dcm 100-day innovation challengehttpassets...innovation team are also included in this report. the...
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DCM 100-day innovation challenge
final report(abridged)
geneva 2018
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Contents
executive summary 4the case for change 6the DCM innovation paradigm 8innovation team 9core process 10handover letter 16about the authors 18appendix 20• web sources 20• further reading 21• feasibility reviews 23• our first mind-map 35
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executive summaryArtificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer constrained to the domain of the imagination. It is there when you are programming the satnav, starting the car, looking back at us in the rearview mirror – literally and figuratively – and has the potential to fundamentally reshape our way of living and working. The intersection at which we now stand is pivotal: we may seek out reasons to reject AI and maintain the status quo, we may move forward too quickly and lose time and resources to experimental technologies, or we may seek out the balance of harnessing the benefits in lower risk areas by adopting the more mature solutions available. To make the right decisions for our Division, our clients and the delivery of our mandates, the first step is to stay informed.
The DCM 100-Day Challenge was initiated with the objective of identifying a "systematic channel or mechanism to capture knowledge of technological developments, ensure we keep it up-to-date by constantly scanning the environment, analyse it and use it to help shape the strategies and policies of the Division". Faced with this challenge, the Innovation Team launched a 100-day mission to scan the external environment, analyse technological advancements, engage with comparable service providers and prepare an archetype to operationalize this periscope. The outcome of this analysis is a paradigm with three core components:
find It Methods identified on where and how to source information on conference management trends.
evaluate ItTechniques determined to review the applicability and impact of these developments on DCM Services.
communicate itChannels to be set up to ensure the right DCM audience receives relevant information in a concise and digestible format.
The proposed solutions within these three pillars range from simple time-tested methods (e.g. collaboration platforms, newsletters, journal subscriptions) to the more complex (e.g. crowdsourcing, ideation technologies and AI-powered client assistants). Their presentation is such that DCM leadership can take a "pick and mix" approach, selecting the combination that will best fit the Division’s appetite for risk, effort and projected benefits.
Underpinning this proposed framework is an agile configuration of the Innovation Team, adroit and ready to set the work in motion. The team's role will be not just to source information on trends, but to develop and communicate a realistic view of evolving technologies: honestly assessing limitations, and scouting for any unsettled regulatory and ethical issues that might need to be navigated. Examples of outputs that would fall within the scope of this new Innovation Team are also included in this report.
The resounding conclusion of the 100-Day Challenge is an inescapable momentum to move from proposal to implementation with the process of finding, evaluating and communicating innovation trends impacting DCM, and from there, to feed these findings systematically into our business planning process. This synthesis of information is not the result in itself, but the impetus for a new way of working. As outputs are handed over to strategic leaders for decision-making in the context of Divisional priorities, the selected imperatives are then cascaded to action via management structures, and implemented through lateral collaboration between cross-functional teams.
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Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. Steve Jobs
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the case for change We are no longer on the brink of change emanating from technological advancements. We are already immersed in a world where software-driven machines learn to process unstructured information in meaningful ways – something that until relatively recently was the domain of humans alone. Routine activities are becoming digitized and automated technologies are taking over secondary processes. Leveraging AI, augmented reality, the Internet of Things and virtual collaboration to achieve results is becoming the new normal. Organisations are responding by reskilling and transitioning employees to non-repetitive activities that focus on value generation, and which require emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, cognitive flexibility, team collaboration and adaptive thinking, thereby repositioning people to maintain an edge over technology. Hierarchies are being dissolved and replaced with a project approach to work, where temporary task forces and collaborators connect to formulate solutions, before dissolving and reformulating in a new configuration for the next challenge.
The stronger the culture, the less corporate process a company needs. When the culture is strong, you can trust everyone to do the right thing.
Source: Airbnb, Forbes.com
We are a culture of builders. We are less afraid of making mistakes than we are
of losing opportunities by moving too slowly. Source: Facebook, Forbes Business Insider
With the sheer amount of information on technological developments and the breakneck pace of change, keeping up has become increasingly difficult. Organisations remaining in denial, staring into a black hole, often find themselves burnt up by automation and disintermediation. Those that proactively look for ways to ride the AI wave end up not only reducing costs but creating new services and products; and to do so, organisations are increasingly turning to innovation structures to guide them through this new technological terrain.
80% of all larger organizations will investigate AI in 2018. 60% of these will actually be undertaking
proofs of concept. 100% will encounter a lack of appropriately skilled employees when they reach the implementation phase…
Source: Joseph Reger, Fujitsu CTO
Adapting to these megatrends requires a shift in our work culture and innovation is just the first step. Across the organisation, we will need to relinquish the "command and control" mindset and build a work environment that is outcome-focused and trusting of its workforce. Our appetite for risk also needs to increase, making it safe for teams to innovate and fail quickly, and ensuring that this cycle is accepted as progress, thereby reinforcing the mantra that the risk of adapting too slowly is far greater than the risk of failure. Our current disconnect from these worldwide transitions already raises one risk that cannot be ignored: that of falling so far behind that the gap becomes unbridgeable.
An openness and a capacity to innovate is critical to staying relevant. Implementing a DCM innovation solution can be used as a catalyst to aid this transformation. When combined with other key elements of the business strategy, such as monitoring our mandates, staying close to the changing needs of our clients, monitoring market trends and emulating the best ideas from comparable entities, information fed through the innovation channel can form the basis
enhancing our work culture
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innovating responsiblyInnovation is promising, exciting, and often gratifying. However, it is important to go about it responsibly. It is all too easy to get caught up in the excitement and instant gratification of reducing costs and optimizing workflows through automation and then end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Responsible innovation calls for a robust analytical component tasked with conducting thorough research, assessing future impact and carefully weighing up pros and cons before taking an informed decision.
More specifically, we need to be sure that whatever we are signing up for upholds our values and does not compromise data confidentiality, the safety of our people or the security of information we might share. Additionally, we need solid assessment criteria, and, in assessing technological developments, for due consideration to be paid to the perspective of our clients, our stakeholders and our mandates to ensure that their best interests are represented.
We also need a "human-in-the-loop approach" to be included in all upcoming AI projects: In this way accountability, transparency and data protection can be ensured, and remedies promptly identified in case of error or bad decisions actuated by automated technologies. Furthermore, we need to consider the impact on our highly committed workforce, and navigate this change in a way that both leverages and respects their institutional knowledge, skills and contributions to the work of the Division.
preparing the workforce for future skills
Unwittingly, the measured pace at which organisations currently take on board new approaches does little to promote an environment in which learning for the purposes of accommodating change can flourish.
As a result, corridor talk amongst staff is often quick to leap from wonder at new technological advances to creative shut-down brought on by fear of loss of work and livelihood. Yet, in these times where financial support is restrained, and the potential for increasing the workforce with more specialised staff is limited, it is these same employees on whom the organization will also have to rely to implement the changes that
will permanently alter the way they work.
The experiences of other entities in the public and private sector, where stories of relative success are already being played out and are there to be learnt from, show that it is all
about augmentation of human productivity as opposed to complete workplace automation
and corresponding attrition.
Buzzwords like upskilling, re-purposing, and re-credentialing are splattered across press articles, academic papers and consultancy reports, but what it really comes down to is having a clear idea of business needs now and in the future, and directly alongside that, an accurate picture of the staff who will help bring these needs to fruition. We also need creative, meaningful strategies for building the capacities of these staff as well as of those whose skills lie elsewhere.
77% of IT decision-makers were confident that
employees in their organization could be trained
for the new job roles AI will create in their
business. 53% indicated that their organization has
increased training in the job functions most affected
by AI deployments.
Source: www.infosys.com/age-of-ai
of annual business planning. The art will be to filter out the best ideas, and the science will be to cascade these ideas into action at the levels of service, section and team, all the while enabling lateral collaboration through self-managing cross functional teams.
