A workshop-style presentation by Sam describing an innovation strategy sprint conducted for SOS Children’s Villages International. Sam explains a methodology for testing and piloting projects to stop failing initiatives early, align projects with organizational strategy, map portfolios across countries, and assess project maturity and horizons to increase NGO efficiency and relevance.
Chapters
The main aim of this experience is to think out of the box. By using this methodology, you can see how you can stop projects that are not working before you spend too much money. And by testing and piloting, you going to save money and resources, which is really important for NGOs really. I've looked at different methodologies to use innovations, but besides, I think the bigger innovation and disruptive ways of working also come up with a methodology how you can select projects and how you really can work in a methodological way of aligning projects towards your overarching strategy. Which was very fascinating. I think NGOs overall, in all the history of NGOs, all the paths we already have been walked through, we already forget about our basics. And our basics is to try to solve in as easiest and efficient way our stakeholders needs. This is the big question, how do we NGOs continue being relevant? Precisely solving these needs and innovation is of course a pathway in order to achieve this kind of dialogue and solution. It was the first time for me to have to deal with value that goes beyond economics and like the market per se. It was a great workshop. It was very different from many other workshops that I had. One, for example, map the business model for organizations. You have different values being exchanged, like investments, money, reputation, exposure. And here when we saw people putting love or care as a value being transferred from organization to children to beneficiaries. And it was also very useful because together with the teams from I think seven countries, we mapped all their initiatives and did some portfolio mapping exercise and we tried to see the levels of maturity of projects and the horizon, so how complex they are, how much they're contributing to the organization's future. And I think all the teams went home with some key action points in order to restructure, adjust their portfolio and increase their efficiency. And also I think we sort of raised critical questions on the bigger picture of the organization and its future. Okay, thank you, Sam.
