The Innovating in Development learning event in February 2017, hosted by Ideas to Impact, brought together innovators, funders and implementers of development and humanitarian innovation to take stock of innovation in development efforts and exchange operational experience to enhance its pace. The workshop themes, identified through consultation with participants, addressed the following challenges:
- Scaling: What approaches are required for scaling, replicating and diffusing innovations in developing countries?
- Innovation ecosystems: What is needed to move social innovations, goods and services through the innovation process into adoption and use by poor people and communities?
- Risks: How can we work positively with risks inherent in innovation in development, including risks of unintended consequences that reduce social benefit for the poorest?
This Ideas to Impact Challenge Brief summarises emerging insights on the topic of innovating in development. It brings together operational experience used to inform discussions at the Learning Event and takes stock of where innovation efforts are today. It goes on the discuss some of the broad issues and insights around scaling, replication and diffusion and the inter-related topics of innovation ecosystems and risk. It also provides a useful guide to some of the key concepts and definitions in use.