UN Innovation Network

Our new edition of the 𝐔𝐍 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 2024 is out now! 📣 As opportunities for positive impact widen, the United Nations is stepping up with forward-looking innovative solutions that are reshaping our approach to tackling global challenges. With insights from 4️⃣0️⃣ UN Entities, this new edition showcases how:  🏥 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is using #AI to analyse data from health posts to forecast family planning needs and improve healthcare services. 📍 Giga - a joint initiative by International Telecommunication Union and UNICEF is empowering governments to geolocate schools and monitor real-time internet connectivity. 🆔 UN Digital ID - now live in four UN Entities - is laying the foundation for a universal digital identity system for the UN workforce. 📈 UN 2.0 | United Nations Action Plan is calling on UN Entities to integrate capabilities in #innovation, #digital, #data, #behavioural science and #foresight into strategic plans and programmes, mainstream and strengthen expertise; and support leadership development in these areas. …and many more initiatives that highlight the #UN’s growing ability to leverage new approaches to advance progress towards the #SDGs. 📖 Read the Innovation Update: https://lnkd.in/dR_k84FD, to discover what’s possible when we think differently. Join the UN Innovation Network to contribute and continue learning more about #Innovation within the UN: https://lnkd.in/ewa27m8s The Beyond Lab at UN Geneva United Nations ESCAP FAO International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) International Monetary Fund IOM - UN Migration International Trade Centre ITCILO International Telecommunication Union UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) United Nations Global Compact United Nations Global Pulse United Nations OCHA UN Tourism UNDP UN Environment Programme UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency UNICC UNICRI - United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute UNICEF UNIDO United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) Universal Postal Union World Food Programme World Health Organization World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO World Meteorological Organization

✨ How does our relationship with time shape our organizational culture and impact our ability to think beyond the immediate? Do you feel daily demands and short-term goals are eclipsing your long-term vision and creativity? ✨ Join us for the session “Gather Round: A Fireside Chat to Discuss Temporal Imagination,” where we will explore the concept of temporal imagination and its implications for organizational transformation: https://lnkd.in/eSDMdFTd ⏳ The second session of the Department of the Possible Series, hosted by UN Global Pulse, the UN Innovation Network, and The Beyond Lab at UN Geneva, will immerse you in a fresh, visionary dialogue about time. Together, we’ll dive into how temporal imagination can enhance innovation and move our organizational cultures to be more forward-thinking, inspiring new ways of working across the UN system and beyond. 🔹 What to expect: In this interactive session, we’ll delve into how our relationship with time influences our work and creativity. You’ll have the opportunity to hear from inspiring experts who challenge traditional ideas of time, productivity and effectiveness. The discussion will also explore how we can acknowledge, value and weave non-Western and Indigenous perspectives on time into our design processes, offering insights to balance the demands of short-term crises with the pursuit of long-term visions. 💥 Who we will hear from: We will hear from a diverse group of people, including Gustavo Nogueira de Menezes, Founder of the Temporality Lab, Delphine Dall'Agata, Associate Programme Officer and lead on the Slow Learning initiative at ITCILO,  Vinicius Feitosa, Regional Information Management Officer at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and Özge Aydogan, Director of The Beyond Lab, each offering a unique perspective on how the role of time influences our work, cultures and ability to innovate. 📅 Join the fireside chat: Hosted by Hanna Thomas Uose alongside Lauren Parater and Ruth Blackshaw, the gathering will be held on 17 December, 15.00 CET / 9.00 EST. We also understand it’s a busy moment of the year. If you can’t make it, you can still register and we will send you the recording + materials so you can explore the session when it is most convenient for you. 🔗 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eSDMdFTd 🔥 Come with a hot drink, get comfortable, and join us around the virtual campfire as we explore how rethinking our relationship to time can open up new possibilities for innovation and impact in our work. We hope to see you there! 📽️ If you missed the first Department of the Possible Gathering: Imagination as Essential Work, you can rewatch the session here: https://lnkd.in/embg9Ed5 #Temporality #Innovation #Creativity #UnitedNations #UN2Point0

