People's lives as sources of innovation

People’slivesassourcesofinnovation:thestoryoftheSocialInnovationLabforKent(SILK)PeterGilroy,ChiefExecutive,KCCSophiaParker,Founder,SILKWhysetupaSocialInnovationLab?KCChasawell‐earnedreputationforincubatinganddevelopingradicalinnovationsinpolicyandpractice.Westrivetobeanorganisationthatsupportsinnovation–butmorethanthat,anorganisationthatdemandsinnovationfromallofitsstaff.Weconstantlyseektolearnfromotherplacesabouthowwecanvalueinnovationandbuilditintothefabricofourorganisation.Weknowthatprovidingspaceforexperimentation,andtakingapro‐innovationapproachtoriskisessential.Wetrytotreatinitiativesandpilotsfromcentralgovernmentasopportunitiestodevelopnewthinkinganddemonstratenewformsofvalue.Indeed,foralongtimenowwehaveplayedaleadingroleinhelpingWhitehallshapeitsownthinking.Forexample,wewerethefirstcounciltosetupourownPublicServiceBoardasawayofbringingtogetherpublicservicesacrosslocalorganisations,inordertoimproveoutcomesforthepeopleofKent.Butsupportinginnovationhasrequiredmorethanobtainingfreedomsandflexibilitiesfromcentralgovernment,usefulthoughthatcanbe.Weseektocreateandcommunicateanexplicitmandateforall42,000ofourstafftoinnovate.Forexample,weproducedpledgecardsforstafftocarryaroundspellingouttheirroleasinnovators.WesponsoredtheKent‘YearofInnovation’in2007‐8.Thiswasacelebrationofoursuccesses,andfeaturedarangeofactivitiesandeventsthathappenedacrossthecountytospreadgoodideasandreinforcethepermissionwewanttogivepeopletofollowtheirgoodideasanddevelopnewpractice.Visiblycommittingfinancialandhumanresources–makinginnovationsomeone’sjob–isasimportantasworkinghardtomakeiteveryone’sjob.In2006,werestructuredtocreatetheStrategicDevelopmentUnit,whichwasexplicitlychargedwithformulating,capturinganddevelopinginnovations.WealsohavetheChangeThroughInnovationteam,whosetaskistoscanthehorizonforemergingtechnologiesandrunprototypingprojectstoexplorehowKCCmightmakethemostofthese.Sincethebeginningto2007,wehavestartedtopaymoreattentiontoanareaofgrowinginterestinthecommercialaswellasthepublicsector.Increasinglyusers–people,customers,citizens–arebeingrecognisedascrucialsourcesofinnovationthatoftengoun‐noticedandunder‐used,particularlyinthepublicsector.Tounderlinejusthowrichasourceofinnovationwemightbemissing,anAmericanacademicfoundthat85%ofinnovationscomefromthefrontline–thosepeopleusinganynumberofthecountlessservicesweprovide.Totrytounlockthistremendousresourceofuserinsightandenergy,webeganinearly2007toincubateourownSocialInnovationLabforKent,orSILK.OurambitionwastocreateaLabthatdidtwothings.First,itwouldrunprojectsaroundsomeofourmostintractablesocialproblems,usinga‘person‐centred’approachandinvolvingourcitizensintheinnovationprocess.Second,itwouldbuildthewholeorganisation’scapacitytostartwithpeople,ratherthanexistingservices.Thisiseasytosay,butthe

