Shifting the paradigm:A critical review of social innovation literature

In this review of ten years of social innovation research(2012e2022),we define and explore three paradigms in the field:instrumentalist,strong,and democratic.We investigate how language usage and geography play a central role in identifying which paradigms recently published scholarship falls into.While we do not insist that sharp divisions exist between each paradigm,we do find that on the“instrumentalist”side,language tends to abstract or neutralize power relations.Further,these perspectives tend to derive from Western or Eurocentric orientations or biases.The“strong”paradigm accepts the necessity of institutional and stakeholder engagement and seeks to engage socially excluded populations.In contrast,geographical diversity,attendance to historicized and systemic inequalities,and elevation of the most marginalized communities are more likely to be centered in the“democratic”paradigm.We apply this discussion to recent research in arts-related social innovation and the related field of social entrepreneurship.

Learning from socially driven frugal innovation to design the future of healthcare:A case of mobile Primary Health Center

Background and Aim:Despite their flaws,the low-cost but powerful economical solutions can ensure everyone has access to health.The main aim of this study is to extract characteristics of frugal innovation(FI)and social innovation(SI)for Primary Health Centers(PHCs)in low resource settings(LRS)for sustainable development.We will use the gained insights to design the mobile primary healthcare infrastructure using FI and SI strategies.There is a lack of methodology to design sustainable healthcare infrastructure for LRS.There is a gap in the literature about building sustainable infrastructure to provide basic healthcare facilities essential to the community.This article studies several factors necessary for designing sustainable infrastructure from the lens of FI,SI,and sustainability to develop a mobile healthcare infrastructure for last-mile people.Methods:Started with purposive sampled case studies to find out factors and criteria that most affect the success for an innovation to be frugal,social,and sustainable.The established criteria were used to design,develop,and deploy the mobile Primary Health Center(mPHC).Moving forward,we tested the system designed with stakeholders to gather insights.At this stage we found the feedback loop from the stakeholders and the role of interdisciplinary discussions between experts,medical officers,nurses,patient,and other staff of PHCs during the design,development,deployment,and test stage to be useful in taking design decisions efficiently.Results:The designed healthcare infrastructure of mPHC through the aspects of FI and SI proves to be efficient in providing key healthcare services to LRS.Conclusion:Focusing on essential capabilities and optimizing performance with technology,methodologies,and processes reduces costs in an innovation.Focus on socially inclusive and rebalancing power disparities,overcome societal challenges and improve human capabilities will create a sustainable and novel solution.

Mapping the technology footprint in design for social innovation

Technology and design are increasingly recognized as important drivers of social innovation(SI).While new-age technologies can disrupt the realm of social innovation through resource-efficient solutions and multiple outcome benefits,the appliction of design thinking approaches and techniques can enhance the potential for SI through humancentered participatory processes and a socially shared vision and impact.Despite extensive research focusing on SI practices driven by technology and design respectively,few studies have concentrated on the synergistic effects of technology and design in the field of SI.This paper addresses this gap through an exploratory study on the incorporation and role of technology in the practice of design for SI.By applying the mapping approach to a sample of 81 Design-enabled Innovation(DEI)pilot projects in the DESIGNSCAPES project,the distribution,hosts and manifestations of technology footprints are identified,taking into account the multi-phase innovation processes and multifaceted role of design.Our findings suggest that in design-supported SI,technology can be integrated in a systematic and conventional manner across a range of domains related to people,interactions,contexts,and artefacts and that its interaction with design actions is highly dependent on the different roles of design,followed by a further discussion of a conceptual argument regarding the possible role of technology in supporting design for SI.Based on these findings and results,the article concludes with the limitations of the study and possible theoretical and managerial implications.

