1.

INTRODUCTION

How is Innovation relevant to Our Promise?

Deepening our commitment to the most vulnerable girls and boys is at the core of Our Promise. As we engage with
children and families in the most extreme situations of vulnerability, we discover the limitations of our existing tools for
meeting their needs. And as the global trends that are transforming the world create new challenges, we need new tools to
meet them. We face “wicked problems” that cannot be solved with top-down designs, but can be tackled from the
grassroots, trying out ideas, and learning what works and can be made to work better. At this point of our journey, Our
Promise calls us create a space to empower the field to create new ways for reaching and impacting the most vulnerable
children and communities.

What is the Innovation Challenge?

The WV Innovation Challenge provides a setting where field offices working with children, young people, communities and
partners are given space to “Enter Imagination and Creativity” to find solutions to today’s greater challenges affecting the
most vulnerable children. The WV Innovation Challenge seeks to stimulate innovation from the field and effectively
harness emerging innovations to bring to scale and adapt for all contexts, including fragile contexts, to deliver high quality
programming that will work toward deepening our commitment to the most vulnerable children. The Innovation challenge
is facilitated by a pool of funding managed by the Strategy Realisation, Evidence and Innovation (SREI) team. Field offices
will apply for the funding and innovative solutions chosen through a selection process will be granted seed funding of no
more than $80,000 each to implement their innovations.

Who is this Innovation Challenge for?

The primary target for the Innovation Challenge is WV field offices responsible for implementing development,
humanitarian and advocacy programmes. The Innovation Challenge aims to support WV field offices in integrating
innovation into programming across all funding types and contexts, using a solutions-based approach to solve
humanitarian, development and advocacy barriers to child wellbeing.

This challenge is not intended to replace ongoing innovation solutions and projects implemented in FOs through other
avenues. Rather, it seeks to facilitate and promote community-led, child-led and or frontline-led innovation, providing an
opportunity for the field to creatively design, collaborate, build and implement solutions that address today’s challenges to
child wellbeing.
 The benefits of the WV Innovation Challenge;

Field Offices identify and develop context-fit solutions to child wellbeing

challenges. Children are becoming more vulnerable due to the
compounding effects of conflict, climate change, COVID-19, costs, urban
fragility, social exclusion, and gender inequality. The challenge promotes
and supports field teams to develop child-focussed ideas into solutions that
seek to solve child vulnerability problems, working towards improving the
wellbeing of children.
Partnership funded and supported Innovative solutions. As World Vision,
there has never been a more critical time to harness the power of
innovation to serve the needs of the most vulnerable, support programming
efforts and increase our impact on the ground. FOs that successfully
identify innovative solutions will benefit from the innovation funding and
ongoing technical support.
Positioning WV and country offices as thought leaders and Innovation
pioneers for needs of vulnerable children. WV field offices are provided
with an opportunity to break through implementation boundaries and
pioneer the design and development of solutions for the needs of children
and communities that will champion growth, influence impact and disrupt
the status quo in the humanitarian industry.
Co-creation with partners, children and communities. World Vision’s
internal and external stakeholders play a role in realising a solution-based
approach to address the needs of the most vulnerable children. Field offices
will be given the space to co-create, collaborate and implement innovation
solutions with local partners.

2. WV INNOVATION DEFINITION

Nick Skillicorn defines Innovation as, ‘Turning an idea into a solution that adds value from a customer’s perspective’.
Building on previous definitions of innovation in the humanitarian sector, WV defines innovation as;

“A new or significantly improved solution that contributes to faster, better progress for the wellbeing of children, especially the
most vulnerable.”

The two factors within this definition - scale and cost-effectiveness - provide an overarching framework upon which
innovation will be implemented.

Innovation must lead to scaling: WV identifies and promotes innovations that can bring major change in the wellbeing
of children, especially the most vulnerable, at scale. In the context of this Challenge, scale refers to the potential to
explore the idea of implementing the project beyond the project’s initial location. Scaling up can refer to increasing
reach, leveraging new organisations (at local, national and international level) or even reimagining the vision of a project
to align with the need in a different project location. The importance of moving beyond the concept of implementing
“once-off” projects is a key element of innovation, as it reinforces the concept of sustainable development for
increased impact.

