From Design Thinking to Systems Change
Resource type
Authors/contributors
- Conway, Rowan (Author)
- Masters, Jeff (Author)
- Thorold, Jake (Author)
Title
From Design Thinking to Systems Change
Abstract
This report takes the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), a twophase
pre-procurement innovation programme that aims to match social
challenges with new ideas, as its primary case study. It suggests augmenting
the excellent design thinking deployed through SBRI with a think
like a system, act like an entrepreneur lens in order to drive better social
outcomes from SBRI-originating innovations. Programmes like SBRI have
great potential to drive change and address pressing challenges, but must
be guided by a more developed understanding of how change happens.
The stakes are too high to not raise our game when it comes to
social innovation. Wicked problems can be overcome but will require
sophisticated theories of change able to account for the complexity and
unpredictability of modern life. We offer think like a system, act like an
entrepreneur as a contribution to this effort.
This report is based on the following research:
•• Desk based review of relevant literature;
•• A series of structured interviews with participants in SBRI
competitions; and
•• An expert round table that brought together policymakers, commissioners,
procurement experts and entrepreneurs to consider
and develop initial findings.
Place
London
Institution
RSA
Date
2017.07
Pages
33
Language
en
Library Catalogue
Zotero
Citation
Conway, R., Masters, J., & Thorold, J. (2017). From Design Thinking to Systems Change (p. 33). RSA. https://www.thersa.org/blog/2017/07/from-design-thinking-to-system-change
Theme
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