The role of multilateral organizations and governments in advancing social innovation in health care delivery

Background:Despite great medical advances and scientific progress over the past century,one billion people globally still lack access to basic health care services.In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development social innovation models aim to provide effective solutions that bridge the health care delivery gap,address equity and create social value.This commentary highlights the roles of multilateral organizations and governments in creating an enabling environment where social innovations can more effectively integrate into health systems to maximize their impact on beneficiaries.Main text:The integration of social innovations into health systems is essential to ensure their sustainability and the wide dissemination of their impact.Effective partnerships,strong engagement with and endorsement by governments and communities,regulations,trust and sometimes willingness are key factors to enhance system integration,replication and dissemination of the models.Three examples of social innovations selected by the Social Innovation in Health Initiative illustrate the importance of engaging with governments and communities in order to link,integrate and synergize their efforts.Key challenges that they encountered,and lessons learnt are highlighted.Multilateral organizations and governments increasingly engage in promoting and supporting the development,testing and dissemination of social innovations to address the health care delivery gap.They play an important role in creating an enabling environment.This includes promoting the concept of social innovation in health care delivery,spreading social innovation approach and lessons learnt,fostering partnerships and leveraging resources,convening communities,health system actors and various stakeholders to work together across disciplines and sectors,and nurturing capacity in countries.Conclusions:Multilateral organizations and local and national governments have a critical role to play in creating an enabling environment where social innovations can flourish.In supporting and disseminating social innovation approach,multilateral organizations and governments have a great opportunity to accelerate Universal Health Coverage and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Universities as catalysts of social innovation in health systems in low-and middle-income countries: a multi-country case study

Background Social innovation(SI)in health holds potential to contribute to health systems strengthening and universal health coverage(UHC).The role of universities in SI has been well described in the context of high-income countries.An evidence gap exits on SI in healthcare delivery in the context of low-and middle-income countries(LMICs)as well as on the engagement of universities from these contexts.There is thus a need to build capacity for research and engagement in SI in healthcare delivery within these universities.The aim of this study was to examine the adoption and implementation of network of university hubs focused on SI in healthcare delivery within five countries across Africa,Asia and Latin America.The objectives were to describe the model,components and implementation process of the hubs;identify the enablers and barriers experienced and draw implications that could be relevant to other LMIC universities interested in SI.Methods A case study design was adopted to study the implementation process of a network of university hubs.Data from documentation,team discussions and post-implementation surveys were collected from 2013 to 2018 and analysed with aid of a modified policy analysis framework.Results/discussion SI university-based hubs serve as cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral platforms,established to catalyse SI within the local health system through four core activities:research,community-building,storytelling and institutional embedding,and adhering to values of inclusion,assets,co-creation and hope.Hubs were implemented as informal structures,managed by a small core team,in existing department.Enablers of hub implementation and functioning were the availability of strong in-country social networks,legitimacy attained from being part of a global network on SI in health and receiving a capacity building package in the initial stages.Barriers encountered were internal institutional resistance,administrative challenges associated with university bureaucracy and annual funding cycles.Conclusions This case study shows the opportunity that reside within LMIC universities to act as eco-system enablers of SI in healthcare delivery in order to fill the evidence gap on SI and enhance cross-sectoral participation in support of achieving UHC.

Social innovation based on collaboration between government and non-governmental organizations in COVID-19 crisis: evidence from Iran

Background One of the effective ways to attract social collaboration to provide effective,prompt,and coordinated interventions in emergencies is through social innovation.The present study seeks to identify the factors affecting the implementation of the social innovation plan based on the collaboration between government and non-governmental organizations(NGOs)for saving people’s lives in crises.The initial idea of this research was obtained from the best practice“Every Home Is a Health Base”which was implemented in Iran.Methods The Grounded Theory strategy has been used in this study.The statistical population of the study is health experts from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran.The study time span is during the first half of 2020.Exploratory analysis was used to identify the factors of social innovation.By selecting and reviewing 68 research in-depth,the initial framework was prepared.Then,through a semi-structured interview with experts,the framework was adapted and reviewed.Based on the analysis of the collected data,39 open codes were extracted and the factors affecting the implementation of the social innovation were identified.Results The eight axis codes as the factors affecting the implementation of the social innovation plan based on the collaboration between government and NGOs are as follows:Paying attention to the components of the NGOs collaboration effectiveness,investment to attract NGOs collaboration,the ability to manage the implementation,the ability of networking,the ability of policymaking,providing the necessary cultural and educational infrastructure;Existence of capable legal organizations to solve the executive problems of the plan and facilitate coordination,and controlling,containing and reducing the effects of the crisis,as consequences.Conclusions Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic have shown the world that the current governmental and social structures are not efficient enough to respond quickly to the emergence of global challenges.Social innovation is a solution to this problem.The findings of this study also confirm this and identify the factors affecting the implementation of the social innovation plan based on collaboration between governments and NGOs in crises.The results of this research give governments and policymakers an efficient solution by involving NGOs,especially in times of widespread crises.Also,they can be used in planning for social development.

