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Capacities for Institutional Innovation: A Complexity Perspective

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  • Jim Woodhill

Abstract

Many capacity development interventions have been driven by the needs of technological innovation rather than the needs of institutional innovation. However, this article argues that the global challenges of the twenty‐first century call for institutional innovation that entails a very different dynamic of the relations within society. Changing institutions, be it related to societal norms and values, government policies, market incentives, political systems or organisational processes, requires the ‘soft’ capacities of communication, trust building, diplomacy, networking, making sense of messy social situations, political advocacy and leadership. The article concludes by outlining four specific capabilities required for institutional innovation: navigating complexity, learning collaboratively, engaging politically and being self‐reflective.

Suggested Citation

  • Jim Woodhill, 2010. "Capacities for Institutional Innovation: A Complexity Perspective," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(3), pages 47-59, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:idsxxx:v:41:y:2010:i:3:p:47-59
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/idsb.2010.41.issue-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Admire M. Nyamwanza & Krasposy K. Kujinga, 2017. "Climate change, sustainable water management and institutional adaptation in rural sub-Saharan Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 693-706, April.
    2. Falk, Thomas & Zhang, Wei & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Bartels, Lara, 2021. "Games for Triggering Collective Change in Natural Resource Management: A Conceptual Framework and Insights from Four Cases from India," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315341, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Woltering, Lennart & Valencia Leñero, Eva M. & Boa-Alvarado, Maria & Van Loon, Jelle & Ubels, Jan & Leeuwis, Cees, 2024. "Supporting a systems approach to scaling for all; insights from using the Scaling Scan tool," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    4. Hameeda A. AlMalki & Christopher M. Durugbo, 2023. "Systematic review of institutional innovation literature: towards a multi-level management model," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(2), pages 731-785, June.
    5. Jasper R. de Vries & Eva van der Zee & Raoul Beunen & Rianne Kat & Peter H. Feindt, 2019. "Trusting the People and the System. The Interrelation Between Interpersonal and Institutional Trust in Collective Action for Agri-Environmental Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-18, December.
    6. Falk, Thomas & Kumar, Shalander & Srigiri, Srinivasa, 2019. "Experimental games for developing institutional capacity to manage common water infrastructure in India," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 260-269.
    7. Nicholas Pinfold & Masilonyane Mokhele, 2023. "Facilitating Community Transition to Sustainable Land Governance: A Study of a Communal Settlement in South Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-21, May.
    8. Pablo Aránguiz & Guillermo Palau-Salvador & Ana Belda & Jordi Peris, 2020. "Critical Thinking Using Project-Based Learning: The Case of The Agroecological Market at the “Universitat Politècnica de València”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-23, April.
    9. Snigdha Nautiyal, 2024. "Building capacities for transformative climate action: lessons from five fields of practice," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(6), pages 1-20, June.
    10. Christina Schaffer & Karin Eksvärd & Johanna Björklund, 2019. "Can Agroforestry Grow beyond Its Niche and Contribute to a Transition towards Sustainable Agriculture in Sweden?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-14, June.
    11. Steven E. Wallis, 2020. "Integrative Propositional Analysis for developing capacity in an academic research institution by improving strategic planning," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 56-67, January.
    12. Doreen Ingosan Allasiw & Toshinori Tanaka & Takashi Mino, 2017. "Costly Barriers to Sustainable Institutions: Empirical Evidence from State-Reinforced Management of a Communal Irrigation System in the Philippines," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-21, May.
    13. Philip Wallis & Raymond Ison, 2011. "Appreciating Institutional Complexity in Water Governance Dynamics: A Case from the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 25(15), pages 4081-4097, December.
    14. H. M. Tuihedur Rahman & Kate Sherren & Danika van Proosdij, 2019. "Institutional Innovation for Nature-Based Coastal Adaptation: Lessons from Salt Marsh Restoration in Nova Scotia, Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-26, November.
    15. Foran, Tira & Butler, James R.A. & Williams, Liana J. & Wanjura, Wolf J. & Hall, Andy & Carter, Lucy & Carberry, Peter S., 2014. "Taking Complexity in Food Systems Seriously: An Interdisciplinary Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 85-101.
    16. Falk, Thomas & Spangenberg, Joachim H. & Siegmund-Schultze, Marianna & Kobbe, Susanne & Feike, Til & Kuebler, Daniel & Settele, Josef & Vorlaufer, Tobias, 2018. "Identifying governance challenges in ecosystem services management – Conceptual considerations and comparison of global forest cases," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 32(PB), pages 193-203.
    17. Hounkonnou, Dominique & Kossou, Dansou & Kuyper, Thomas W. & Leeuwis, Cees & Nederlof, E. Suzanne & Röling, Niels & Sakyi-Dawson, Owuraku & Traoré, Mamoudou & van Huis, Arnold, 2012. "An innovation systems approach to institutional change: Smallholder development in West Africa," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 74-83.

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