Thank you for this timely, actionable piece. The potential for OSI in its many forms to democratize problem-solving resonates, as does its ability to begin rebuilding trust across people and public institutions. Given the levels of (dis)trust in the U.S., embedding OSI capabilities into local intermediaries to facilitate ongoing innovation toward enduring practice and policy changes is an especially promising use case I see. A trusted local intermediary having strategic data capabilities and relationships at the local governmental, philanthropic, and community levels can translate short-term contests, actions, and wins into sustained pursuit of longer-term outcome goals, all while avoiding the most deleterious impacts of hyper-polarization.
Promising models exist. For example, as you highlight key features of successful OSI processes—amplifying innovation from too often-excluded communities, strengthening social capital, and designing for scale – a Dallas (Texas)-based nonprofit I work with, the Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL), comes to mind. CPAL has established a unique regional “action-oriented think tank” model that brings data it’s analyzed and stakeholders spanning governmental agencies, nonprofits, and neighborhoods into human-centered design processes to translate problems into projects. It then manages the projects to achieve tangible milestones, surface new barriers, and improve practices and policies over time.
One such project sparked by CPAL analysis finding nearly $50 million in unclaimed public WIC program nutritional benefits resulted in the development, with IDEO and community stakeholders, of a user journey and the activation of a new playbook of prototype solutions (e.g., better grocery store signage, more welcoming clinic spaces) that helped reverse years of declining participation. The innovations advanced, productive collaborations forged, and steady progress of tangible wins achieved have created the conditions for broader systems changes that benefit families, including improvements to make WIC remotely accessible during the pandemic.
OSI embedded into local intermediaries intentionally bridging communities and governments has transformative potential.
COMMENTS
BY Kyle Gardner
ON August 23, 2021 01:29 PM
Thank you for this timely, actionable piece. The potential for OSI in its many forms to democratize problem-solving resonates, as does its ability to begin rebuilding trust across people and public institutions. Given the levels of (dis)trust in the U.S., embedding OSI capabilities into local intermediaries to facilitate ongoing innovation toward enduring practice and policy changes is an especially promising use case I see. A trusted local intermediary having strategic data capabilities and relationships at the local governmental, philanthropic, and community levels can translate short-term contests, actions, and wins into sustained pursuit of longer-term outcome goals, all while avoiding the most deleterious impacts of hyper-polarization.
Promising models exist. For example, as you highlight key features of successful OSI processes—amplifying innovation from too often-excluded communities, strengthening social capital, and designing for scale – a Dallas (Texas)-based nonprofit I work with, the Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL), comes to mind. CPAL has established a unique regional “action-oriented think tank” model that brings data it’s analyzed and stakeholders spanning governmental agencies, nonprofits, and neighborhoods into human-centered design processes to translate problems into projects. It then manages the projects to achieve tangible milestones, surface new barriers, and improve practices and policies over time.
One such project sparked by CPAL analysis finding nearly $50 million in unclaimed public WIC program nutritional benefits resulted in the development, with IDEO and community stakeholders, of a user journey and the activation of a new playbook of prototype solutions (e.g., better grocery store signage, more welcoming clinic spaces) that helped reverse years of declining participation. The innovations advanced, productive collaborations forged, and steady progress of tangible wins achieved have created the conditions for broader systems changes that benefit families, including improvements to make WIC remotely accessible during the pandemic.
OSI embedded into local intermediaries intentionally bridging communities and governments has transformative potential.