Cost-effective innovations: The environments in which WV works demand that limited resources be turned into
opportunities, making cost-effective innovations particularly valuable. Cost-effective innovations are simple products
or services that are dramatically lower in cost, outperform alternatives and can be scaled up through adoption by
people who do not need special expertise or equipment.

Types of innovations

Types of innovation may vary in different contexts and for different projects. The types of innovations below provide a
basis for FOs to describe the most suitable innovative solution they seek to pursue with WV Innovation Challenge funding.
They are: 1) Incremental Innovation, 2) Substantial Innovation and 3) Breakthrough Innovation.
 Incremental Innovation Substantial Innovation Breakthrough Innovation

1
Consists of small, yet meaningful
improvements in products, services or A meaningful change to the current The introduction of technology that
their day to day implementation. These day to day implementation and transforms the way we live and work,
are “new and improved” innovations provides something new. It provides a and transforms entire industries. It is a
that extend product, service or competitive edge of some sort. rare type of innovation that often
operations life cycles, and can be occurs every few years.
easily visualised and quickly
communicated.

3. THE INNOVATION CHALLENGE FOCUS

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9 aims to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable
industrialisation and foster innovation. Although only explicitly mentioned in SDG 9, innovation is a key enabler of most of
the goals and can be integrated into the different actions undertaken to fight poverty. This goal seeks to highlight
innovation as a key determinant of humanitarian and development in emerging economies, and further emphasises that as
World Vision continues to align to the SDGs, it is vital to bring innovation to the forefront of humanitarian and
development programming initiatives towards addressing some of the complex and chronic challenges impacting the most
vulnerable children.

What is the focus of the Innovation Challenge?

Following Our Promise to deepen our commitment to the most vulnerable children, and given trends over the last few
years and the years to come, the WV Innovation Challenge will focus on the five key drivers of child vulnerability as
identified in the WV vulnerability and fragility analysis, Innovation Programmatic thematic focus;

1. Vulnerability - Innovative solutions that seek to address one or more of the four vulnerability factors- Abusive or
exploitative relationships, extreme deprivation, serious discrimination, and vulnerability to negative impact from a
catastrophe or disaster
2. Fragility - Innovative solutions to ensure that children, families and communities feel they have the tools and are
empowered to make decisions that will enable them to survive, adapt and thrive in fragile contexts at any given time
3. Urbanisation - Innovative solutions to mitigate challenges and risks faced by children living in urban areas
4. Gender inequality and Social Inclusion (GESI) - Innovative GESI solutions to improve the well-being of children and the
marginalised, leading to an increase in access to resources, increased freedom to make decisions, reshaping of mindsets
and roles and the elimination of barriers
5. Climate change - Innovative solutions to address climate change and act fast to protect the wellbeing of children

With a focus on these drivers of child vulnerability, field offices are empowered to develop potential innovative solutions
for child wellbeing to make fundamental changes to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children and communities.
The contextual humanitarian issues that exist in FOs, both now and in the future, need to be considered so as to design and
develop innovative approaches that will have the desired impact for the most vulnerable communities.

NB: FOs are expected to develop an innovative solution in one of the five drivers of vulnerability underpinning child
vulnerability at the core to build greater response to child wellbeing issues, harnessing our WV’s distinctives, Our Faith and
leveraging on technology.

4. HOW WILL FOs PURSUE THE INNOVATION CHALLENGE?

1. Field Offices Identify opportunities for innovation; FOs will identify a key problem affecting children at scale that needs
solving, in alignment to the drivers of vulnerability highlighted above. FOs might explore initiatives such as a Hackathon
Challenge amongst programme areas, youth, schools etc. The solution must be programmatic challenge (not internal
process)

NB: Only WV Field Offices are eligible to apply for the Innovation challenge, FOs are free to consult and or seek technical insights from GC or
RO technical teams during the idea generation and or application process

2. Field offices prioritise innovation challenges to submit to Innovation Committee for awarding; The FO Innovation
Challenge review committee/team will prioritise innovative solutions that will add value to the FO Strategy, accelerate
impact and address child well-being, using any of the five drivers of vulnerability. Narrowing to a few potential innovative
ideas that are worth digging into, refining and testing is essential. Key to prioritisation are time, scope, budget and
relevance. The project duration should not be longer than 12 months.

