Innovation in ESF-programming 2007-2013 Start of the programme, other priorities, mainstreaming did not get the attention it deserved Mainstreaming committee for all EQUAL themes establised with Did not work, to many themes, not the right people involved Looking at NTN’s that were functioning in the UK, adopt a similar system We started in and developed it in the course of a year, with five NTNs, one for each pillar and one for the theme asylum seekers. We solved problems as they came along

To meet the Lisbon targets: Europe has to develop a knowledge based economy Each memberstate has to implement reforms of employment and social inclusion policy and delivery NTNs aim to draw lessons good and bad practices from the innovations of the equal projects. These lessons will be transferred by making policy recommendations for mainstreaming and implementation on al national level. NTNs also have to do activities to spread the results and make mainstreaming happen (more concrete examples later on). NTNs alse determined the degree of innovation of second round applications In this way they assisted the NSS in the selection process.

Social innovation can support modernisation and reform good chair, good network, president proposes other members Experts: direct links with their organisation as recipient of mainstreaming Policy officers: link between projectresults and policy field NSS: link between projects and NSS Second round: experience in the first round: extra support is needed for continuity and smooth functioning of NTNS. No Development Partnerships (projects) in NTN because of possible conflict of interest and smaller scope

To be successful, social innovation must: Address real policy needs Demonstrate advantages over existing policy/practice Have mechanisms in place to exchange and transfer good practice

Need for broad definition of innovation: Problem identification Development, experimentation and testing validation Transfer, training Mainstreaming has to be tailor made, so different activities for different issues and target groups. It is also very important to focus on current political priorities. Also important to involve policy makers in an early stage (make them members of NTN!) Workshops; project presenting good practices Conferences larger meetings in which results are shown to policy makers and stakeholders Diners pensant/lunches: smaal groep of hig leven policy experts discuss more specialised issues while enjoying a good meal. Final reports with recommendations for policyu makers. Will be presented to tweede kamer (house of commons) Kick off conference: to inform the 2nd round project about the good and the bad practice in the first round. On the whole conclusion of the first round was very succesful Policy makers are beginning to get very interested, while at first it was very difficult to get people involved (lack of time, other priorities, did not know what EQUAL was.

Need for focus, such as: New linkages beween organisations and processes (e.g. education and entrepreneurship) Adapting economic sectors (e.g care services) Improving quality of work (work organisation) In first round not much was done in this field In the second round we will adress gender mainstreaming. We did research on this aspect in first round projects and on the basis of this gave practical information to second round projects. All NTNmembers will receive a training on gender mainstreaming. Also a structure will be set up to garantee that this issue is dealt with by all NTNs in the second round We plan to do meetings on other cross thematic themes to be identified by the NTN’s

Main building blocks of innovation support Linking themes for innovation to problems and needs addressed in the programme, and linked to the Lisbon reform agenda Ensuring user orientation Promoting a fine-tuned chain of activities Sound approach for validating innovative results through peer and user review Support mechanisms and structures to facilitate transfer and integration of suitable, feasible, and acceptable results

Identifying themes for innovation Assessment of EQUAL themes and results Policy needs defined in the reform agenda and the NSRF (= economic modernisation, and reform of policies and delivery systems) Shared problem analysis with key stakeholders Enable transnational learning by taking into account priority themes of other Member States Allow for emerging issues

Lessons learned from dutch taskforce social innovation Start up with small innovative experiments Results of the second round of Equal ESF on top of national efforts Innovation widespread theme: dilemma between experimenting and steering 4 obstructions to overcome: don’t know how, can’t (regulation/finance), won’t (no will to innovate) and no dare to (taking risks)

Dutch definition of social innovation: “to make the most of human talent and to renew the organisation with the objective to improve the performance of the organisation and to develop the talents of the people who work there”

The definition in our National Reform Programme: “projects which aim to improve the working efficiency by adaptation of the working process or the structure of the organisation”

Current state of play in the Netherlands: Established a centre for social innovation Budget € 2 million Financed with 50% public and 50% private money

Tasks of the centre for social innovation: Collection and dessimination of information of successful projects Provide training Support concrete projects

Social innovation will be a priority in the Dutch OP for the ESF programmingperiode 2007-2013

Some facts and figures: About 7% of the ESF budget available for innovative projects Match funding national and or private When private, possibility for higher intervention rates

Some of the problems / questions we have to face: How to select the projects? How to measure effects of social innovation? How to mainstream the results?

Some answers Experiences from EQUAL on selection and mainstreaming Develop indicators Link to other organisations, such as the centre for social innovation