Innovation at UNHCR Innovation at UNHCR

Innovation at UNHCR Innovation at UNHCR Illustrations by Ailadi and Hans Park Table of Contents A note from the editors 1 Practical tips for innovating in UNHCR 5 FAQs on innovation 7 A Simplified Innovation Process 9 Three non-linear steps to innovating 9 Why is innovation so difficult? An ode to all innovators. 13 The promise of boring innovation 19 Why innovation needs storytelling 22 How UNHCR Brazil harnessed the power of innovation 29 Investing in People, Not Projects: A look at UNHCR’s experimental funding 36 Weaving innovation through UNHCR’s bureaucracy 45 Our Innovation Labs are dead. Long live innovation! 51 What does Innovation ≠ Technology mean? 54 The final frontier for inclusive connectivity 58 How UNHCR Zimbabwe mainstreamed innovation into everything they’re doing 62 Revolutionising Recruitment: A test for AI in the United Nations 71 Is it possible to predict forced displacement? 76 For the sake of the future, innovate courageously. 80 UNHCR’s Innovation Fellowship 87 A brief innovation glossary 97 A note from the editors By Lauren Parater, Hans Park and Emilia Saarelainen, UNHCR’s Innovation Service What does innovation mean? And more innovation flourishing across UNHCR and importantly, what does it mean to the UN beyond, and then share those bright spots Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and how does as widely as possible. it relate to your work? We hope this small booklet serves as not only a guide for in- Innovation is rarely straightforward, and novation basics at UNHCR but also a map our lack of institutional memory can rein- of stories that connects you to other col- force the status-quo. If people at UNHCR, leagues who are seeking to create change don’t see how much has already changed, inside and outside of our organization. The they can fall into the trap of believing that jargon used in the innovation and human- they can’t challenge current norms. If we itarian sector can quickly alienate those look at the evolution of cash-based inter- who want to be involved but just don’t ventions in displaced communities, we can know how. We hope what you discover in clearly see the sector was willing to adapt this publication warmly welcomes you to and create a new standard of working - but innovation in the organization and serves it took time for us to get there. Cash-based as a tool that you can return to as you con- interventions go beyond their technolog- tinue your journey in UNHCR. ical benefits and have, as of today, truly challenged how the humanitarian sec- There are a lot of assumptions that come tor thinks about dignity and the power of with the word innovation. This is a conse- choice for communities. quence of the societies that we live in, the ones that breed myths about innovation Each day that passes is an extraordinary equating technology and accept fallacies time of transformation that we could not like the door of innovation is only open to foresee. As we witness profound shifts in those who were born with creative talent. ideas, perspectives, and frameworks that And this is simply not the case. It’s likely underpin how our organization operates you innovate in your day-to-day and don’t - it’s important to remember the agency even know it. Our organization is full of that you have to be a part of the change. innovators, creatives, activists, and peo- As you’ll read in the forthcoming pages, it ple willing and able to improve how we probably won’t be easy but within the un- serve refugee communities. The role of certainty, innovation can be the crutch to the Innovation Service is to support you recognising that you can influence out- in providing guidance and methodologies comes and the future of how we work at to innovate even better, to help capture UNHCR. New ways of thinking and innovation are really important to our organization. Whilst the prime cause of our work has not changed, the scale and the nature of the issues we seek to address has. We cannot hope to solve them with the old solutions and ways of thinking. Hence our ability to innovate becomes a core competence – new ideas, new ways of thinking, new ways of engaging and relating become critical. Caroline Harper Jantuah, Senior Advisor - Inclusion, Diversity and Gender Equity 3 4 problem. You can continue to tweak your bring assumptions that limit our ability to operation and context. Innovation is about Practical tips for problem statement until you’ve identified think about new solutions. Think critically creating value in your specific context - so the right problem. about the assumptions underlying your in- experiment with what has worked in other innovating in novation and then test them in a system- places to no reinvent the week. UNHCR Engage refugees or your end users. atic way. Innovate with everyone. Engage your end users in your innovation Collaborate. The word innovation is ubiquitous and con- process - whether they are UNHCR staff, Include targets for innovation within your fusing to most. We’d use a different word partners or refugees. For example, refu- Too often we assume collaboration will team, division or operation. Measure these if we could. So what are the first steps for gees are better at knowing what works for happen when a group of people is simply targets and the impact you’ve had. Don’t including innovation into your day-to-day them and what doesn’t. They are great in- put together. It doesn’t. If we want to inno- just have one innovation focal point - in- work at UNHCR? And what does it actual- novators and full of their own ideas. Ask vate, we have to collaborate meaningful- clude innovation into everyone’s objec- ly look like in practice? It’s easier than you your users for their feedback throughout ly. This requires us to move beyond just tives. Before you realize it, everyone will might think. We’ve outlined practical appli- the process - but explore opportunities to “sharing information” with others and ac- be a champion of innovation. cations of the innovation process to help empower them as innovators themselves. tively engaging colleagues in our work and get you started. Employ some of the prac- the innovation process. Work with other di- Don’t forget - anyone can innovate. tical actions and tips in this list and other Ideate. visions, bureaux, external companies, ac- ideas found throughout this publication. If ademia, and others during the innovation Anyone can innovate, regardless of age, you still have questions - drop us an email. Take advantage of other people’s creativ- process. Choose a partner with different nationality, position or gender. Innovators ity and facilitate a brainstorming session skills and ideas. Go outside the usual sus- have the right attitude, a creative mindset, Be brave and courageous. with your team members, colleagues, and pects. Be flexible and open to different and an ability to see things differently and refugees to create new ideas. Invite peo- types of collaboration. bend the boundaries. And most important- Innovation is not an easy process but it is ple with a wide range of disciplines. Crazy ly, they have a desire to solve complex worth it. You will have to iterate and fail ideas are welcomed and should be built Embrace failure. challenges — and given the right tools, at- along the way - but use it as an opportunity upon. titude, and environment, each person has to learn. It may be difficult to try something Innovation isn’t a straightforward process the power to create change. outside the established norm because the Experiment. and the environment UNHCR operates in status quo lends itself to comfort. But take is increasingly complex and uncertain - lin- the risk to try something new and it will pay Experimentation is a crucial part of innova- earity is often an unrealistic goal. This pro- off dividends in the end. tion, and some would argue that there’s no cess will often bring a few missteps and innovation without experimentation. To in- failures along the way. Acknowledging that Ask the right question. novate, we need to learn by doing - so just failure happens to the best of us, and using give it a go and test your assumptions. Try that opportunity to build the skills needed You won’t get an appropriate solution if new things. Keep testing your original idea to learn from one’s mistakes is key. you’re not asking the right question. Before or process. Discover what works and what you start testing new ideas, you’ll want to doesn’t. Then experiment again. Copy someone else’s idea. define the problem you actually want to solve. Defining your problem is a crucial Challenge your assumptions. When is innovation simply imitation? step in the innovation process. Keep it Often. Look at promising practices that al- short and make sure it only contains one Every time we approach a problem, we ready exists elsewhere and apply it to your 5 6 FAQs on innovation What is innovation? Who innovates in UNHCR? Why do we need partnerships for innovation? • Innovation is the process of translating • Anyone in the organization can in- an idea or invention into a good or ser- novate if they wish, regardless of • Partnerships allow learning and the vice so that it creates value.1 age, nationality, position or gender. exchange of expertise and intelli- • Innovation is an iterative process that Innovators have a creative mindset, gence between industries, allowing identifies, adjusts, and diffuses ideas. attitude, an ability to see things dif- said industries to co-create solutions The innovation process utilises a set ferently and to bend the boundaries.

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