Bridging the health inequality gap: an examination of South Africa’s social innovation in health landscape

Background:Despite the end of apartheid in the early 1990s,South Africa remains racially and economically segregated.The country is beset by persistent social inequality,poverty,unemployment,a heavy burden of disease and the inequitable quality of healthcare service provision.The South African health system is currently engaged in the complex project of establishing universal health coverage that ensures the system's ability to deliver comprehensive care that is accessible,affordable and acceptable to patients and families,while acknowledging the significant pressures to which the system is subject.Within this framework,the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation&Entrepreneurship works to pursue social impact towards social justice in Africa with a systems lens on social innovation within innovative finance,health,education and youth development.The aim of this study is to demonstrate the capacity for social innovation in health with respect for South Africa,and to highlight some current innovations that respond to issues of health equity such as accessibility,affordability,and acceptability.

Researching social innovation:is the tail wagging the dog?

Background:Social Innovation in health initiatives have the potential to address unmet community health needs.For sustainable change to occur,we need to understand how and why a given intervention is effective.Bringing together communities,innovators,researchers,and policy makers is a powerful way to address this knowledge gap but differing priorities and epistemological backgrounds can make collaboration challenging.Main text:To overcome these barriers,stakeholders will need to design policies and work in ways that provide an enabling environment for innovative products and services.Inherently about people,the incorporation of community engagement approaches is necessary for both the development of social innovations and accompanying research methodologies.Whilst the'appropriate'level of participation is linked to intended outcomes,researchers have a role to play in better understanding how to harness the power of community engagement and to ensure that community perspectives form part of the evidence base that informs policy and practice.Conclusions:To effectively operate at the intersection between policy,social innovation,and research,all collaborators need to enter the process with the mindset of learners,rather than experts.Methods-quantitative and qualitative-must be selected according to research questions.The fields of implementation research,community-based participatory research,and realist research,amongst others,have much to offer.So do other sectors,notably education and business.In all this,researchers must assume the mantel of responsibility for research and not transfer the onus to communities under the guise of participation.By leveraging the expertise and knowledge of different ecosystem actors,we can design responsive health systems that integrate innovative approaches in ways that are greater than the sum of their parts.

Social innovation in diagnostics:three case studies

Background:Diagnostics are essential for identifying and controlling diseases.However,limited access to diagnostics hinders public health efforts in many settings.Social innovation may provide a framework for expanding access to diagnostics in the global south.Here social innovation is defined as implementing a known public health tool via a novel,community-driven technique.Main Body:In this article,we discuss three diverse cases that show the potential for using social innovation in diagnostics.The cases chosen for inclusion here demonstrate the importance of social innovation in diagnostics across different geographic,cultural,and health system contexts.They include malaria testing via schools in Malawi,cervical human papillomavirus(HPV)sample self-collection in Peru,and crowdsourcing human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)testing in China.For each case,we present the public health problem and the impact of using social innovation to increase accessibility of diagnostics.We discuss implications of each diagnostic approach and the importance of social innovation in creating these potential solutions.We argue that social innovation is useful in improving the delivery of essential diagnostic tools in low-and middle-income countries.Conclusions:Interventions in Malawi,Peru,and China suggest social innovation increases uptake of diagnostics.The same tools and principles utilized in these cases can be adapted for use in other contexts.Such diagnostic innovations may help improve identification of and linkage to care for many diseases.The approach presents a unique opportunity to better address public health issues and increase accessibility in LMIC health systems.

