s strategy towards 2030 is to be innovative in developing aid. All of Norad’s portfolios and thematic focus areas will contribute to innovation in aid. This includes internal working methods and cooperation with Norad’s partners and aid recipients.
Norad is rethinking how we can reach recipients and we are working more systematically to develop underlying data for aid, while monitoring and understanding new development traits on the part of our partners. Important parts of our knowledge platform will be produced by partners and knowledge environments in developing countries.
Who/Where
The Global Digital Library (GDL) is a digital platform that provides access to openly licensed textbooks and educational games to read in languages relevant to children and young people in developing countries. Books are available in digital and print-friendly formats. GDL collects learning resources from selected stakeholders and verifies quality in accordance with quality assurance standards. This ensures that learning resources become open and available even to the most marginalised groups. Partner countries and partners have a lower risk as they are not bound to suppliers and it also prevents certain suppliers from establishing a monopoly. The project cooperates well with partners within the field of education.
Strategic partnerships in business is an example of a scheme that provides incentives for civil society and business to collaborate on solving development challenges, usually linked to bottlenecks in a specific value chain.
The scheme itself was an innovation developed by Norad in how it brought two types of partners together, while being sufficiently flexible to allow for innovation on the part of the partners.
Links
- Digitalisation
- The Digital Public Goods Alliance Digital Public Goods Alliance - Digital Public Goods Alliance
- UNICEF Office of Innovation: Office of Innovation | UNICEF Office of Innovation
- UNDP Chief Digital Office: ABOUT US | United Nations Development Programme (undp.org)
- OECD DAC Innovation for Development Impact: Innovation for Development Impact: Lessons from the OECD Development Assistance Committee | en | OECD
- International Development Innovation Alliance: 8 Principles of Innovation (squarespace.com)
Contact
For further information, please contact the Section for Partnerships