Innovation for Change Network Governance Report

The platform aims to establish at least six innovation hubs around the world, focusing on new methods of designing and implementing programs, facilitating partnerships, and scaling existing solutions. Through a co-design process engaging all stakeholders in the ecosystem since 2015, Innovation for Change has established its six Regional Hubs, with local member organizations, and a seventh global "Helper Hub" serving as the Secretariat. The governance structure of Innovation for Change should be inclusive of multiple and participating stakeholders, support established Innovation for Change principles, and be open to the infusion of multiple streams of funding. The platform's main funders to date have been SIDA and USAID, which have been instrumental in the design and direction of Innovation for Change. Governance must include openness, transparency, and humility, as emphasized by interview participants. The consulting team, comprising Stephanie Clohesy and Francesca Pick, conducted research on emerging governance models for distributed systems and participatory social and innovation movements. They drew inspiration from various concepts and models, including the Hub Found Its Center case study by Michel Bachmann, The Future of Civic Technology by Hollie Russon Gilman, and Connecting to Change the World by Peter Plastrik, Madeleine Taylor, and John Cleveland. These sources highlighted the importance of informal governance, enabling and facilitating rather than controlling, and the need for network governance to be adaptable and responsive to changing circumstances. The consultants also reviewed the Innovation for Change co-design process, which involved six meetings with funders and founding sponsors to create a basic design for the regional hubs and agree on principles guiding further development. The co-design process emphasized the importance of sustainability, including financial, leadership, and dedication, as well as a continuing sense of importance. Interviews with 18 Innovation for Change leaders, selected and arranged by the Helper Hub, provided input into the consultants' creation of options for governance consideration. The interviews highlighted the need for a shared sense of effectiveness without rigid standards, and for governance to support innovation as a process that requires both core concepts and unique regional and local solutions. The interview participants were unanimous in their understanding of the network as an effort needing some unity and coordination but not central control. The consulting team's research and interviews informed the development of proposed governance models for Innovation for Change, which were refined in response to the May 2017 network meeting in Johannesburg. The proposed models aim to balance the need for unity and coordination with the importance of autonomy and adaptability, and to support innovation as a process that requires both core concepts and unique regional and local solutions. The proposed governance models include the integration of values and principles into governance practice and responsibilities, key assumptions and scope for governance, and governance for innovation practices. The models also emphasize the importance of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, and provide a framework for decision-making and conflict resolution. The proposed models were refined in response to the May 2017 network meeting and are intended to support the continued growth and development of Innovation for Change.