Social innovation tackles pressing social problems or new social issues; and its focus is problem solving and experimentation to develop new services, models and approaches.

In response to the increased focus on innovation by both the Commonwealth and State governments the Research Unit has developed a position paper titled Growing and nurturing social innovation. The Research Unit has a role in fostering and supporting social innovation within DFC and disseminating these innovations widely.

The first edition of 'Feature', a biannual magazine profiling innovative programs and developments in DFC has been released. It is available here.

Below you will find links to both the position paper and relevant reviewed articles.

Research position paper

Rogers, N, 2009, Growing and Nurturing Social Innovation

Relevant reviewed articles and sites

National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) - Making innovation flourish

Australian Social Innovation Exchange (ASIX)

The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI)

Hughes, A, Moore, K, & Kataria, N, 2011, Innovation in Public Sector Organisations

Murray, R, Caulier-Grice, J, Mulgan, G, 2010, The Open Book of Social Innovation

Bacon, N, Faizullah, N, Mulgan, G & Woodcraft, S, 2008, Research report: Transformers How local areas innovate to address changing social needs

Cutler, T 2008, Venturous Australia – building strength in innovation 

Leadbeater, C 2006, Provocation 01: the ten habits of mass innovation 

Mulgan, G 2008, Innovation in 360 degrees: promoting social innovation in South Australia 

Mulgan, G, Tucker, S, Rushanara, A & Sanders, B 2007, Social innovation. What it is, why it matters and how it can be accelerated 

Nutley, S, Davies, H & Walter, I 2002 Conceptual synthesis 1: learning from the diffusion of innovations