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the DCM innovation paradigminnovation process: where to focus our efforts
The key components of the DCM innovation process will include (1) Sourcing information on developments and trends (2) Evaluating the relevance of this information and its potential implications for DCM operations and (3) Actively communicating these findings to target groups within the Division. The proposed methods that fall under each of these three areas range from collaboration platforms, crowdsourcing, ideation technologies and knowledge banks, to academic partnerships and innovation conferences (see page 10).
resources: structuring for innovationConducting and evaluating research will take effort. The Innovation Team, composed of part-time resourc-es from cross-functional backgrounds and representing each DCM service, would be tasked with:
• Identifying organisational needs and existing technological offers and opportunities;• Sifting through and analysing vast troves of relevant data and sourcing the relevant
content;• Liaising and knowledge sharing with other units within the UN network (e.g. UN Global
Pulse) and with external actors (EU, academia, consultancy firms, tech companies);• Relaying its findings and formulating innovation proposals to senior management;• Keeping staff abreast of developments (via a blog, newsletter, knowledge platform, etc).
business integration: how to turn knowledge into actionThe act of being creative needs no structure. However, the process of converting this creativity into innovation presents the need for a different approach. Generating and capturing ideas is only the beginning; carrying these ideas through to implementation is the real challenge. Whilst the Innovation Team will source and synthesise information, the value of this effort is only realised when it is translated into the Divisional business plan and cascaded into action. The Innovation Team should meet with leadership/strategy focal points e.g. on a bi-monthly basis to share key findings for consideration. As leadership/strategy focal points will be in a position to combine innovation inputs with the Division's strategic priorities, mandates and client needs, they will determine which proposals will move forward to action and be cascaded into the business plan. These regular engagements would form the "drumbeat" of the innovation team’s contributions and drive the team momentum.
catalysts for modernisation: projects and quick winsIn addition to its research function, the Innovation Team would identify opportunities for internal projects and quick wins to modernise and optimise DCM work methods. The project concept would be prepared in outline format and handed over to the Leadership Team and the relevant business service/section for further review. For examples of project opportunities that can be identified in this way see page 18. Introducing innovation as a process, as a team, and as a key element of our business planning cycle can form the foundational connection between external developments, our clients’ needs and internal operations. Most importantly, it would serve as a nexus, permeating institutional silos and promoting DCM-wide innovation culture.
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so why do we need an innovation team?There will undoubtedly be critics of mobilising an innovation team. A dedicated team can stifle the creativity of other employees across the Division. The team may for example not have good insights into all business areas and limiting involvement with the idea gen-eration process to a select few is missing the point of innovation, after all, isn't innovation everybody’s job?The trouble with stating that innovation is everybody’s job is that it can be used by man-agers and influencers to adopt a hands-off approach. All too often the phrase "everyone is responsible" is taken to mean "no one is responsible". An innovation team can alleviate these issues, acting as a model and source of momen-tum. It is not sandbagged by fear of operational issues, it is encouraged to move quickly and is given space to try, experiment and fail as an accepted part of the innovation cycle (i.e. fail fast and fail cheap!). It can help establish the appropriate balance of structure by providing the necessary systems and parameters for innovation to function, whilst leaving the field open for ideas to be generated and shared. It is essential however that the inno-vation team is not isolated from the other departments and that it finds ways of enabling collaboration. Establishing an innovation team will bring energy and drive but little can be achieved without the active sponsorship and support of senior management. As Henry Ford put it, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right." The workforce will only believe that change is possible if management believe it too.
To get this right, a team of enthusiastic and tech-savvy focal points will need to be carefully selected. Guiding principles for consideration during the formation of an innovation team structure include:
Teams comprised of at least one representative from each DCM Service. Research suggests that the optimal size for an innovation team is between five and eight members, with an appointed coordinator.
It is recommended to rotate participation in the team, such that one new member rotates in/out e.g. every two to three months, rejuvenating the team and creating a pipeline of new perspectives and ideas. Interns could be considered as potential resources to provide support and input.
Participation in the team represents a role in addition to/alongside core duties (rather than a separate position). One to two full days per week need to be dedicated to innovation efforts for the duration of the assignment, with this investment of time recognised as official duties for the period concerned.
Key strengths of team members would need to include technological awareness, research skills, creativity, openness to new ideas, communication and networking skills, active listening skills, energy/drive, solution-orientation and a strong capacity for teamwork.
finding the right innovation structure
innovation team
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The high-level DCM Innovation Process consists of the following key components: 1) Find It – Research and source key information on conferencing trends and developments;2) Evaluate It – Review the relevance of each new development and its implications for DCM;3) Communicate It – Share relevant information with the right DCM audience in a meaningful and engaging way.
crowdsourcing network of UN innovation teams manual searchesengage other conference entities content search alerts UNOG Library subscriptions conferences guest speakers
evalutation by in-house team partnerships with academia ideation challenges
content strategy newsletter social media knowledge bankpodcast communication strategy website DCM focal points in-house knowledge sharing network
core innovation team process
communicate it
find it
evaluate it
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content strategy newsletter social media knowledge bankpodcast communication strategy website DCM focal points in-house knowledge sharing network
A summary of proposals under each of these three process steps is provided in this section of the report. These proposals are presented in a "mix and match" format, whereby different combinations of solutions may be selected or sequenced for implementation in a flexible manner depending on Divisional priorities. Feasibility analyses of the different options are provided in the Appendix, which includes a description of the solution, high-level implementation steps, costs/benefits of the proposal, critical success factors, and case studies.
Proposed methods of researching and sourcing key information on conferencing trends and developments are described below. Click on the links (in pdf) to see details of the feasibility analysis of each proposal.
Main idea: Crowdsourcing is a way of obtaining information, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, usually from an online community. Based on the premise that many heads are better than one, by canvassing a large crowd of people for ideas, information and analysis, the quality of content will be superior. Proposal: To leverage crowdsourcing platforms to solicit content on what is happening in the conference management industry, with interpretation/translation technologies etc. Contributors can be internal (DCM) and external (academic institutions, business journals, UN organizations, other major institutions (e.g. EU), industry leaders and the public at large). Information received is evaluated by in-house focal points and structured into topics or "channels" for onward communication to leadership and DCM staff.Read more in the Appendix.
Main idea: Monitor the web for content of interest and send relevant items in a single email at a frequency designated by the user. This idea complements RSS feeds ,which allow users to receive updates from subscribed sites directly to their email without constant checking for updates. Proposal: Setting up these search alerts will enable the compilation of information from thousands of sources without cluttering mailboxes, allowing users to stay ahead of key issues from a broad selection of perspectives without manually searching the web. Read more in the Appendix.
find it
crowdsourcing
content search alerts
Main idea: Participating in/organizing regular events on technological developments in conference management and translation/interpretation would provide insight into related technology and make the UN part of the conversation.Proposal: Includes multiple possible approaches:• inviting representatives of the private sector;• establishing a UN-led conference on latest technologies in conference management/ interpretation/ translation;• partnering with an existing conference or facilitating staff participation in existing conferences (with obligatory reports – see "Knowledge bank").Read more in the Appendix.
conferences and guest speakers
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network of UN innovation teamsMain idea: Silos breed solipsism and isolation, and are not conducive to innovation. Many UN System organizations have already instituted successful innovation programs, providing us with ready-made collective intelligence from which to seek inspiration, and to which DCM can contribute as well. Proposal: Developing a network of UN innovation teams across Geneva/globally sees all participating entities benefit from shared experiences in change management, implementing effective communications strategies, comparing policy/HR expertise relating to changes to organizational structure, etc. Representatives can meet periodically (e.g. quarterly) to share and discuss relevant ideas and set challenges involving additional research, data analysis, and/or impact studies. Read more in the Appendix.
collaborate with other conference entitiesMain idea: Other conference organizing entities with more complex configurations are already using AI to enhance forecasting and planning (e.g. European Commission).Proposal: DCM could set up cooperation mechanisms with these entities, the aim being to learn from others' successes and failures. Successful experiences could be emulated by creating partnerships on concrete projects. Geneva’s unique concentration of international organizations means that expertise and proximity can be harnessed for optimum outcomes. Success stories could also feed into wider implementation. Read more in the Appendix.
