Innovation opportunities workshop
What it does.
This innovation opportunities workshop allows you to:
- build a community among people who don’t know each other but have a common role/interest related to innovation;
- identify main expectations and challenges on a specific subject related to innovation;
- identify next steps for the team in charge of the project to promote innovation.
Value proposition for the government/other partner.
By having an innovation opportunities workshop, you will enable the national and local government, academia and private sector to 1) articulate actors who don’t know each other or might not be working together yet; 2) brainstorm and prioritize their main aspirations, opportunities and obstacles.
Why and when to use it.
This tool is most useful for the initial stages of community building when actors don’t know each other and/or when you need to understand whether actors within an ecosystem are agreeing or disagreeing on the main priorities and obstacles to development.
Known issues and troubleshooting.
The tool works for in-person meetings in rooms with enough space to move around but does not work well with hybrid groups. Location with enough space to move around and set a table for each group might be needed.
Context.
Some parts of this tool were developed during the RBLAC Accelerator Labs retreat, particularly the icebreaker section, and the Innovation Week organized by the National Council on Science and Technology, where the Lab conducted a workshop to bring together the innovation ecosystem. Later, it was used and perfected with the coffee producers’ ecosystem in two separate moments (in Lima and outside of Lima) and with local authorities participating in the ‘Innova tu Mercado’ project designed and implemented by UNDP Peru.
Cost to implement.
To implement the tool, you will need a budget around USD 150 to buy the materials needed for the workshop such as post-its, sharpies, flipcharts, etc. Additionally, if the activities required to prepare and execute the workshop can’t be carried out by the Lab’s members, then you will need an extra budget between USD 800 and UD 1500 to hire a consultant.
Time
To implement this tool, you will need around three weeks. Consider at least two weeks for planning and to send out the call for participants. The workshop can be put together in a day or two in advance if actors have been convened for at least 3 hours for an in-person meeting. Systematizing results takes an additional day.
People.
To carry out the innovation opportunities workshop you will need three people:
- one person to plan, prepare and lead the dynamics at the workshop;
- one person to set up the materials for the workshop and helps around the tables during the sessions;
- one person to advocate and coordinate with partners the call of participants.
Focal point.
Country, year, and language.
Peru, 2023, Spanish.
Resources.
- Report (Spanish) - Identificación de oportunidades de innovación: Cafés del Perú
- Report (Spanish) - Identificación de oportunidades de innovación: Mercados innova
- Report (Spanish) - Identificación de oportunidades y próximos pasos en el ecosistema local de cuidados