Crowdsourcing to identify social innovation initiatives in health in low- and middleincome countries

Background:Crowdsourcing is a distributed problem-solving and production mechanism that leverages the collective intelligence of non-expert individuals and networked communities for specific goals.Social innovation(SI)initiatives aim to address health challenges in a sustainable manner,with a potential to strengthen health systems.They are developed by actors from different backgrounds and disciplines.This paper describes the application of crowdsourcing as a research method to explore SI initiatives in health.Methods:The study explored crowdsourcing as a method to identify SI initiatives implemented in Africa,Asia and Latin America.While crowdsourcing has been used in high-income country settings,there is limited knowledge on its use,benefits and challenges in low-and middle-income country(LMIC)settings.From 2014 to 2018,six crowdsourcing contests were conducted at global,regional and national levels.Results:A total of 305 eligible projects were identified;of these 38 SI initiatives in health were identified.We describe the process used to perform a crowdsourcing contest for SI,the outcome of the contests,and the challenges and opportunities when using this mechanism in LMICs.Conclusions:We demonstrate that crowdsourcing is a participatory method,that is able to identify bottom-up or grassroots SI initiatives developed by non-traditional actors.

Integrated vector control of Chagas disease in Guatemala: a case of social innovation in health

Background:Improved access to health care and quality of services require integrated efforts and innovations,including community empowerment and participation in transformation processes.Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease that is generally controlled by insecticide spraying.To achieve community empowerment in a health program,actions for social innovations may include:community-based research,interdisciplinary and intersectoral participation,community perception of direct benefits and participation in health or environmental improvements.The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the processes by which an interdisciplinary team,in collaboration with communities of Comapa,Guatemala,developed an effective solution to address the risk for Chagas disease.Methods:A qualitative study involving interviews semi-structured and direct observation was conducted using a case study approach to describe and understand the community-based research and intervention process developed by researchers from the Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology of the Universidad de San Carlos of Guatemala(Laboratorio de Entomologia y Parasitologia Aplicada).Nine interviews were conducted with the investigators,innovators,members of the community in which the intervention had been implemented.NVivo software(version 12)was used for the emergent coding and analysis of the interviews.Results:Processes of social transformation were evident within households,and the communities that transcended the mere improvement of walls and floors.New social dynamics that favored the household economy and conditions of hygiene and home care that positively impacted the health of the community.We describe how the integration of criteria of social innovation into a home improvement strategy for Chagas disease control,can generate processes of transformation in health by considering sociocultural conditions,encouraging dialogue between public health approaches and traditional practices.We identify and discuss processes for Social Innovations in Health and identify their potential in improving community health in Latin America.Conclusions:When social innovation criteria are included in a health control initiative,the community-based research and the interdisciplinary and intersectoral participation facilitate the implementation of the control strategy,the perceived benefits by the community and its empowerment to sustain and share the strategy.The case study provided understanding of the intersectoral and interdisciplinary dynamics in particular contexts,and documented the relevance of innovation criteria in health processes.

The application of social innovation in healthcare: a scoping review

Background:Social innovation has been applied increasingly to achieve social goals,including improved healthcare delivery,despite a lack of conceptual clarity and consensus on its definition.Beyond its tangible artefacts to address societal and structural needs,social innovation can best be understood as innovation in social relations,in power dynamics and in governance transformations,and may include institutional and systems transformations.Methods:A scoping review was conducted of empirical studies published in the past 10 years,to identify how social innovation in healthcare has been applied,the enablers and barriers affecting its operation,and gaps in the current literature.A number of disciplinary databases were searched between April and June 2020,including Academic Source Complete,CIHAHL,Business Source Complete Psych INFO,PubMed and Global Health.A 10-year publication time frame was selected and articles limited to English text.Studies for final inclusion was based on a pre-defined criteria.Results:Of the 27 studies included in this review,the majority adopted a case research methodology.