🌟 This year, we've introduced a new element to our UN Innovation Fellowship - the 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤. This track provides an opportunity for Fellows to take on leading roles in peer pods (small learning groups) and to sharpen their skills in participatory facilitation and digital tools as peer hosts. A big thank you to our wonderful hosts Gagan V. Helen Clarissa Schlüter Fabiola Kouakou Gabriela Spaizmann Anvar Aminov Shanice Da Costa Hannah-Sophie Wahle Juliana Maziero Castro Flavia Reale Aoife Harte Nathalie Delorme and Aziret Z. for joining us in this experiment and learning together with us. Thank you for stepping up to lead the pods and guide peers through this learning journey by facilitating discussions💬, encouraging new ways of thinking💡, and exploring new approaches to our work within the United Nations🌎 Your dedication and initiative are making a real difference not only in the Fellowship but also in fostering a more innovative #UN community. #UN2Point0 #Innovation

REMINDER: UNICEF Venture Fund Call Applications | Up to USD $100k grant funding Focus Areas: - Digital trust - Misinformation and disinformation - Data generation, collection and analysis Who Should Apply? - Start-ups in emerging economies using open-source frontier technology. - Women-led or founded companies and youth-led companies are highly encouraged to apply. Deadline: 23 December How to apply 👉🏾 uni.cf/DataAndTrust Read full application criteria by clicking above.

In this week’s #UNIN fellowship Hive session on Storytelling and Prototyping our Ideas for Change, we discovered that storytelling isn't just about pitching ideas - “𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲”⚙️ (as United Nations Global Pulse like to say!). It’s about connecting with the narratives that drive behavior. 💡 Quick Tip - Focus on the “why” behind your ideas to inspire and engage others. Thank you to Ariana Monteiro from United Nations Global Pulse, Amani Bathily from The Beyond Lab at UN Geneva for sharing your wisdom and enlarging our perspectives on what storytelling for innovation looks like.  We also had the opportunity to learn from Eduardo Belinchon de la Banda from Hope Studio about prototyping and learnt that we can prototype processes, experiences, workshops, products, and more. We are excited to launch a Design Studio for Fellows to support them in iterating and testing their ideas in the coming weeks watch this space for more info 🙂 and big thanks to Eduardo Belinchon de la Banda for guiding us on this journey.

📣🎉 Exciting learning opportunity for all! The United Nations Digital Community is dedicating this month to the topic of #Digital Skills – here's your chance to #Register for the online session this Thursday! 🔽 📅 November 21st, 9 AM ET | Digital Skills Learning Session: Designing inclusive digital products and programmes The session will introduce you to UNICEF’s GenderTech Toolkit, which supports teams in building digital solutions with a gender lens, and UNDP’s Digital Fitness Programme – a training which empowers teams to confidently design and implement digital solutions with the user at the centre. 📍#Register for your spot now! Don't miss this chance to learn about designing inclusive digital solutions, products and programs. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gVAP56wH 👉 And in case you missed it, watch the #recap of the first session in this series to explore key themes from this year's Digital Skills Forum, and learn more about UNSSC’s free UN 2.0 e-learning path which Digital module has just launched! Discover these key insights and more from the first session: 💡 Digital skills are no longer nice to have, but a necessity. By 2030, 90% of all jobs will require some level of digital skills. 🧠 Fluency in English requires knowing at least 30% of the language; similarly, digital fluency doesn’t mean mastering every skill at 100% to contribute meaningfully. Watch the recap now: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g4T2nw3F 🚀 Not part of the UN Digital Community yet? Join now to connect with this community of colleagues across the UN system interested in digital transformation. 🔗 https://bit.ly/JoinUNDC UN Innovation Network #DigitalforGood #DigitalImpact #UnitedNations

This week in our #UNIN Fellowship Hive, we got to learn from Katja Bouman about Human-Centred Design (HCD) and its role in driving innovation💡 #HCD 🧠 offers a powerful framework for approaching our fellow's Learning Questions - helping us not only understand the world around us but also reimagine solutions with empathy, creativity, and purpose  as we continue designing for change in the UN 2.0 Our Fellows are now applying their design mindsets as they explore and experiment with knotty learning questions like: How can we build a culture of experimentation that encourages learning through failure? How might we reach out to those who are further left behind and don't have digital access? How can we promote a listening environment in the UN in creative ways? Thank you, Katja, for sharing your expertise and inspiring our Fellows with real-world examples from the WFP Innovation Accelerator! #UNIN #Innovation #HCD

