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The Innovation Process
Module 3.1

Preparations for Adaptation

Assess absorptive capacity and adaptation requirements

Once you have found a solution, or multiple solutions, that you think can be applied to your problem, you will need to understand two things: how well your organisation is equipped to absorb new solutions in general, and the degree of adaptation likely required for your found solution/s in particular.

To understand whether your organisation can easily adjust to a new way of working that adopting and adapting a new solution or idea entails, you will need to assess whether you have a culture that is open to new ideas and the types of systems and processes that can accommodate change and allow for the flexibility necessary to absorb new solutions. To understand adaptation requirements, you will need to map the changes that might be required for the solution itself, your organisation, and other actors in the context.

To help you do this, we provide instructions for carrying out an Absorptive Capacity Audit, and we introduce an Adaptation Requirements Table to provide a single overview of all of the adaptation requirements needed to successfully introduce your preferred solution. We use other methods, tools and activities in this module to generate the information necessary to complete this table, providing a single document to assist in decision making.

Activities

3.1 A Determine absorptive capacity
This activity will help you understand how well your organisation seeks, absorbs and applies new knowledge so you can judge how difficult it will be for your organisation to adopt your identified solution.
3.1 B Start mapping adaptation requirements
This activity will help you gather and analyse potential changes required to the solution, your organisation, and in the
local context.