Documentary research on social innovation in health in Latin America

Background:Identifying social innovation in health initiatives,promoting quality of life through them,and transforming current health conditions demand the knowledge,comprehension and appropriation of the theoretical and methodological developments of this concept Academic developments in social innovation have mainly occurred in and been documented for English-speaking countries,although relevant experiences have been implemented in Latin America.In this article,we describe and analyze how social innovation in health is being approached and understood in this region.Main text:To identify the theoretical and methodological developments of social innovation in health between 2013 and 2018,a scoping review with a mixed approach was carried out.Eighty texts in English,Spanish and Portuguese were selected for a process of reflexive analysis of intra and intertextual reading.The approaches identified in the studied initiatives were complementary.The most applied approaches were innovation in health,technological innovation in health and social innovation,each with twelve publications,and social innovation in health and ecohealth with ten and seven publications respectively.The approaches showed a general interest in reaching the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),the Alma Ata Declaration and the Ottawa Letter.Conclusions:The social innovation in health approach in Latin America adopts educational strategies,identifies risk factors,optimizes resources,promotes interculturality,participation,community empowerment,and enhances intersectorality and interdisciplinarity.As an approach,process,program or solution,social innovation in health is a conceptual category under construction.This research provides a baseline for other systematic reviews on the subject.

Social innovation for health: engaging communities to address infectious diseases

Universal health coverage emphasises the value of the community-based delivery of health services to ensure that underserved populations have access to care.In areas where infectious diseases are endemic,there are often few resources and limited capacity,and the introduction of effective and accessible strategies require innovation.In this special issue,the contributing authors emphasise the power of local responses to the circumstances that underpin diseases of poverty,and highlight the methodological and programme innovations necessary to support and sustain these responses.Through case studies,the authors illustrate how social innovations can address health inequities,and they identify the role of academics in the Social Innovation in Health Initiative to support this approach.

PAX—Patios de la Axerquía Urban Regeneration and Social Innovation in a Heritage Context

Following a decades-long real estate bubble involving a culture of indiscriminate ownership and occupation of land,PAX—Patios de la Axerquía is proposing an innovative system of governance in the city of Córdoba in Spain that fosters a new urban model consistent with the aims of the New Urban Agenda and a Smart,Sustainable and Inclusive City:from a culture of speculation to one of rehabilitation.A system of multilevel co-management between the public administration and the social economy provides the basis for the acquisition and cooperative use of empty houses as a model of urban regeneration through social innovation in a heritage context.The rehabilitation of the patio-houses in Axerquía,which have been threatened by gentrification,aims to restore the environmental values of the Mediterranean city and upgrade its historical characteristics in a contemporary way together with the citizenship:from its architectural value as a World Heritage site to its anthropological value as Intangible Heritage of Humanity,as recognised by UNESCO in 2012.The interaction between innovative mechanisms of sustainable urban development opens up a pathway of virtuous policies for the densification of the existing city by the local population,generation of micro-employment,and support for collective projects that incorporate refugees and migrants in a system of solidarity.Updating the urban,environmental,social,and economic values of the traditional city is a step toward understanding the Mediterranean city as an undeniable reminder of our past and,at the same time,providing an essential tool for the future development of a smart,sustainable,and inclusive Europe.

The social as the heart of social innovation and social entrepreneurship:An emerging area or an old crossroads?

This paper aims to contribute to the conceptual debate on the connection between social innovation and social entrepreneurship,considering the role of the‘social’within this connection.Supported by a systematic literature review(SLR)with an in-depth analysis of 34 articles from Scopus-indexed and Web of Science databases journals,this paper identifies,analyzes and describes the difficulties and opportunities in the social innovation and social entrepreneurship literature.Little is known about the link between both concepts and the influence of the‘social’in their development and implementation.This SLR was conducted to identify and describe definitions and patterns.Results show that the connection between social innovation and social entrepreneurship is in its take-off phase,but it still is a fragmented field with a huge lack of consensus.Thus,it will be important to see where the field will head,as this paper aims to be a first step in the understanding of social innovation and social entrepreneurship through a collective and integrated perspective,providing an elucidation of the different perspectives of the literature.

