Title : Social innovation based on collaboration between government and non-governmental organizations in COVID-19 crisis: evidence from Iran
Abstract:
One of the effective ways to attract social collaboration to provide effective, prompt, and coordinated interventions in emergencies is through social innovation. The present study seeks to identify the factors affecting the implementation of the social innovation plan based on the collaboration between government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for saving people’s lives in crises. The initial idea of this research was obtained from the best practice “Every Home Is a Health Base” which was implemented in Iran. The Grounded Theory strategy has been used in this study. The statistical population of the study is health experts from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran. The study time span is during the first half of 2020. Exploratory analysis was used to identify the factors of social innovation. By selecting and reviewing 68 research in-depth, the initial framework was prepared. Then, through a semi-structured interview with experts, the framework was adapted and reviewed. Based on the analysis of the collected data, 39 open codes were extracted and the factors affecting the implementation of the social innovation were identified. The eight axis codes as the factors affecting the implementation of the social innovation plan based on the collaboration between government and NGOs are as follows: Paying attention to the components of the NGOs collaboration effectiveness, investment to attract NGOs collaboration, the ability to manage the implementation, the ability of networking, the ability of policymaking, providing the necessary cultural and educational infrastructure; Existence of capable legal organizations to solve the executive problems of the plan and facilitate coordination, and controlling, containing and reducing the effects of the crisis, as consequences. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic have shown the world that the current governmental and social structures are not efficient enough to respond quickly to the emergence of global challenges. Social innovation is a solution to this problem. The findings of this study also confirm this and identify the factors affecting the implementation of the social innovation plan based on collaboration between governments and NGOs in crises. The results of this research give governments and policymakers an efficient solution by involving NGOs, especially in times of widespread crises. Also, they can be used in planning for social development.
Audience take away:
- Lessons learned from the widespread Covid-19 crisis have shown the world that the current economic and social structures are not efficient enough to respond quickly and effectively to such conditions and need to be fundamentally revised and transformed. To this end, the post-Covid world should use a redistributive framework and surveillance systems as the basis for development rather than development by focusing on economic growth. In this regard, one of the categories that has grown after the emergence of this global challenge is social innovation, and the necessity and importance of having models of social innovation that are operational and effective in times of crisis were increasingly raised as an efficient solution.
- This study identified the model of social innovation based on popular participation in a crisis using the national program "Every Home is a Health Base" as a best practice which were designed and implemented jointly by the Ministry of Health & Medical Education and the NGOs in a neighborhood and family-centered manner in the first half of 2020 in Iran.
- The results of this study not only assist policymakers and managers in macro-strategic decisions but also create a model that can be used for possible future crises.
- Also, this study provides the basis for the development of social innovations based on the collaboration between government and NGOs that leads to sustainable development in communities.