Main idea: The UNOG Library manages subscriptions to many tech journals, and more can be arranged. Proposal: Leverage this service as much as possible to access tech publications and other online reference services which are otherwise unavailable or of limited use due to "payment walls".
UNOG library subscriptions
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evalutions by inhouse team
Proposed methods to evaluate the relevance of each new development and its implications for DCM are described below.
Proposal: Determining which innovations are relevant for DCM necessitates a process of input validation (see Find it), ascertaining the trustworthiness of information and validating sources. Verifying origins, cross-checking references, probing generalizations and comprehensively establishing the objectivity of the information at hand is key to determining the soundness of technology, ideas and data on which decisions will be made (see Content Management Strategy).Once evaluations are complete, maintaining a repository of sources of information along and their rating, will bring added value.
ideation challengesProposal: Unite Ideas is a collaborative crowdsourcing platform shared by the United Nations, academia, civil society, and partner organizations. It runs on the Spigit software, and gamifies ideation: challenges are launched and solutions are proposed and rated by other participants. Winning solutions are rewarded by recognition and implementation. Currently, challenges are mostly technological, seeking blockchain and AI solutions, however the scope could easily be expanded to other types of challenges, and if desired, participation could focus on input from in-house sources only.
partnerships with academia
Proposal: Establishing partnerships with academic institutions to access expertise (e.g. PhD students) would assist in evaluation criteria and conducting these evaluations in collaboration with DCM representatives. Several MOUs are already in place with academic institutions that could be leveraged for this purpose.
evaluate it
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communicate it
communications & content management strategies
Proposals on how to share the right information with the right DCM audience in a meaningful and engaging way are described below. Click on the links (in pdf) for details of the feasibility analysis in the appendix.
There are several key elements inherent to the provision of useful information:• Choosing the right information, i.e. relevant, useful and valid information, from the right sources is an important step;• Maximising the audience’s attention by compiling well-structured output tailored to the audience concerned and which is at the same time concise and credible; • Promoting a "content-first" strategy that drives the choice of the output channels, with formatting that permits smarter design decisions, and avoids effort invested in formatting that fails to handle the content properly. Read more in the Appendix.
collaboration/communication platforms Making innovation social increases collaboration, communication and knowledge sharing while making it relevant and engaging for the staff. Currently, there are many online collaboration tools which focus on making communication easier and allow the teams to engage instantly in a secure and social environment. The tools promote the sharing of ideas, participation in conversations, and more personal rather than official team interaction. They resemble social networks such as Facebook, however they are designed and adapted for the workplace (e.g. Yammer). Read more in the Appendix.
knowledge bankContent management systems (CMS) have functionality that covers all aspects of the lifecycle of organisational information. Content can be distributed through different channels (web pages, mobile devices, news feeds, newsletters) and related publishing can be scheduled and expired. Furthermore, CMS' search functionality allows content to be found, partially automating tasks related to the management of information. For innovation purposes it could be used as both the engine behind our communication channels and as a searchable repository of institutional memory, knowledge and valuable information.
podcastsWith the increased use of smartphones over the recent years, podcasts have exploded in popularity. A well-conceived podcast is a powerful, portable, and personal way to deliver content. It is recommended as one of the options to communicate information on the latest technological developments and generally raise awareness of new concepts and trends among DCM staff. Read more in the Appendix.
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website & social mediaThe DCM innovation environment should employ a website as one of its communication and information storage platforms. An administrator would process incoming information and publish news and analyses of technological developments for DCM staff. The website’s purpose is to maintain awareness of technological changes that may impact our work and provide information to assist management in properly assessing technology being considered for adoption by the Division. Read more in the Appendix.
newsletterDecision-makers need information and time robs them of the luxury of surfing the Internet in the search for relevant, trustworthy information. A one-page newsletter regularly emailed to subscribers informing them of the latest developments in the sphere of conference management and translation/interpretation could help meet this need. The newsletter would contain brief executive summaries or descriptions with links to the original news articles, academic papers or other similar sources. Read more in the Appendix.
focal points for cross functional collaboration
There is opportunity to enhance cross-functional collaboration across the different services, sections and processes of DCM through the introduction of focal points for lateral communication. The focal points would form an outreach arm of the Innovation Team, identifying operational improvement opportunities through cross functional dialogue and providing inputs and perspectives on improvement opportunities from an operational perspective. Read more in the Appendix.
inhouse knowledge-sharing network
Organize and/or publicize lunchtime seminars, UN library talks, and other knowledge-sharing events, whether system-wide or DCM-specific. Modelled half-way between "brown bag" lunches and UN library talks, these could provide a monthly open forum for:• techies to share recent findings;• anxiety-ridden non-techies to learn;• management to communicate strategic orientations;• colleagues to share expertise with peers. Scheduled once a month, the "network" would be a place where any question regarding technology could be debated, or presented by a guest speaker.
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hand
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erDear future Innovator, At the point of reading this letter, you will be standing at the edge of a wide uncharted expanse: a space without frontiers, full of promise, dotted with hidden pitfalls, yet rich with opportunity and reward, some expected, others spontaneous. Here are some thoughts that we would like to leave with you: consider them as you would pages from the journals of explorers, penned following a similar expedition into the unmapped horizons of innovation... Establish your space:‘The space’ is as much about a physical location, as it is the time you spend working on innovation outside of your gatherings with fellow innovators. Keep this space as the one constant in the innovation process. Make the space a safe place to generate ideas, free from objection or criticism. The time will come to critique each one in turn - use the comfort of the space to consciously consider the decision to move to that phase. Take care not to move so early as to quench the flame of collective innovation before it comes alight. Things to leave at the door of the space:• Leave behind any sense of what you think might be the right way forward:
you will draw new maps;• Cast off judgement and bias, personal or professional: suspend belief and
learn new perspectives;• Extinguish your fear: don’t be afraid to sound stupid, to ask questions, or
to make suggestions;• Leave any mobile devices outside. Things to bring into the space:• Bring in boundless supplies of Curiosity, Creativity, Energy, Flexibility,
Empathy, Mutual Respect and a constant thirst for Knowledge;• Keep remembering what not to bring in the door: ask yourself if you might
have done this? If you have, own it, communicate it and move on – some conflict is natural, but should be short-lived and productive – always.
Things to find out as soon as you are in the space:Who are you working with? Why are you all there? Everyone has a reason for being in the group and those reasons go way beyond grade, title, or who you think this person is when you carry out your day-to-day work with them – hold this thought, always – people will surprise you.
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Establish a leader – this is not about the strongest, the loudest, the smartest: it is about appointing one person who, while contributing to the work at hand themselves, will ensure the group keeps thinking without barriers, and yet remains respectful and on track – not an easy task. Appoint a deputy as well (it is lonely at the top). If you think you need a professional facilitator to get the group going – get one from day one – indecision can atrophy progress. Agree on how you will work together: Recognise what team member types you are working with (if you don’t have a facilitator, there is a plethora of teamwork material available online); Make a mindmap of what you all think you are supposed to be doing. (You will find our first mind-map in the Appendix.) Innovation is constant. State-of-the-art means that something is so new we need to find out how it works: seek the answer out, find more things like it, keep foraging. Look, listen and learn – always; Show and tell; Analyse and test: deliberately try to break your ideas; throw them to others; rework them; fit them into your plan. Practice building on the ideas of others, especially the ones you most strongly disagree with. The change of perspective is refreshing, and you may find that your thinking is not as incompatible as it first seems. And finally:What you produce – your collective ideas, your brainchild - will be exposed to thoughts, tastes and influences other than yours. Others will shape this brainchild, and in turn, this brainchild will borrow and learn from them. You won't always like it, you won't always agree. The brainchild might turn out differently from what you had in mind, but rest assured that your brainchild will turn out beautifully and you will love it just the same. Bon Voyage Ana, Bee, Christina, Daiva, Denis, Gabriella, Lisa, Meriem, Monica, Sofia, and Yustiniya
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about the authors
Meriam Alleklanguage service
Christina Balasinterpretation service
Lisa Campbellexecutive office
Denis Dominguez Corcobaproduction support service
Daiva Kazdaileexecutive office
J’aime bien cette théorie qui dit en substance que l’opinion partagée s’affirme toujours plus fréquemment, et avec plus d’assurance, réduisant l’autre voix au silence. Il s’agit de la théorie d’Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann qui date de 1974, La spirale du silence. Cette théorie est plus que jamais d’actualité, notamment à l’ère de tous ces bouleversements technologiques. Le groupe Innovation devrait avoir la faculté de ne pas être happé par la profusion d’informations sur le net, trouver le moyen de rendre la voix silencieuse audible.