Another look at social innovation:From community-For community

Social innovation(SI)continues to raise interest among scholars and policymakers,as a potential panacea for social disenfranchisement and civic dysfunction.What is troubling is diverse perspectives of SI abound,creating inconsistencies in methodological approaches which confound theory development.This paper clarifies that discussion by considering the locus of initiation and locus of benefit as informing characteristics that differentiate grounded social innovation from other types of well-recognized socially beneficent endeavors.The notion of‘from community e for community’is presented to aid understanding of the unique nature of authentically grounded social innovation.This paper is significant as it presents a practical approach to help researchers and practitioners consider where opportunities for targeted policy support,institutional involvement,and agency action can aid community development and wellbeing.

Planning Coordination,Social Innovation,and System Reform:Annual Conference of China City Planning 2013 Successfully Held in Qingdao

More than 6,000 urban planners,urban administrative staff,professors,and college students from all over China,as well as representatives from international organizations such as UN-HABITAT and USEF,gathered in Qingdao from Nov.16 to 18 and attended the Annual Conference of China City Planning 2013.Relating to the conference theme of'Urban Age,Coordinated Planning,'they discussed and explored various significant issues of urbanization,coordination between urban planning and other planning,village development,urban planning informatization,etc.

Effects of taxation on social innovation and implications for achieving sustainable development goals in developing countries: A literature review

In developing countries,taxation is perceived as a brake on economic growth.Indeed,taxes in most of these countries are not sufficiently adapted to the specificity of the taxpayer and often do not consider the weak administrative capacity of the countries in the region.In this context,reforms have been initiated over the last decade to create tax environments that encourage savings,investment,entrepreneurship,and social innovation.This study provides an overview of research on the effects of taxation on social innovation and the corresponding implications for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)in developing countries,taking three approaches:thematic,chronological,and methodological.Most studies agree that high taxes in business undermine social innovation and thus the achievement of SDGs,as social innovation is known to be a driver of most SDGs and business the vehicle.The majority of the selected studies used primary data collected from samples whose representativeness with respect to the population concerned(notably businesses)is still not explicitly justified.

A New Social and Technological Paradigm to Assess Chronic Patient Management Process： Preliminary Results

The present research intends to address in a comprehensive, transversal, and interdisciplinary manner the chronic patient management process in the research project named ＂PRO DOMO SUD＂ in order to identify operational inefficiencies, thus demonstrating that these are largely attributable to incurred costs and, thus, evaluate possible solutions for providing effective and appropriate responses by healthcare and social services. Can patients/older people be treated, monitored, and managed successfully with mobile and wearable technologies？ The project involved three different groups of patients/participants： Patients with heart failure shock in ＂Home Monitoring Scenario＂; Patients with different pathologies in ＂Virtual Ward Scenario＂; Patients with limited mobility due to Neurological and Orthopaedic disease in ＂Rehabilitation Scenario＂. Due to the complexity of the issue, the methodological approach adopted must be multidimensional and interdisciplinary, addressing the complexity of the chronic patient from all viewpoints, not reducing it, yet analysing, understanding, rearranging, and managing it in an organic manner. The three different scenarios were allowed to identify several impacts on organizational and clinic management of chronic diseases, the tests showed significant improvements in quality of life of patients enrolled in the project. The data deriving from the three scenario demonstrate that wearable divide and ICT, in general, can empower both patients and physician personnel allowing them to be active part in the chronic disease management process. The PRO DOMO SUD experience derived from the Living Lab, this is a new paradigm for industrial research and development activities which allows the final users to actively collaborate with the designers and technicians in the development and test of new products and services aimed to them. The Living Labs stimulate social innovation by transferring research results from the closed industrial laboratory towards real life contexts where citizens and users become co-developers.