NB: Using the attached application form, each FO is limited to submitting not more than five Innovation Initiatives, of which not more than
two initiatives will be funded per FO. Offices can use existing group formation to review the challenge.

3. An Innovation Working Group (IWG) reviews and awards the Innovation Challenge; Innovation proposals will be
reviewed and awards decided by the Innovation Panel comprising representatives from Regional Office, Global centre and
Support Offices. Field offices will have 30 days from the official launch of the challenge to work on their application, and
the outcome of each submission will be shared within 14 days following the submission deadline. Criteria will include:

a. how well the innovation addresses key child well-being challenges,

b. how innovative it is, with preference given to solutions addressing more than one of the five vulnerability drivers.
c. how well the idea and its implementation have been articulated, and
d. potential for going to scale, with particular preference for innovations with potential as a demonstration project
leading to funding for scale-up by an identified grant or major donor.

The top “X” country innovations will be awarded a seed grant of no more than $80,000 for each project. FO can charge
Support Costs up to a maximum of 10% of the Innovation Challenge Fund received. Staff implementing the innovative
projects in each FO receiving an award will also receive three coaching sessions on innovation from an external consultant.

NB: Not more than two projects will be funded from each office

4. FOs implement Innovation Challenge, report and communicate results; FOs will implement the project, and report using
a report structured template. They will document and capture innovations from inception to completion, including pictures,
videos, testimonials etc. as appropriate. This process will be guided by the GC Innovation Communicator and GC Innovation
Specialist in collaboration with RO teams.

5. Innovation Challenge project team, RO, IWG and other stakeholders (internal and external) provide regular monitoring
and technical support where required; FOs will identify key technical support teams to provide ongoing technical support
where needed. This could be from other country offices that might have implemented a similar innovation or it might be
external stakeholders or and GC/RO technical teams.

6. GC, RO, SOs and FO learn, adapt, communicate and scale up Innovation across WV; The Innovation Challenge will
communicate and build support for innovation through quarterly learning networks with an objective of promoting sharing
and communicating innovations both locally and externally to promote scale-up, adaptation and resourcing of future
innovations. Learning will use a blended approach including process improvements, and learning events ensuring agile
learning, “fail fast, and learn fast.” It will aim at creating a culture of design sprints, learning from failure, applying lessons,
adapting existing programming framework, scaling up, improving and developing more innovations.

How to Apply for the WV Innovation Challenge?

to access the online application form.

Deadline of submission of entries is on 31st of March 2023

Conclusion

The true test of innovation at World Vision will be felt when its
impact, value and adoption is seamlessly integrated into the
essence of the organisation’s day to day reality. The approach to
innovation is not a one-size-fits-all method, and effort needs to
be made to align to current needs while taking on a future-facing
focus to be on the cutting edge of solutions that strengthen our
capabilities, challenge our norms and deliver results. By investing
in an innovation challenge, WV is recognising the great potential
that exists at Field Office level, and by providing capacity,
support and financial resources to different solutions, thus
emphasises the commitment to innovation. Standing firm in Our
Promise to go further, the journey to innovation aims to
revolutionise our concept of impact and provide an even more
robust effect on the most vulnerable girls, boys and
communities. However, this is a journey that we cannot take
alone. It will require the support of both internal and external
collaborators and partners, and the agility and flexibility to
ensure sustainability, maximum impact and solution driven
rationale. As we move towards this shared direction, we aim to
champion innovation not only through practical implementation,
but also through the adoption of innovation mindsets and
behaviours throughout the entire organisation.

For enquiries, you may contact:

Ms. Bagezile Dube
Senior Director of Innovations and
Continuous Improvement
Strategy Realisation Evidence and Innovation

bagezile_dube@wvi.org

or email us at
Innovation_Challenge@wvi.org