journeytoseeingservicesasusersdo,togettingoutofinstitutionalmindsets,isalongandhardone.TheremainderofthisessaytellsthestorysofarofSILK.HowwestartedWeknewthatweneededtounderstandhowtomakeaperson‐centredapproachworkspecificallyinthecontextoflocalgovernment.ThereforewecreatedaSILKprototypethattestedourthinkinginpracticethroughtwo‘demonstration’projects.ThefirstofthesefocusedonfamiliesatriskinKent,andthesecondonhowpeopleaccessinformationaboutsocialcare,andtheroleofouronlinedirectoryofprovidersinthis.Weusedtheseprojectstotestourhunchesaboutwhatapproachesandtechniquesmightwork:fromamuchdeeperphaseofinsightgathering–usingmethodsfromtheworldsofdesign,businessandethnography,toamorestructuredapproachtoideasgeneration,tocreatingmuchmorediverseteamsfortheprojects,bringinginarangeofperspectives,welearntatremendousamountfromthesepracticalprototypesofournewapproach.It’seasytorunagreatprojectonce;itisfarhardertodoitagain.Ourprototypingphasethereforeinvestedsometimeandmoneyincapturingwhatwelearntfromtheseprojects–oftenthroughgettingthingswrongaswellasgettingthingswentright.WorkingwithEngine,ourdesignpartners,wecreatedapersoncentredprojectplanningtool.Thisisn’tarigidmethodology,butitdoeshelpstafftoplantheirprojects,bytakingthemthroughthephases,andofferingthemawiderangeoftoolsandmethodstheycouldusetogatherinsights,engagewithpeople,andgeneratenewideas.Wethinkthisisuniqueinlocalgovernment.Aswellastheprojects,theprototypingphasetestedoutwaysofgettingwiderconversationsgoingaroundthecouncilabouttheimportanceandthepotentialofuser‐driveninnovation.Forexample,wewerethefirstcounciltohostThePublicOffice1‐atwodayinstallationthatusedvideoethnographyandfacilitatedconversation–tobringover100ofourseniormanagerstogethertoreflectontheissues.OutcomessofarInevitably,theimpactofourearlyprojectswilltaketimetofilterthrough.ButtheworkwithfamilieshasshapedboththestrategicplanofourChildren,FamiliesandEducationDirectorate,andourdeterminationtofocusontheeliminationofpovertyandthedevelopmentofresilience.Anumberoffollow‐upprojectshaveresultedfromthisearlywork.ThemostdevelopedoftheseisworkingwithoneofourChildren’sCentresinEastKenttoredesigntheirservicesforfathers.Anotherisexploringhownewtechnologiesmightreduceisolationandloneliness,incollaborationwiththeDigitalInclusionTeamatCLG.Similarly,theworkonhowpeopleaccessinformationaboutsocialcarehashadacatalyticforce.TheoutcomesofthatprojectarenowpartofthegroundworkforamuchbiggerinitiativetodevelopanonlineresourcetohelppeopleplantheircareinaneraofPersonalBudgetsandSelf‐DirectedSupport.Wearedoingthisimportantworkin

