Evaluation - UNIT webinars

The UN Innovation Toolkit

The Evaluation Module

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Team information

Berin McKenzie

Paula de Blas

Johanna Jochim

Learning Portfolio ManagerUNSSC

Associate FellowUNSSC

ManagerUN Innovation Network

Poll #1 Did you join any of our UN Innovation Toolkit webinars so far?

Motivator

Yes

Motivator

Motivator

No

1.

UN Innovation Toolkit

Recap

Online Diagnostic Tool: 27 Questions​

• Evaluates team/unit/organization readiness to innovate​, giving an Innovation Profile and Detailed Results.
• Identifies current capabilities as well as needs and challenges, with five recommended tools.

un-innovation.tools/register​

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UNSSC Free Course: Introduction to Innovation

www.unssc.org/courses/blue-line-free-open-courses-and-tools-un-staff/

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1.

The Evaluation Module

Introduction and Overview

VALUATION

Organizations unable to measure the effectiveness of their innovation efforts may struggle to justify their investments and communicate their successes to stakeholders. .

EVALUATION FOR INNOVATION

Innovation is a dynamic and iterative process, and as such evaluating innovation effectiveness can prove challenging.

However, adopting an effective evaluation program for innovation can yield tangible benefits for an organization or team, helping them to identify opportunities to improve innovation processes, allocate resources more effectively, and demonstrate value to decision-makers.

Why do we need the Evaluation Module?

To understand which of its innovation projects are having their desired impact

To assess its enabling environment for innovation

To analyze the health of its pipeline of projects across the innovation lifecycle

To communicate effectively to stakeholders

3.

The Tools

4 UN-derived tools

Innovation Storytelling

This tool helps users construct a cohesive story for their innovation efforts, identify the different audiences for this story and their unique characteristics, and select the proper methods and channels to communicate with these stakeholders. Ultimately, users will be able to craft a compelling story for their innovation efforts that inspires their audience and serves as a call to action for stakeholders both inside and outside the UN.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Stage-Gate Assessment

Helps users select the right methods and indicators to evaluate and make decisions about individual innovation projects. It specifically supports to select and apply criteria to inform go and no-go decisions throughout the innovation life cycle, improving likelihood of success at scale.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Life Cycle Analysis

This tool helps users identify potential bottlenecks in their processes across the innovation life cycle and develop strategies to address them. The Life Cycle Analysis tool can help you assess your organization’s or team’s innovation process—also known as the innovation life cycle—in both its entirety and within its component stages.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Enabling Environment Scan

This tool helps users survey staff perceptions of their organization's or team’s culture, architecture, and partnerships. Just as a team or organization should assess the performance of their innovation projects and portfolios, they should also evaluate how effective their organizational architecture, culture, and partnerships are at enabling innovation.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Most popular tools in the Evaluation Module

Stage-Gate Assessment

Innovation Storytelling

Poll #2 Which tool would you like to delve into today?

Motivator

Innovation Storytelling

Motivator

Stage-Gate Assessment

Stage-Gate Assessment

Great ideas often fall short of their potential because they fail to scale. 90 percent of ideas fail before they mature because they are not effectively developed. However, by applying criteria to inform go and no-go decisions throughout the innovation life cycle, users can improve their likelihood of success at scale. This tool helps users select the right methods and indicators to evaluate and make decisions about individual innovation projects.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Stage Gate Assessment

Background

Stage-gate decision criteria

Stage-gate decisions

Innovation Life Cycle

Stage-Gate Assessment

Step 1: Develop your decision criteria for each stage.

For each stage-gate decision, develop a set of 5 to 15 criteria to assess ideas based on your innovation goals.

• The selection of these criteria and the relative weight given to each, will depend on your team’s definition of success.
• KPIs;

Once you select a set of criteria, develop scoring guidelines for each criterion.

• Scale of one to ten;
• Yes-or-no choices;

Consider establishing thresholds

Criteria Examples

Worksheet

Stage-Gate Assessment

Step 2: Score projects to inform decisions about whether to advance ideas to the next stage of the innovation life cycle.

Using the criteria and scoring guidelines developed in Step 1, score and assess each idea.

• You can use the scores to compare a set of projects in a specific stage, or to inform a decision about a single project (as shown in the example above).

Worksheet

Stage-Gate Assessment

Step 3: Further examine the ideas to determine next steps.

If an idea is not ready, consider whether it should be refined, paused, or sunsetted; and, in each case, assess for lessons learned.

• Examine these ideas in further detail to:
• pinpoint why they are not ready
• systematize what were the critical factors that prevented the idea from moving forward, particularly if these might hinder other innovation initiatives in your innovation portfolio.

Worksheet

Innovation Storytelling

This tool helps users construct a cohesive story for their innovation efforts, identify the different audiences for this story and their unique characteristics, and select the proper methods and channels to communicate with these stakeholders. Ultimately, users will be able to craft a compelling story for their innovation efforts that inspires their audience and serves as a call to action for stakeholders both inside and outside the UN.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Innovation Storytelling

Step 1. Develop a compelling theme for your story.

Begin by setting the central objective for your communication

• What is the sentiment or conclusion that the audience should ultimately walk away with?
• Focus on impact.
• Draw upon emotion.
• Differentiate.

While the content of your story will be unique, there are tested, useful ways to frame your story. Wherever possible:

• Highlight partner successes.
• Create vignettes
• Promote persistence

Worksheet

Innovation Storytelling

Step 2. Identify your audience and its unique characteristics​

Consider characteristics:​

• What is the seniority level of the stakeholder?​
• Does the team have a regular engagement with this stakeholder? Formal? Informal?​
• Data driven? Story driven? Are they visual, verbal, or auditory learners?​

• What is the general age range?​
• Are there structural constraints (e.g., access to technology) that would impact the type of communication?​

Identify | Prioritise​ Stakeholders typically fall within five categories:​

• Leadership​
• Colleagues​
• Partners (Internal | External)​
• Beneficiaries​
• Naysayers​

Worksheet

Innovation Storytelling

Step 3. Choose the appropriate storytelling method and channel.

Based on the information compiled, select the ideal communication method and channel given the interests, characteristics, and needs of the stakeholder.

• The method represents the format in which your story will be told;
• The channel is how your story will be distributed

CHANNELS

METHODS

Innovation Storytelling

Step 4: Determine the frequency of communications.

Determine how often to update your stories and produce new content.

• Nearly 40 percent of innovative organizations provide updates to their key stakeholders on a monthly basis;
• Another 30 percent provide quarterly updates.

The frequency is up to the needs of the team and the pace of change.

• The more quickly changes take place, the more there is to discuss within a shorter time span.

Questions and Answers with...

Paula de Blas

Johanna Jochim

Associate FellowUNSSC

ManagerUN Innovation Network

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Thank you!