The United Nations Secretary-General has made innovation a priority, repeatedly highlighting the need to shift from “accidental” innovation to innovation “by design.” To support these efforts, he called for the development of the UN Innovation Toolkit that provides actionable guidance on how to foster, scale, and accelerate innovation across the UN System.

WHAT IS THE TOOLKIT?

The Toolkit is a digital platform that you can access anywhere, anytime, from your computer, tablet, or mobile phone. It includes 21 tools that are grounded in research and contextualized for the diverse operating realities of UN organizations. The Toolkit also includes an innovation diagnostic, a 27-question survey that assesses a user’s relative innovation strengths and growth areas. The Toolkit was endorsed by the SecretaryGeneral, Members of the Chief Executives Board, and tested by over 120 staff from 36 UN entities as well as the UN High Level Committee on Management.

INNOVATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN

Innovation can take a number of forms – from process and policy changes, to new business models and ways of engaging stakeholders – and can be both programmatic and operational in nature. The Secretary-General has challenged all UN entities to think creatively, work collaboratively, and take smart risks. Innovation consists of doing something new and different whether solving an old problem in a new way, addressing a new problem with a proven solution, or bringing a new solution to a new problem.

"The Toolkit is designed to help UN entities accelerate and sustain innovation, regardless of the problems they are trying to solve or the “newness” of the solutions they are seeking to explore."