What makes social innovation work in transitional contexts?

Social innovation is often presented as a creative response to an unmet social need. In transitional and post-conflict contexts, however, creativity is only one part of the story. Organisations may work within fragmented welfare systems, unstable financing, complex donor relationships and limited public-sector capacity. A promising new service can therefore disappear when a grant ends, remain isolated within one NGO, or be copied from another country without sufficient adaptation.

Research on social-service organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina helps identify the conditions under which innovation becomes more than a temporary project. One study involving 120 NGO representatives found that secured financing, the willingness of service users to participate and the sustainability of services were considered particularly important when integrating innovative approaches. Other research based on interviews with local NGOs identified three mechanisms through which innovation develops: transcopy, coactive novelty and knowledge construction.

Adapt ideas instead of importing models unchanged

Many innovations travel through international networks, donors and professional exchanges. This can provide access to tested models, training and resources. Yet direct copying is rarely enough. “Transcopy” describes a process in which organisations learn from an external model and modify it for local institutions, professional practice, culture and user needs.

Adaptation should not be treated as weak fidelity. In a transitional setting, it may be the condition for relevance. The important questions are which elements of the model are essential, which must change, who has authority to make those changes, and how local experience is documented.

Build novelty through relationships

Coactive novelty emerges when organisations develop solutions through interaction with users, communities, professionals and partner institutions. This is particularly important where no single actor has sufficient resources or legitimacy to solve the problem alone.

Relationships are not simply a background condition. They are part of the innovation infrastructure. Trust can make referrals possible, allow professionals to share knowledge, and help a new service gain recognition. Conversely, unequal relationships—especially between donors, public bodies and local organisations—can narrow local decision-making and encourage organisations to follow funding priorities rather than user needs.

Secure financing without allowing funding to define the service

Innovation requires room for experimentation, but social services also require continuity. Short project cycles can create a contradiction: organisations are rewarded for launching something new, while users need stable support. Financing strategies should therefore address both development and continuation. This may involve mixed funding, gradual public-sector adoption, service agreements or explicit transition plans from the beginning.

Make service users participants, not only beneficiaries

The willingness and ability of users to participate matters because innovation cannot be separated from the people expected to use it. Participation helps organisations understand whether the service is accessible, culturally appropriate and relevant. It can also expose risks that programme designers have overlooked.

Turn experience into shared knowledge

Knowledge construction occurs when organisations document practice, evaluate outcomes, train others and translate experience into standards, manuals or policy proposals. This is how a local pilot can influence a wider welfare system. Without documentation, innovation may remain dependent on a few experienced individuals.

Transitional contexts do not prevent social innovation. They make its conditions more visible. An innovation works when it becomes locally legitimate, practically usable and institutionally sustainable—not simply when it is new.

Dr. Aleksandar Bozic

Associate Professor at the University of Stavanger. His work focuses on social innovation, collaboration, civil society, migration and psychosocial services. Available for selected research, evaluation and advisory engagements.

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