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Goethe
"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings." Salvador Dali
"You're not going to make Hemingway better by adding animations." Jeff Bezos
"Imagination is the Discovering Faculty, pre-eminently. It is that which penetrates into the unseen worlds around us, the worlds of Science."
Ada Lovelace
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I have enjoyed every moment of this amazing adventure and would like to thank each and every one of you for teaching me what you did. "You will only discover you have what it takes, when you take what you have and make something happen."
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Sounds like Churchill but isn't.
Has found great inspiration learning from technologically gifted Group Members from all walks of DCM. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!
Believes that the wrong answer is just the right answer in search of a different question; honoured and inspired to be nestled between Goethe, Nietzsche, Dali and other creative beings
"The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind." Friedrich Nietzsche
"If you knew all about it, it wouldn't be the cutting edge."
(Some great mind)
Bee (Madeleine) Keyzercentral planning and support service
Yustiniya Khokhlovalanguage service
Sofia Lobanova Zicklanguage service
Ana Morgan-Casadesinterpretation service
Gabriella Pertileinterpretation service
Monica Varela Garciainterpretation service
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appendixweb sources
Going to the core with techies and geeks… https://www.theverge.com/ (if ever there was a one-stop-shop for geeky news!)https://www.forbes.com/technology/https://www.ft.com/artificial-intelligence-robotics/https://www.technologyreview.com/and https://sloanreview.mit.edu/ (MIT Review)https://hbr.org/ (Harvard Business Review)https://futurism.com/ https://www.geekwire.com/ https://gizmodo.com/ https://www.cnet.com/ https://www.gtnews.com/ https://www.topbots.com/ https://www.marketwatch.com/ https://www.wired.com/ https://www.techemergence.com/ https://blogs.microsoft.com/http://revistas.usal.es/index.php/clina/indexPlus relevant LinkedIn articles, Twitter hashtags, content search alerts and other news aggregator websites and apps.
Keeping up with consultancy giants…. https://go.forrester.com/consulting/ https://www.gartner.com/technology/consulting/ http://www.ey.com/uk/en/services/advisory https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en.html https://www.mckinsey.com/ https://www.bcg.com/ And checking in on the usual suspects… IBM, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook (Yann LeCun), OpenAI/Neuralink (Elon Musk).
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further readingThe spectrum of information reviewed by the innovation team on current trends and developments in conference management was extensive. Just click on the links in the table below to enter the realms of innovation that lie ahead for conference manage-ment...
Area Link to Article (click to open) In a few words...
AI McKinsey : Research on AI How organisations need to act now to realize AIs potential
AI HBR: How to introduce AI to your organisation
7 ways to introduce AI to an organisation
AI Forbes: Top 10 AI Technologies Forbes analysis of top 10 uses for AI currently available
AI Virtual Assistants A review of Amelia, the virtual customer service assistant
AI Forbes: AI in Use Today Examples of AI in operational use today
AI AI at the World Economic Forum AI presentation at the WEF
AI Age of AI Research report on the age of AI
AI Using artificial intelligence to cover elections
The Washington Post used artificial intelligence to cover nearly 500 races on Election Day
AI AI: The great awakening How Google used artificial intelligence to transform GoogleTranslate
AI Can Washington be automated? FiscalNote uses AI to replace human know-how for governments
AI The Fourth Industrial Revolution AI as the basis for the fourth industri-al revolution (from World Economic Forum)
AI HBR: Beyond Automation Reframing the threat of automation as an opportunity for augmentation
AI/HR HBR: Managers Aren’t Doing Enough to Train Employees for the Future
How workforces need to adapt to chang-ing environments
AI/HR McKinsey: Human Resources in the Age of Automation
Factoring HR into automation strategies
AI/HR HBR: Learning to Learn Identifying who, what and how to learn in times of change
AI/HR LinkedIn/Training Journal: The impor-tance of digitally upskilling employees
Introducing training that promotes staff growth and morale
Ideation HBR: Idea Management How to harness ideation to generate ideas and solutions
Innovation Teams Merits of innovation teams Is an innovation team necessary?
Speech recognition NYDN: Google earpiece fails to translate basic talk in Brooklyn
Google's automatic translator, unveiled in October 2017, fails the test.
Speech recognition Speech recognition is not solved Background noise and accents remain a significant obstacle to speech recognition
Terminology The terminologist today and tomorrow Interview with Rodolfo Masdivas, Head, Terminology Coordination Unit, Europe-an Parliament.
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UN Innovation UNHCR Innovation Guide Innovation guide from UNHCR innova-tion team
UN Innovation UN Innovation Network UN "innovating together" network
Voice synthesization Artificial Voice Sounds Almost Indistin-guishable from a Human's
Irish start-up Voysis makes an artificial voice that sounds almost indistinguisha-ble from a human voice
Voice technologies Finding a voice The Economist's Technology Quarter-ly provides a comprehensive overview of developments in voice recognition, machine translation, and voice synthesi-zation
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feasibility reviewscore innovation process: find it
crowdsourcingBackground
Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining infor-mation, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, usually from an on-line community. The idea behind crowdsourcing is that many heads are better than one, and that by canvassing a large crowd of people for ideas, infor-mation and analysis, the quality of the content will be superior. To find and evaluate information on trends in the conference management industry, one solution may be to crowdsource this activity, re-questing staff members and external experts to post relevant information, and then evaluating it for rele-vance and strategic importance prior to publishing it.
Summary of Innovation Concept Leverage crowdsourcing platforms to solicit con-tent on what is happening in the conference man-agement industry, with interpretation/ translation technologies etc. Contributions can be sought both internally from DCM staff and externally from ac-ademic institutions, business journals, UN organi-zations, other major institutions (e.g. EU), industry leaders and indeed the public at large. The infor-mation received can be evaluated by in-house focal points and structured into topics or "channels" for onward communication to leadership and DCM staff. It may be possible to use one platform to solicit content (e.g. Crowdcrafting) and another to pub-lish content (e.g. website, knowledge sharing plat-form, newsfeed), or to have an integrated unfiltered platform where all contributions are available to all community members (e.g. Slack), with different pros and cons to each approach. Examples of crowdsourc-ing/collaboration platforms are provided below:
Crowdcrafting Crowdcrafting is a web-based service that invites vol-unteers to contribute to scientific projects developed by citizens, professionals or institutions that need help to solve problems, analyse data or complete challenging tasks that can’t be done by machines alone and require
human intelligence. The platform is 100% open source (i.e. the software is developed and distributed freely).
Zooniverse Zooniverse is a crowdsourcing platform used pri-marily for academic research. It is one of the largest crowdsourcing platforms available and the research is conducted using volunteers.
