The document discusses three different strategies for social innovators: developing fields, innovations, and places. Developing fields involves building practitioner networks and standards within a defined practice area. Developing innovations focuses on creating and scaling new solutions. Developing places aims to build a community's capacity for continuous innovation by importing and integrating multiple innovations. Each strategy requires different skills, partners, investments, and time horizons to achieve different goals of advancing a field, portfolio of solutions, or local innovation capacity.

1. Fields, Innovations and Places: Three Different Strategies for Social Innovators Pete Plastrik and John Cleveland Innovation Network for Communities January 23, 2009

5. Innovation Portfolio

7. Synergy Between the Domains Accelerates Change Structured Field A Family of Proven Innovations Deep Practice Environments

8. Field Building

11. Some Elements of A “Field” Element Description Identity Definition of the “boundaries” of the field and the content it encompasses. Frameworks Intellectual structures for organizing field content and knowledge, including core field hypotheses. Practice Innovations New ways of doing things that emanate from the field hypotheses. These might be practices; processes; technologies; enterprises; or systems. Standards Professional standards of practice that can be encompassed in Best Management Practices; credentials; certifications; etc. Reward Systems Ways in which practice innovations are incentivized through public or private market mechanisms. Networks Connecting, aligning and productung networks of players within the field. R&D Investments in field innovations.

12. The Evolution of Practice Fields Stage 1: FRAMING. Stage 2: NETWORKING. Stage 3: MATURATION. Stage 4: STANDARDIZATION. Conceptual framing and isolated practice examples. Networking of innovators and the proliferation of practices. Practices are fragmented and often considered “proprietary.” Maturation of practices; convergence around common methods and tools; integration of previously differentiated practices; development of a professional implementation support network. Practices become highly standardized, and incorporated into formal training; credentialing and certification systems. Practices are considered “commodities.” Reward systems reinforce desired behaviors.

13. Characteristics of “Young” & “Mature” Fields Element Young Fields Mature Fields Identity Confused/multiple identities Well defined boundaries; easy to know what is “in” and “out” Frameworks Lack of integration between multiple frameworks Strongly shared frameworks (theoretical premises; principles; ways to organize knowledge) Practice Innovations Competing “gurus” each of whom consider their ideas and business models to be “proprietary” Standardization of methods, tools, enterprises, etc. for implementation Standards Lack of standards in all areas Well-defined professional standards for defining competence & quality (regulatory; skill certification; testing of innovations) Reward Systems No real feedback mechanisms from the market Market feedback matches best practice thinking Networks Isolated individual practitioners Well developed networks for sharing knowledge and best practice R&D Investment happens on a haphazard basis Well organized R&D infrastructure to support innovation

17. Innovation Development

21. The Innovation Management Process 1. Concept 3. Launch 4. Scaling Up An defined innovation hypothesis and concept , with an analysis of the innovation opportunity and a written description of the idea, including its primary features and benefits. A refined design for the innovation, including strategic, customer, market, technical, and financial analyses, and a working prototype of the product or service, with performance characteristics verified by users. Finished products or services , with established pricing/costing; a marketing plan; distribution systems; and necessary support services. Development of a detailed business plan for the innovation and introduction of the innovation into mainstream markets. Spread of the innovation to multiple locations and/or applications through franchising, wholesale distribution, expansion, intermediaries or other methods of growth. 2. Design & Prototyping

25. Investing In Places (“Community Development Philanthropy”)

28. Infrastructure Varies By Sector SECTOR Community Leadership Social Entrepreneurs Social Innovation Investing Innovation Management Systems Education Workforce Development Health Economic Development Development Finance Civic Engagement Etc.

31. Summary