Skip to content
The Innovation Process
Module 5.1

Preparations for Pilot

If you are considering piloting a new solution in a real-world humanitarian environment, there are a number of preliminary activities that will help you to confirm the logic of your planned intervention, make sure that everybody involved shares the same understanding, and ensure that you uncover any underlying assumptions that are critical to success.

You should also carry out a partnerships review as roles and responsibilities can change throughout the innovation journey, and the partners that you might have worked with on Recognition, Adaptation or Invention activities might not necessarily have a role to play in the Pilot stage. Conversely you may need to bring on board new partners in order to implement your solution successfully in a real-world environment.

Finally, responsible and effective management practice in the Pilot stage requires consideration of ethics and oversight. We recommend that you review your risk management and compliance mechanisms, and determine whether you need to put in place a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to provide additional guidance and oversee your pilot design and implementation.

Activities

5.1 A Develop a Theory of Change
This activity will help you to develop a systems-view of how you believe your solution will contribute to change.
5.1 B Review assumptions
This activity is design to facilitate a deeper analysis of your Theory of Change, with a focus on uncovering any assumptions that have been made during the Theory of Change process.
5.1 C Review partnerships
This activity is intended to help you think through your partnerships and your different needs, roles and responsibilities in the Pilot stage, and to understand how your relationship with partners might need to change as your journey continues.
5.1 D Determine ethics and oversight requirements
This primer will help you to assess your organisational risk management and compliance mechanisms, and decide whether you need to put in place a Technical Advisory Group (TAG).