EU WIN Knowledge Bank (built using Adobe Business Catalyst)
The EU Workplace Innovation Network developed a knowledge bank of information on workplace in-novation including articles, case studies and prac-tical guides. The way it works is that members of the public set up a free user profile, and can then access the content. There is also the ability to up-load documents, which are moderated by admin-istrators before appearing on the platform. Cur-rent content has been collected over a 4-year period.
Slack Slack is a collaboration platform that lets users message and discuss topics, which are separated into "channels." Within each channel, users can then share files, links, feeds etc. Notifications can then be set up based on user preferences (e.g. channels, keywords) and it can be in-tegrated with other services (e.g. google drive, drop box, mail chimp) to manage content and communications. One potential use would be to set up internal chan-nels to allow UN staff members to contribute content which could then by monitored by an administrator.
Implementation Planning The proposed steps to implement a crowdsourc-ing capacity to solicit and evaluate information on conference management trends are as follows: a) Define the objective and scope of the task that will be crowdsourced. E.g. What type of information is required? What topics are of interest? Are critical evaluations required?
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b) Identify focal points to manage the platform. c) Prepare instructions to contributors. d) Evaluate crowdsourcing tools available and select a preferred platform. e) Identify the target audience from whom we will crowdsource information f) Create a structured communications plan to ef-fectively reach this audience, including e.g. outreach to academic institutions, journals, UN organisations and industry leaders. g) Launch the platform, post ideas to demonstrate the types of content required, evaluate contributions received, run crowdsourcing contests etc. h) Engage with contributors and provide feedback on their contributions i) Assemble the information received and structure it for consumption by DCM audience
Potential Costs of Implementation • Depending on the platform selected, licensing costs may apply. For example, Crowdcrafting is free, Slack has a basic version that is free or a more advance ver-sion that costs between EUR 6.25 – 11.75 per active user per month. Adobe business catalyst costs $21 per month for 3 users, but may also involve other website development costs. • Time would be required from in-house focal points to solicit, manage, evaluate and publish content • Care would need to be taken to ensure all copyright regulations are adhered to.
Possible Benefits of Implementation • The end product has the potential to include an ex-pansive range of information. Crowdsourcing allows you to select the best result from a sea of "best en-tries", as opposed to receiving the best entry from a single provider. • Develop network of external experts and leverage internal knowledge to develop a shared knowledge platform. • Involves the whole DCM workforce and can stim-ulate discussion internally about future trends and how they can be leveraged/ how they may impact us.
Critical Success Factors • This solution would require a comprehensive internal and external communications strategy. The external strategy would be needed to build networks of experts to contribute content, and the internal strategy to solicit staff contributions and encourage staff to access and make use of the information published.
• Requires time and effort of in-house focal points to set up the technical platform, conduct outreach, elicit responses, evaluate content in the context of business strategy and structure it for consumption by DCM leadership and staff. Conclusion Crowdsourcing is a viable option to source rel-evant information on conference management trends. It is low cost as many of the available plat-forms are free, however it would require the time of in-house focal points to solicit and evaluate con-tributions, and may need to be combined with an-other communication method to disseminate the information received (e.g. website, newsletter).
Case Studies and Demos• https://crowdcrafting.org/ Uses volunteers to provide online assistance in per-forming tasks that require human cognition, knowl-edge or intelligence. • www.zooniverse.org This platform was used to crowdsource a digitiza-tion-indexing project by of UNOG library. https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/nshreyasvi/league-of-nations-in-the-digital-age • EU WIN Knowledge Bank (built using Adobe Busi-ness Catalyst). Register with user name and password to access all content. http://portal.ukwon.eu/euwin-knowledge-bank-menu-new • Slack. Currently used as the collaboration platform for Young UN. A demo is available on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dep7HvMdrso&feature=you-tu.be
Further Reading Harvard Business Review: Why Crowdsourcing Succeeds or Fails (Feb 2017) https://hbr.org/2017/02/why-some-crowdsourcing-efforts-work-and-others-dont
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content search alerts
Background There is a lot of stuff on the Internet. Maybe too much stuff and according to IBM Marketing Cloud Study 90% of the data on the internet has been creat-ed since 2016. Currently, there are 656 million tweets per day, more than 130,000 LinkedIn posts a week from professionals in top content-demanding indus-tries such as tech, financial services and higher edu-cation, as well 200-500 daily online stories and vid-eos from each major newspaper and journal, i.e. the Washington Post, the New York Times, BuzzFeed etc.
Summary of Innovation Concept While RSS feeds allow users to receive updates from subscribed sites directly to their email without the need to check particular sites for updates, content search alerts monitor the web for content of chosen interest and send the collection of news in one email daily or as often as required. The alerts compile in-
Name Link to set-up Cost Content sources Additional features
Google Alerts http://www.goog-le.com/alerts
Free Blogs, forums, websites
Talkwalker https://www.talk-walker.com/alerts
Free Blogs, forums, websites, Twitter
Multiple languages, simultaneous/daily/weekly notifications
Nexis Alerts https://www.talk-walker.com/alerts
Free notification set up at UNOG Library (Contact person – Rachel
Forman)
News, social me-dia, industries/ markets reportsCompanies/ or-ganizations reportscountry reports, regulatory/le-gal sources
formation from thousands of sources without clutter-ing emailboxes and from sources that users may not otherwise follow. It allows the users to keep abreast of key issues without the need to search across the Web.
Implementation planning To subscribe to alerts, the user should: Visit each service provider below and subscribe to the content of interest by entering keywords, contact in-formation, and parameters for frequency, language, etc.
Conclusion Content search alerts are a simple way to track a particu-lar topic and have all relevant information automati-cally delivered to the user's mailbox in any time frame. The only effort on user’s part will be to simply set up the alert and then read/review the daily/weekly email.
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Background Participation in or organizing of a regular (annual) event on technological changes in conference man-agement and translation/interpretation would pro-vide the UN with insight into the recent developments in the field and make the UN part of the conversation. The lowest-cost scenario would be to invite speakers (like the UNOG Library already does) on topics of rel-evance for the DCM.
Summary of Innovation Concept (options) • Invite representatives from the private sector that have valuable proposals to UN internal meetings and conferences (IAMLADP, JIAMCATT) and CIUTI. • Establish a UN-led conference on the latest technologies in conference management/interpretation/translation. • Partner with an existing conference. • Facilitate staff participation in existing conferences (with obligatory reports – see "Knowledge bank") • Invite speakers to the UN
Implementation Planning 1. low-investment scenario. Invite speakers to the UN (several talks a year on recent developments in con-ference management/ translation/ interpretation) 2. medium-investment scenario. Send staff to at-tend events (every 1-2 months) as speakers and participants (learn from others, participate in dis-cussions, present UN know-hows). This will re-quire the introduction of a knowledge-management system so that well-tagged mission reports could be accessible to all staff. $5,000-7,000 on average 3. high-investment scenario. Establish a world leading UN-based (two-day) conference a) own conference (it will take several years to turn it into an "it" industry event) b) in partnership with one of the key events in the sphere on the condition that one day is dedicated to conference management and the other — to transla-tion and interpretation (in return, premises for free, for example)
Human resources Whether it is decided to establish a UN-based confer-ence or not, researching the leading industry events will be necessary, as will be sending members of DCM to participate in them. To organize our own event, a team will be needed (full-time). Partnering would not require a full-time team, if it is
so arranged that the partner-conference is respon-sible for all the organizational aspects, and the UN provides the venue in return.
Benefits and Risks • Exchange of knowledge; • Interaction with researchers and practitioners;• Big-picture vision for the participating staff (to boost crowd-sourced innovation);• Forefront technology and expertise delivered to the UN.
Critical Success Factors • Prior screening of private sector participants/guests and the technology they represent will be necessary. • Integration and compatibility must be prioritized.
Case Studies and Demos CIUTI’s next conference in Edinburgh entitled "Translation and Interpreting in an era of demograph-ic and technological change: Innovations in research, practice and training" looks interesting for example.
