Good For: Compare different possible approaches

The guide offers practical guidance to local government officials on how to build a culture and practice of innovation and give local leaders an action-oriented framework for breakthrough innovation. It lays out nine “Imperatives” towards this end, with concrete action steps for each to help cities get started, along with illustrative case studies.

Features: Guiding framework

This document gives you the information you need to create your own lab. This could be a UNICEF lab—or could simply be a space of creativity that is aimed at solving significant global problems through the application of dedicated local resources. It provides background on labs, defining a lab's purpose, budget and scoping, and examples of different lab models (outreach/training, product development, service development, operational research, and content broadcasting). It also includes…

Features: Guiding framework, Techniques

This resource describes a comprehensive method for the BC Public Service (BCPS) to design services for British Columbians, although it is also applicable to other governments. The Playbook is intended to help ensure public service designers have the necessary tools and corporate support to make change. It includes an overview of service design, a discussion of when and how to use it, as well as detailed guidance and tools for the various methods used in service design. The methods are organised…

Features: Guiding framework, Tactics, Techniques

Toolkit developed by the Australian central government, this resource offers 28 pieces of guidance, methods, or techniques for different stages of an organisational innovation lifecycle. The resource includes an Innovation Diagnostic to get a snapshot on which phase of the innovation cycle an agency might need to focus on.

Features: Glossary, Guiding framework, Interactive diagnostic

Grounded Change is an approach and social innovation methodology used by the company InWithForward. It means flipping the order in which most social policies & services are made. Rather than start at the top, in boardrooms, they start at the bottom, with user needs. They have named 7 kinds of interactions that they believe are the most important to weave into policy, procurement, service delivery, and community activities. This resource contains the context, reasons, and mechanisms of Grounded…

Features: Examples or Cases, Techniques

The Policy Methods Toolbox is a repository of policy development methods that helps policy practitioners identify and select the right approach for their policy initiative. It is organised into four themes: Start Right: a light touch approach to making the best start in policy projects. Behavioural insights: the study of human behaviour, often drawing upon the empirical research in fields including economics, psychology and sociology. Design thinking: also known as human-centred design,…

Features: Examples or Cases, Techniques

A Role-Playing and Ideation Game That Simulates The Process Of Launching A Social Enterprise. The game walks players through a series of activities in order to simulate the process of ideating and launching a social enterprise in four steps: Learn, Invent, Program, and Report. It is available via a pay-what-you-want digital download, and includes instructions for gameplay, a glossary of 200+ business models, and a suite of other resources.

Features: Interactive diagnostic

The Scenario Exploration System (SES) is a serious game for future simulation (2035 and 2050). It involves participants exploring their long-term objectives in contrasting scenario-related contexts while interacting with other stakeholders. By creating a realistic journey towards the future, the SES generates a safe space to simulate possible responses connected to any issue of interest to the participants. There are two editions: "Sustainable Transitions" and "Food Safety and Nutrition…

Features: Interactive diagnostic, Video guidance

A collection of design patterns, or ‘gambits’, for influencing user behaviour through design. It’s applicable across product, service, interaction and architectural design, aimed particularly at socially and environmentally beneficial behaviour change. The patterns are drawn from a range of disciplines, and are phrased as questions or provocations to enable the toolkit’s use as both a brainstorming tool and a guide for exploring the field of design for behaviour change. It includes…

Features: Guiding framework, Interactive diagnostic, Techniques, Tips&Tricks

A hands-on resource that provides practical advice, guidance, and an 8-phase process from concept development to implementation for building an open government program, with each step referencing principles, lessons learned, case studies, and a checklist for determining whether you are at the right phase. This resource complements Open Government Partnership Action Plans and and was developed as part of a year-long project with the Mexican government.

Features: Examples or Cases, Glossary, Guiding framework, Tips&Tricks