![Sample our Area Studies journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5922/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Area-Studies.jpg"})
Abstract
This paper explores the notion of ‘innovation spaces’ within the UN system, as physical and virtual laboratories for innovation. Using empirical research in a range of innovation labs the authors explore four key questions: what form UN innovation labs have taken, what has motivated their creation, what their aims and objectives are, and what impact they are having. The answers to these questions promote reflection on the future of innovation spaces, particularly an analysis of whether a model of ‘siloed’ innovation spaces will survive in the humanitarian system. The paper demonstrates the important role that innovation labs play in the UN system, as well as grappling with the challenges they face.
Notes
1. Daws and Weiss, “World Politics.”
2. Keohane, “The Demand for International Regimes”; Keohane, “After Hegemony”; and Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics.
3. Hawkins et al., “Delegation under Anarchy.”
4. Loescher, “The UNHCR and World Politics.”
5. Weber and Biersteker, State Sovereignty as Social Construct.
6. Weiss, Humanitarian Business; and Gottwald, The Humanitarian Marketplace.
7. The mapping and analysis in this article are not intended to present a comprehensive view of all the innovation activity in the UN system, but rather a taste of some of the activity that we captured under the rubric of innovation spaces. The analysis of the labs mapped in this paper reveals some of the nuances of diversity in physical forms and the types of collaboration that the spaces facilitate.
8. This work represents findings from research conducted in 2014–15, but labs and innovation spaces are inherently fast-changing and flexible, so it is possible that the aims, activities etc of the spaces may have changed since the time of writing.
9. White, “Turning Ideas into Action”; Ramalingam et al., “Innovations in International Humanitarian Action”; Betts and Bloom, Humanitarian Innovation; and Tidd and Bessant, Managing Innovation.
10. Betts and Bloom, The Two Worlds of Humanitarian Innovation.
11. Betts et al., Refugee Innovation; and Betts and Bloom, Humanitarian Innovation.
12. UNICEF, Principles for Innovation and Technology
13. Conte, “Humanitarian Innovation and the United Nations.”
14. Berkhout and Tiesinga, Labcraft.
15. Campo, “Humanitarian Innovation and the United Nations.”
16. Berkhout and Tiesinga Labcraft, 37.
17. Magadley and Birdi, “Innovation Labs”; and Lewis and Moultrie, “The Organisational Innovation Laboratory.”
18. Moultrie et al., “Innovation Spaces.”
19. Lewis and Moultrie, “The Organisational Innovation Laboratory.”
20. Bergvall-Kåreborn et al., “A Milieu for Innovation,” 6–9.
21. Carstensen and Bason, “Powering Collaborative Policy Innovation.”
22. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
23. Deputy Director UNICEF Kosovo, personal communication.
24. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
25. Weiss, What’s Wrong with the United Nations, 9.
26. iHub Malagasy is a partnership between UNICEF Madagascar and a local independent lab. The UNICEF Lab in Chile is also in collaboration with Socialab, an innovative NGO that aims to reduce poverty and social inequality.
27. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
28. At the time of writing the UNICEF web page shows South Sudan’s Innovation Lab activities as on hold because of conflict.
29. UNICEF, UNICEF Innovation Labs.
30. Co-Lead UNICEF Burundi Innovation Lab, Personal communication.
31. Carstensen and Bason, “Powering Collaborative Policy Innovation,” 4.
32. UNHCR, “UNHCR Standing Committee.”
33. Berkhout and Tiesinga Labcraft, 46.
34. Allio, Design Thinking.
35. UNHCR Innovation, Annual Report 2013.
36. Deputy Director, UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, personal communication.
37. Bosley, “UNHCR Ideas,” 15–16.
38. Bloom, “UNHCR Ideas.”
39. Co-Lead UNICEF Burundi Innovation Lab, personal communiction.
40. Head of the 'By Youth For Youth' Pillar UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo, personal communication.
41. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
42. Ibid.
43. Allio, Design Thinking.
44. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
45. Ibid.
46. Ferreira and Armagan, “Using Social Networks Theory.”
47. Campaigns Lead UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo, personal communication.
48. Deputy Director, UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, personal communication.
49. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
50. Co-Lead UNICEF Burundi Innovation Lab, personal communication.
51. Ibid.
52. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
53. Bergvall-Kåreborn et al., “A Milieu for Innovation,” 6–9.
54. Aleinikoff, “Innovation – What, Why and How”; and UNICEF Copenhagen Lab, personal communication.
55. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
56. Betts and Bloom, The Two Worlds of Humanitarian Innovation.
57. Brown and Donini, Rhetoric or Reality?
58. Magadley and Birdi, “Innovation Labs.”
59. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
60. Berkhout and Tiesinga, Labcraft.
61. Co-Lead UNHCR Innovation, personal communication.
62. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.
63. Ibid.
64. Anderson et al., Time to Listen.
65. Campo, “Humanitarian Innovation and the United Nations”; and Lake, “Executive Board Meeting Report.”
66. UNICEF Innovation Lab Kosovo Lead, personal communication.