Examples of conferences:• ICHLT, 28-29 June 2018: 20th International Conference on Human Language Technology SpeechTEK, 9-11 April 2018 • ASLING TC40, 15-16 November 2018 • CIUTI, 30-31 May 2018 - Translation and Interpreting in an era of demographic and technological change: Innovations in research, practice and training
Possible invited speakers:• Prof. Dr. Roberto Navigli - co-PI of a Google Focused Research Award on NLP; BabelNet; Babelscape; Marco Somalvico 2013 AI*IA Prize for the best young researcher in AI • Prof. Dr. Alexander Waibel - director of the International Center for Advanced Communication Technologies (interACT) • Dieter Rummel - Head of the Informatics Unit in the Directorate General for Translation (DGT) • Henry Liu – President of the International Federation of Translators (FIT)
Further Reading List of upcoming conferences: https://multilingual.com/events/
conference and speakers
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Background In a world of rapid change, organizations struggle continuously with establishing a curriculum of inno-vation and implementation. Embracing the new wave of the technical revolution as a lone wolf slows the learning curve and increases the chances of failure.
Summary of Innovation Concept Nobody succeeds in a silo, at least very rarely, and in today’s globalized environment institutions are often no longer developing innovations in a vacuum. Multi-ple UN System organizations already have successful innovation programs, why not leverage the power of collective intelligence? While DCM provides unique conference management services, a network of UN innovations teams across Geneva or even global-ly may enable us to benefit from shared experienc-es (what went well and the lessons learned), change management and effective communications strat-egies, policy/HR expertise on changes to organiza-tional structure, and so much more. The representa-tives could meet periodically (e.g. quarterly) to share and discuss the relevant ideas and set homework if need be for additional research, data analysis, and/or impact. Alternatively, DCM management could join the existing UN Innovation Network to gain in-sight and seek to scale-up innovative approaches.
Implementation Planning The following international organizations have already formed innovation observatories with-in their structures and could share their experi-ences of innovation that did not work as intend-ed, and the insights gained through this failure. a) UNHCR Innovation Service. It facilitates in-novation in UNHCR and aims to promote ref-ugee-led innovation across the world (please see report on field visit to UNHCR office).
b) UN Innovation Network (UNIN). An informal network of close to 30 UN agencies and departments of the UN. It meets quarterly to share learnings and advance discussions on innovation across agencies.c) IdeaSquare. It is an innovation hub at CERN, which aims to bring together people from many fields, to generate new ideas and work on concep-tual prototypes related to detector research in an open, collaborative environment. It brings togeth-er CERN personnel, visiting students, and external project collaborators from the domains of research, technology development and education. It also con-tributes to CERN’s Knowledge Transfer Group, helping them to shape and innovate new product ideas into socially and globally relevant activities. d) UN Technology Innovation Labs. The establish-ment of the first United Nations Technology Inno-vation Lab (UNTIL) was launched on Thursday 30 November 2017 in partnership with Aalto Uni-versity campus in Finland. Two more labs will be launched in 2017 in Asia and Africa, and the glob-al network will continue to grow in 2018. Although quite new, UNTIL labs create a platform for prob-lem-solving between the UN, private sector, aca-demia and civil society, with the help of start-ups. e) WHO Health Innovation Group. It is a volun-tary group of interested WHO colleagues who joint-ly promote and pursue health innovation within the Organization. The group also strives to promote WHO’s image and position on health innovation to the outside world. WHIG is open to all WHO staff and it offers an open forum on health innovation.
Further Reading www.until.un.org (in development) https://home.cern/tags/ideasquare http://www.unhcr.org/innovation/ http://www.who.int/life-course/about/who-health-innova-tion-group/en/
learning from existing UN innovation teams
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Background Other conference organizing entities are already using new technologies, for example the Europe-an Commission is partnering with MIT on an AI project for conference planning and forecasting.
Summary of Innovation Concept Using AI to predict conference patters based on past experience: for UNOG it would adjust the con-ference calendar (a static document) agreed in the Committee on Conferences in NY to the real con-ference patterns observed at UNOG. AI would allow us to draw on past behaviour by our cli-ents (cancellations, additions, language combina-tion changes etc.) when forecasting and planning.
Implementation Planning a) Visit to the EU already working on such a project to learn about its potential for UNOG in order to analyse the business case. b) If found valuable, present to DCM senior manage-ment for an initial green light. c) Study the implications of cooperating with MIT (legal, financial aspects etc.) and the European Com-mission. d) Present project documentation for formal approval by DCM senior management. e) Secure financial and human resources and appoint a project coordinator.
Business Impact of the Change • Process Impact: Manual updates of the conference calendar that are often done late or after the actual change happened would be avoided from the start. DCM clients would be better served as the conference planning and forecasting will reflect their actual needs. • Technology Impact: E-meets would be impacted and all other applications depending on e-meets for the import of data.
Pros• Project is not developed from scratch, UNOG can cooperate with a big conference organizing entity like the European Commission where the conference calendar is far more complex than at UNOG • It will allow us to cooperate with a recognized academic entity such as MIT and might be the start of a fruitful cooperation on other projects as well. • Maximization of the use of resources as a result of better planning and forecasting
Cons• Might be seen as a disruption to current methodology and workflows. • Resistance to change
Critical Success Factors • Buy-in by DCM senior management • Practical support by CPCS to run it as a pilot (avoiding heavy bureaucratic approval procedures) • Resources • Memorandum of agreement or some other form of understanding with MIT and if needed with the European Commission
Other Considerations It might require a legal opinion about the feasi-bility of cooperation with an academic institution such as MIT; May also entail some licensing (to be determined). There will be low risk data sharing.
Conclusion Viability and feasibility to be determined after first visit to Brussels.
Case Studies and Demos The EU Commission is implementing the pilot. As it is a pilot, lessons learnt from their experience might be limited for now. The other option would be to wait and see the results obtained by the European Commission.
collaboration with other conference entities
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core innovation process: communicate itcommunications and content management strategyBefore proceeding with a broad spectrum on in-formation dissemination, there is a need to clear-ly articulate the communications and content management strategy on the innovation solution.
Providing useful information to an audience is quite an experience that can be very rewarding … or not. The audience could be interested in some-thing else or not able to grasp the information cor-rectly. Sometimes the matter is not appealing or te-dious, and there is seemingly not much one can do. But not much is not nothing. There is always something that can be done to draw the audience’s attention, if not to get it interested in the information. And attention should be paid beforehand to key questions, such as: is the infor-mation relevant, i.e. useful for the time and the audience chosen? Is the information well presented, portioned and structured? What about the presentation channel?
Input validationOf course it all starts with the very initial question whether the information is valid, truthful and use-ful for at least part of the audience. In a time where everybody has the technical means to present them-selves to the entire Internet and subsequently to the entire world, fake news has become ubiquitous.It is therefore all the more important to have some sort of strategy for choosing information that meets the criteria of validity and trustworthiness before check-ing whether it is also relevant and useful. Some ques-tions that may contribute to establishing a set of good practices when choosing information sources are:
1. What is the intended audience? Consider also the tone, style, level of information, and assumptions the author makes about the reader;2. Is the content of the source fact, opinion, or propa-ganda? If there are facts, are their sources mentioned?3. Is the subject comprehensively covered?4. Is the language objective or emotional?5. Is the matter overstated or oversimplified through generalisations?6. Is the source timely?7. Can the information be cross-checked?Source: Purdue University Online Writing Lab: Evaluating Sources of Information (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/3/)
As a general, common sense rule it should be useful to keep track of good sources of infor-mation as well as of bad sources of information.In the case of online content, check the author, the type of website, its home page ("about us"), sponsor, etc. Source: Stylebook, Choosing credible sources (https://www.ivcc.edu/stylebooks/stylebook6.aspx?id=14724)
OutputAs already mentioned, there are several key ques-tions about making the provision of useful infor-mation a rewarding experience. Choosing the right information, i.e. relevant, useful and valid informa-tion, from the right sources is a very important step. If the goal is to maximise the audience’s attention, that step should be followed by compiling a well-struc-tured output to be managed and further present-ed to the audience in the right way and amount. A solid and comprehensive content strategy is needed.
