1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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)

10. 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”

11. 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”

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

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

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

15. 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

16. 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?

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