Learn how to better leverage digital to enhance efficiency, foster collaboration, and amplify results with UNSSC’s Digital Fundamentals Module in our UN 2.0 Learning Path!    In today’s fast-paced digital world, keeping up with new digital ways of working and technologies and integrating them into our projects is a challenge. However, increasing the impact of the UN means welcoming change and taking each opportunity to improve.    Don’t wait any longer, start building your #QuintetofChange skillset now!     Open to all #UNPersonnel and being made available for FREE on the Blue Line: https://lnkd.in/dDC58Vxa     A special thank you to our partners UNDP, UN Innovation Network, UNICEF Digital Technology, UNICEF Innovation, and the UNHCR Innovation Service and the UNHCR Digital Service.   #UNSSC #QuintetofChange #Digital  #UNTwoZero #UnleashYourPotential Gerda Binder Alexandra Tyers-Chowdhury Mayuri Bhattacharjee Michael Ronan Nique Johanna Jochim Berin McKenzie Liyaan Sataravala Cecilia Ferraro Titin Carlotta Monge

🌐 Building Digital Skills for a Future-Ready Workforce Developing strong digital skills is key to building future-ready organisations, enabling us to navigate and make the most of new digital solutions and approaches. The UN Digital Community is dedicating this month to the topic of hashtag #DigitalSkills and invites members to join their two-part event series 💡🔽 📅 November 14th, 9 AM ET Join us for a session with Susan Teltscher, Head of the Capacity and Digital Skills Division at International Telecommunication Union, as she shares key insights from this year’s Digital Skills Forum and introduces the updated Digital Skills Toolkit. We’ll also hear from Berin McKenzie, Head of the Knowledge Centre for Leadership and Management at United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) who will present the new UN 2.0 Fundamentals E-Learning Path on Digital—an exciting opportunity to upskill for all UN colleagues. Register now: https://lnkd.in/eeEyFh-n 📅 November 21st, 9 AM ET In this follow-up learning session, we’ll explore “How to Design Inclusive Digital Products and Programs”. Gerda Binder, Senior Advisor on Gender & Technology at UNICEF, will introduce UNICEF’s GenderTech Toolkit created to support teams in building digital solutions with a gender lens. Jose Medina, Digital Innovation Specialist at UNDP, will share insights from UNDP’s Digital Fitness Program, which empowers teams to create user-centred digital solutions. Sign up now: https://lnkd.in/eQKtRnrP Join the UN Digital Community to stay in the loop: https://bit.ly/JoinUNDC UN 2.0 | United Nations #UNDC #Upskilling #CapacityBuilding #InclusiveDesign #TechForGood #UN #Innovation

🌍📲 How can #technology empower young people without widening the digital divide? UNICEF Innovation’s digital initiative, #FunDoo, is answering this question by providing young people with access to a digital life coach that delivers essential skills in an accessible, engaging way! 👉 What is FunDoo? First launched in #India, FunDoo is a digital life coach that delivers a gamified, bite-sized curriculum, equipping young people with critical 21st-century skills through real-world tasks. 📱 With a focus on accessibility, FunDoo is designed for low bandwidth and mobile literacy, making it a powerful tool for #YouthEducation everywhere, without deepening digital disparities. This inspiring project serves as an ally for #youth, offering valuable guidance on everything from career development and mental health to climate action, vaccine awareness, gender-based violence, and much more! By providing real, actionable tasks, it prepares young people to seize opportunities and navigate today’s complex challenges. 💪 With this initiative, young people are better able to: 🔹 Build the skills they need to make informed decisions and face a rapidly changing world with confidence. 🔸 Gain valuable access to a wide range of topics that promote responsible citizenship and personal growth. 🔹 Achieve their potential as empowered, informed, and engaged individuals ready to shape their futures. 🚀 FunDoo’s impact has been growing rapidly – and it now reaches a community of #1million users across 14 countries! With over 180 simple, engaging tasks, FunDoo’s reach and resources have expanded beyond #India, transforming it into a global solution for youth development. 🎬 Watch the video below to learn more from our colleagues at UNICEF! To explore FunDoo and learn about its impact, visit their website here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g5QcHBwd With many thanks to the inspiring team behind this initiative: UNICEF Innovation Hira Hafeez-Ur-Rehman Adriana G. Ali Danish Anurati Srivastva Swati Shelar Andre M. *** 👉 Want to see more? We’ll be featuring more inspiring stories of the impactful work in data, digital, innovation, behavioral science, foresight, and culture across the UN. Follow us now at UN 2.0 | United Nations for more exciting news! UN Innovation Network #UNTwoZero #UNGA79 #UNGA #UnitedNations #AIForGood #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #Data #Foresight #BehaviouralScience #SDGs