Content strategyA good content strategy would ideally address how the content is gathered and processed to become use-ful, timely, relevant and sustainable.Important aspects are:1. Intended audience: like the content itself, the au-dience can vary as not everyone is interested in everything or in the same way.2. Structure: different pieces of content can be inter-related and such relations should be reflected in the output.3. Maintenance: who and how maintains the content4. Lifecycle: when is content expired, e.g. if an inno-vation idea is implemented and becomes status quo, then there is no need to present it anymore as an idea.5. Classification: there might be constraints that affect the content publication6. Feedback: how are we doing? How do we know how we are doing?
Content publishing:
From this day forward, it’s going to be ...In IT development, there is a principle: Business drives IT that simply states that software should always im-plement business rules and not the other way around. Software development that happens ahead of having gathered all the required business information will be
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based on uninformed and therefore likely bad decisions.Similarly, the choice of output channels, presenta-tion and formatting should be focused on the in-formation. A Content-first strategy that drives the choice of the output channels and format will allow for smarter design decisions, and avoid working on a formatting that fails to handle the content properly.There are other aspects that have an impact on the presentation, such as the question of the accessibility, which is related to the aspect of the intended audience.
Moving forwardAs discussed, providing useful information can be a very rewarding experience if the information is well structured, portioned and presented so that the interest and/or the size of the audience are kept at a maximum.If this exercise is to be done repeatedly, using a Con-tent Management System becomes a must. CMS’ help manage different aspects of content, such as lifecy-
collaboration/ communication platforms
cle, categories, reuse, structure, channels, feedback and more. By providing different roles, the produc-tion of content is not limited to those who publish it. Thus, content editors can enter information while content moderators will ultimately decide wheth-er it is published and when. A CMS can generate automatic news feeds and newsletters, and many are themed, which gives them the ability to change the rendering according to accessibility standards.DCM/PSS/ITS has focused along the last years in de-veloping capacity for developing sites based on Drupal (https://www.drupal.org/), an Open Source CMS that runs the iSeek website (https://iseek-external.un.org/main) and will run the future UNOG web site as well.
Background Teamwork is one of the most important aspects of the modern workplace. When we collaborate as a team, the sum is always greater than the individ-ual parts taken alone. However, the teams often work in the different fields or remotely from each other; therefore, collaboration becomes a daunt-ing task. While email is still among the most wide-ly used communication tools in the workplace today, it is often perceived as an "official work" me-dium rather than "let’s start a conversation" tool.
Summary of Innovation Concept Making innovation social increases collaboration, communication and knowledge sharing while mak-ing innovation relevant and engaging for the staff. Currently, there are many online collaboration tools which focus on making communication easier al-lowing teams to engage instantly in a secure and social environment. The tools promote the shar-ing of ideas, participation in conversations, and more personal rather than official team interac-tion. They resemble social networks, i.e. Facebook, however, are designed and adapted for a workplace. Implementation While majority of the collaboration tools offer the functionality of managing projects, assigning tasks to team members, and tracking progress and dead-lines, the below proposed tools place heavier focus on conversations and engagement rather structure.
A) Yammer. Yammer is a private enterprise social network that helps employees collaborate across de-partments, locations and business apps. It is part of Microsoft’s Office 365 package. Access to a Yammer network is determined by a user's Internet domain so that only individuals with approved email addresses may join their respective networks (e.g. UN). It allows users to create and/or join groups to stay informed, post ideas or like/reply/share the ones of others, search for previous conversations and files, mention @someone to loop them in, attach a file, gif, photo, or video to enhance the posts, praise someone in the net-work to celebrate a success, or just to say thanks, create and edit documents, and share resources as a group, use polls to crowdsource feedback and get answers. B) Slack. Slack is the collaboration app mainly used by remote teams. Discussions are organized by different private or public channels (think of chat rooms) that can be created per department, team or project. Users can either engage in group chats or send direct mes-sages to other team members. All conversations, deci-sions, and files are compiled into a searchable database. It also offers voice and video calls within the platform. The users can create individual profiles with their work email and subsequently join their workspaces.
Cost
• Yammer. It is free. Users must access with @un.org address (no new account needed, credentials are the same as for MS Outlook email) • Slack. The basic option is free and includes internal
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channels, searchable messages’ archives, one-on-one calling, 5GB of shared space, and availability to add 3rd party apps from Slack’s partner list. The more inclusive options (additional external channels, group calling, com-pliance and administration, expanded search for files/people/channels, bigger storage capacity), cost between EUR 6.25 – 11.75 per active user per month. On average, 600 active users would cost EUR 3,750 – 7,050 monthly.
Further Reading www.yammer.com & www.slack.com
podcasts
Background With the increased use of smartphones over the re-cent years, podcasts have exploded in popularity. En-gaging and easy-to-consume, they offer a great way to learn something on the go.
Summary of Innovation Concept A well-conceived podcast is a powerful, portable, and personal way to deliver and produce content. It is rec-ommended as one of the options to communicate in-formation on latest technological developments and generally raise awareness of new concepts and trends among DCM staff. It fits nicely in the arsenal of an in-novation team and easily lends itself to synergy with the conference option since it can be used to cover its content and events and to "borrow" conference partic-ipants to feature as guest speakers on the podcast itself.
Implementation Planning Existing recording/radio equipment and facilities could be used or a relatively modest budget could be allocated for a basic production set-up (recording soft-ware, microphones, mixer, headphones, pop-filter). A fair amount of planning and pre-production is re-quired to set up a successful podcast. A small produc-tion team will be responsible for choosing or relaying relevant content and providing an engaging critical analysis. Existing focal points could oversee script-ing, hosting and co-hosting, recording, editing, and distributing the podcast. Employees could be invited to come on as contributors or subject matter experts, thus increasing ownership and interest in the format. Audio files can be uploaded and accessed locally or distributed via a hosting service, either for free or for a monthly fee (covering upload plan, analyt-ics, advanced stats, website if deemed necessary) but in any case, at no cost to podcast subscribers.
"When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something NEW." - Dalai Lama
Pros • Digital audio files delivered to a subscriber’s device of choice make for a convenient and infinitely more intimate way of getting information than reading it from an e-mail or document. • It is a time-efficient form of communication. Podcast subscribers can listen to the latest instalment while doing other things at work or at home, or during their commute. Some types of meetings can be eliminated in favour of podcasts, saving time and improving productivity. • It counterbalances the exhaustion of screens and content oversaturation. Many users’ primary form of content consumption has involved staring at a screen, scrolling endlessly down a newsfeed or reading long threads of forum comments. Podcasts come in as a refreshing alternative. There are breaks, pauses, transitions between segments and genuine human voices rather than words and images on a screen.
Cons • Podcasts are not everybody’s cup of tea. Some people have harder time processing auditory information and have a clear preference for visual input. • Disseminating podcasts and getting staff to subscribe and follow will initially present a challenge.
Cost-Benefits Summary While some initial investment in equipment might be required, the cost-to-value ratio for podcasts is incred-ibly low. Depending on the hosting service selected to upload audio files, a small monthly fee may apply. Pro-duction and editing will take up a few hours per week.
Critical Success Factors A strong impulse to advertise and "sell" the for-mat to potential subscribers is required. There are smart choices to be made regarding its con-tent, theme, length, and scheduling. Dedicat-ed and enthusiastic production team will have to script and edit each instalment and contact guest speakers and external/internal experts, as needed.
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website & social mediaThe DCM innovation platform should have a website as one of its obvious communication and information storage platforms. This site would have an adminis-trator to collect and process incoming information and publish news and analyses of technological de-velopments for DCM staff. Its purpose is to keep staff aware of technological changes that may impact our work, and assist management in properly assessing technology proposed for adoption within UNOG.