1 http://www.thepublicoffice.org.uk/

collaborationwiththeSouthEastRegionalImprovementandEfficiencyPartnership,theYoungFoundationandNesta.ButSILKwasneverintendedtobejustaninternalconsultancy.Itsroleineffectingculturechange,inhelpingourstafftogenuinelystartwithpeopleandtheirlives,isasimportantasitsprojectwork.Thestaffthatmadeuptheteamwhoworkedonthefamiliesprojectremindedallofushowinstitutionalbarrierscanstandinthewayof‘seeingandhearing’ourcitizens.Forexample,theteamimaginedthatmanyofthesefamilies’liveswouldeffectivelyrevolvearoundthepublicservicestheyaccessed.Therewasnorealinsightbeforetheprojectintotheimportanceoffamilyandfriendshipnetworks,thedesiretoavoidmanypublicservices,andtheimpactofaverypoorphysicalenvironmentonaccessingthoseservices.Itquicklybecameapparentthatthepublicserviceassumptionsaboutempowerment,independenceandpersonalisationwouldneedtobere‐thought.Asthisimplies,welearntduringtheSILKprototypingperiodthatgeneratinginnovationsfromgainingadeeperunderstandingofpeople’slivesisnoteasywork,particularlyforgovernment.Unlikethebestcommercialorganisations,governmentdoesnothaveastrongskills‐baseinwaysofgatheringcustomerinsight.Itisoftenoverlyreliantonsurvey‐baseddataandfeedbackfromonlythosesectionsofthecommunitywhoarethemostarticulate.Thiscanbesimultaneouslysuperficialandmisleading.Findingwaysofcomplementingthismassinformationapproachwithonebasedoninsightanddeeperunderstandingisessential,butittakeshardworkandcommitment.Inthislight,itishardlyasurprisethatwebelievethatSILK’srealpotentialwillonlyreallybedeliveredwhenthisperson‐centredapproachpartofthemainstream‘wayofdoingthings’.WorkisnowunderwaytoembedSILK’smethodologyinthetoolkitweareproducingforourComprehensiveEngagementStrategy.WearealsobuildingontheearlyconnectionsmadebetweenSILKandsomeofourstaffdevelopmentprogrammes,suchastheTalentManagementProgrammeandourGraduateProgramme.SILKapproachesneedtobecomepartofthecore‘curriculum’forstaffandforthemanagementdevelopmentcourseswerun.ThefutureThefutureofSILKmustrestincombiningitsabilitytopulltogethermulti‐disciplinaryteamstorunfocusedprojectsonkeysocialissues,withaprogrammeofbuildingcapacitywithinKCCandourpartners,sothatSILKapproachesbecomeawayofdoingthedayjob.AcommentfromoneofthefamilyprojectteammembersisareminderofhowSILKchallengescurrentworkingcultures:‘wethinkweworkonthegroundherebutthisworkremindsmethatwedon’talwaysknowwhat’sreallygoingon…’.Oranother:‘weneedtoembedtheseprinciplesintoeveryareaofourwork’.Welearntduringthepilotthatwithoutsomeserioussponsorshipfromthetopoftheorganisation,itisveryhardtogainthepurchasenecessarytoworkinnewways.ItisonlywithseniormanagementsponsorshipthattheoutcomesofSILK’sprojectscantrulyactasspringboardsforgreaterinnovation.Aswellaspositiveseniorsponsorship,oneofthemostexcitingaspectsofSILK’sdevelopmentwastheopportunityitpresenteduswithtomeetnewpeoplefrombeyondtheworldoflocalgovernment.Traditionally,localgovernmentcanbequiteinsularandpoorlynetworked.ThroughSILK,however,wearemakingconnectionswithsocial

innovatorsacrosstheUKandindeedinternationally.Wearekeentocontinuethisdialogueasthereistremendousrichnessinlearningfromothers.It’sstillearlydaysforSILK,butfrom2009onwards,itwillmoveintoamoremainstreamphase,withasmallcoreteam,andabudgetthatenablesustoengagewithawiderangeofinnovationanduserinsightexpertsfrombeyondlocalgovernment.Wethinkit’sanimportantprinciplethatSILKcontinuestoattractfundingfromothersourcestoo–inparticular,webelievethatteamsorserviceswishingtorunSILKprojectsinvestasasignoftheircommitmenttoengageandlearnfromtheprocess.TheotherquestionwearestillworkingonisSILK’srelationshiptomoreformalgovernance.Asaprototype,itwashelpfulto‘shield’SILKfromtoomuchscrutinyandperformancemeasurement.However,asitbecomesamainstreampartofthecouncil,wewillneedtoaddressthequestionofhowitrelatestoourday‐to‐daybusinessprocesses–financialplanning,partnershipworking,prioritysetting–moreexplicitly.It’snotbeenacompletelysmoothpath,butSILKinmanywaysbearstestamenttoKCC’swillingnesstograbeveryopportunityweperceivewithbothhands.WhenwestartedtoprototypeSILK,weknewthattherewouldbeanever‐greateremphasisoncustomerfocusanduserengagementinthesecondroundofLocalAreaAgreementsandthenewperformanceframework.WewatchedwithinterestasservicedesignandinnovationprocessesshotupWhitehall’sagenda.Wehopethatwhatwe’velearntherewillhelpotherinnovationlabs–bothincouncilsandnationally–toavoidsomeofthe‘noblemistakes’wemade,aswellastotakeinspirationfromwhatwehaveachievedsofar.Oncefirmlyestablished,SILKwillhelpKCCanditspartnerstomeettheneedsofKent’sresidentsinnewways.Itwillhelpustoplanforthefuture,andtoprovidetheall‐important‘rocketfuel’forinnovation.Inaworldofever‐tighteningbudgets,risingexpectations,andnewchallenges,thisisnotaluxurybutanecessity.