The societal challenges facing governments are becoming increasingly complex. Health, housing, livelihood security, sustainability, and quality of life require collaboration between municipalities, implementing organizations, the healthcare sector, the education sector, businesses, and residents. At the same time, there are competing interests, limited capacity, and existing systems that no longer always meet the needs of these challenges.
At The Next Lab, we help governments and public organizations make complex issues manageable. Not with plans that end up in a drawer, but by researching, designing, and experimenting together. In this way, we bring different perspectives together, create momentum, and translate ambition into concrete action.
What issues are we addressing?
Among other things, we are working on issues such as:
- How do we bring together different interests and stakeholders?
- How can we make complex social challenges—such as creating a healthier region or livable neighborhoods—concrete and actionable?
- How do we move from consultation and policy to joint action?
- How can we strengthen collaboration within networks, regions, and supply chains?
- How do we break away from systems and practices that no longer work?
- How do we foster a sense of ownership and build support for change?
What do we do in that regard?
Depending on the issue, we use different approaches:
- Focus Sprints to clarify complex issues, bring stakeholders together, make joint decisions, and build support.
- Design Sprints to collaboratively design and test new solutions, work methods, or services, and to quickly gain insight into what works.
- Innovation programs designed to implement social innovation step by step and get organizations moving.
- Leadership and team development to strengthen collaboration, ownership, and the ability to drive change within and across organizations.
From complex social challenges to a collective movement.