Using AI for collecting this information was a pos-sibility considered, but rejected, as we feel that human judgment is still required to select arti-cles of relevance, and that the know-how to devel-op such an AI-based information gathering ser-vice is not currently present within DCM, nor would it necessary be cost-effective at this stage.
Crowdsourcing of relevant news would be a valuable tool to integrate. This could take the form of submis-sions to the site administrator, who could then either place items within the knowledge bank or post them on the news section of the site. Alternately, it would contain a crowd-sourcing section which would al-low DCM staff to upload items of interest directly.
The main technologies of relevance to Con-ference services are language-related; hence these would be the main focus, in particular, the use of artificial intelligence for the following purposes: • machine translation; • speech-to-text; • voice synthesization; • conference management software. Technological advances in these areas should be presented in chronological order to enable read-ers to quickly gain an overview over the rapid pro-gress. The sources of information would be gener-al news sites, academic sites, technology websites, as well as direct communications from companies, innovation units and developers by means of mon-itoring selected twitter accounts presenting latest developments. A twitter account has been created for this purpose and could be integrated into the website. A monthly news compendium could be compiled based on information gathered, and sent out to subscribers in the form of a pdf newsletter.
The site could usefully keep track and display in chronological order upcoming conferences of in-
terest, which DCM staff may wish to attend or fol-low online. It would also contain lists of resourc-es: information sources, other UN innovation units, MoU universities, organizations or peo-ple with whom we might cooperate on projects.
The site could also keep track of innovations cur-rently underway within UNOG to keep DCM staff informed. Examples of such news items are the new sign language booths being installed in room 19, which are a world first; or the thinking underway on an audio-visual centre within the SHP plan. For those purposes it would be necessary to collect information from WITHIN DCM, and the website could make it possible to disseminate this information to all staff. If a choice is made to use Spigit as an ideation crowd-sourcing tool, the site could also host the challenges and solutions. The purpose of the site would not be to in-form the world at large of new developments, but rath-er to filter out information for DCM. It would thus not be a public site, but one accessible only to DCM users. Subscribe and follow will initially present a challenge.
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newsletterBackground
Decision-makers need information and don’t have the luxury of surfing the Internet looking for rele-vant and trustworthy information. Something being regularly delivered to them would be the source of key news and would not be time-consuming (they can access the newsletter at any time and come back to it).
Summary of Innovation Concept A one-pager regularly emailed to those subscribed to the newsletter to inform them of the latest develop-ments in the sphere of conference management and translation/interpretation. It has links to the original news articles and scholarly pieces, each followed by a brief description.
Process behind a newsletter a) Establish the team responsible for the newsletter preparation and spreading. b) Identify the necessary frequency (ask the target au-dience within the management). c) Identify the needs of the target audience (including whether the newsletter is more likely to be read on a laptop or a mobile device). d) Prepare guidelines (number of links; size of the ab-stracts accompanying them; types of materials to be featured). e) Decide on the newsletter app. A couple of examples: MailChimp (from $10/month for unlimited emails to 500 contacts; in GetResponse if compatibility with mobile devices is important (from $15/month for un-limited emails to 1,000 contacts); iContact includes social networking tools so you can draft and schedule Twitter and Facebook status updates alongside your email updates (from $10/month for up to 250 con-tacts); in Campaign Monitor it is easy to code your
own email templates (from $9/month for sending up to 2,500 emails to 500 contacts), etc. f) Establish a calendar and assign a person responsible for that calendar to be respected. g) Include a link for a feedback channel and encour-age users to get back to you with advice/suggestions/tips.
Cost-Benefits Summary Potential Costs of Implementation 1. Depending on the platform selected and the actual needs (number of contacts and frequency of publica-tions), the price may be as little as 10 USD per month and as big as 60 USD per month. 2. Time would be required from in-house focal points to find, analyse and prepare content. 3. Care would need to be taken to ensure all copyright regulations are adhered to.
Possible Benefits of Implementation 1. The end product will be a source of information on the latest key developments, which is crucial for deci-sion-making in a fast-changing environment. 2. Gives the DCM staff food for thought and involves them in the process of change.
Critical Success Factors Requires time and effort of in-house focal points to set up the technical platform, conduct research, evaluate content in the context of business strategy and struc-ture it for consumption by DCM leadership and staff.
Conclusion A newsletter is a much-appreciated and necessary knowledge-sharing tool, which the future innovation team will be encouraged to use.
focal points for cross-functional collaboration BackgroundThere is opportunity to enhance cross-functional col-laboration across the different services, sections and processes of DCM through the introduction of focal points for lateral communication. Focal points would form an outreach arm of the Innovation team, pro-viding inputs and perspectives to improvement op-portunities from an operational perspective. Increas-ing cross-functional communications between teams can enable identification of operational improvement
opportunities and improved decision making, e.g. on how to best enhance the work of the Division at the Service and Section level, through enabling lat-eral work methods and communications. It would also provide functional expertise into the feasibility of new technologies, as well as to monitor and ensure that adequate training is provided where it is needed.
Summary of Innovation ConceptThe key goal of the focal points would be to identi-
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fy operational improvement opportunities through cross functional dialogue. They should be select-ed based on an in-depth knowledge of the work within the Section and general (and prefera-bly, proven) interest in innovative technologies. Effectiveness would depend on a two-way com-munication flow being established in which the fo-cal point can propose suggestions as to how to im-prove areas of the work of the Section while also receiving contextual information on divisional plans, e.g. on new tools that will be implemented.The focal points could also be the "change cham-pions" for divisional change management initi-atives/projects, supporting the planned imple-mentation of changes and ensuring that relevant information is communicated to colleagues accordingly.
Implementation PlanningA communication on the concept would be sent out to all DCM calling for candidates (e.g. a two-lin-er motivational email to attract attention and rap-idly transmit the message). Staff would be free to volunteer their candidatures via a dedicated e-mail address, and managers (Chiefs of Section/Service)
could also be encouraged to nominate staff. The fi-nal selection decisions should ensure a cohesive team across Services and Sections is put into place. Fo-cal Point responsibilities could last initially for e.g. a year with the above process repeated as necessary.
Benefits and Risks • Enhanced communication between Sections.• Engage staff in understanding the way forward,
the importance of the use of new technologies and can serve to downplay associated fear.
• The better the staff understand, align and engage with the goals of the Division, the happier they will be to contribute.
• One way of ensuring adoption of staff buy-in of the focal point functions across the service could be to add a clause to all job descriptions indicating that staff of the Division could be called upon at any time to serve as a Focal Point and facilitate the work of the service.
Critical Success Factors
This proposal goes hand in hand with the pro-posed implementation of an innovation team.
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Ideas and Solutions
Adapting Skills
Retrain (focus on waysto augment skills
without making staffredundant)
Policy
Develop new toolstogether with staff (no
hierarchy)
Change Managementand Communications
Hold regular sessionson raising awareness/
advocacy
Facilitate transition
Train the trainers onchanging technologies/
methods
Organise periodictownhalls, invite
speakers
Send out periodicnewsletters
Create semi-annuallyshort movie/
presentation about newdevelopments
involve all DCM staff totalk about the future
Knowledge sharing
Invite NATO experts
Engage with CiSCO
Create a mechanism totrack innovations, liaise
with other entities/experts
Create a committee ofexperts to address
legal, ethical issues,codification and its own
reputation
Technologies/Testing
Organizationalresources and talent
Provide hands-ontesting for new
technologies
Target training for theright purpose to the
right people
Create external-userfriendly system for
communicationsbetween different work
sections
Recruit interns for freshideas and talent
Form innovation Unittasked with strategicplanning and future
change management
Encourage InnovationChampions who feed
into ideas, planning etc
Request volunteers toact as focal points for
every objective
Organise periodicsymposiums for staff (1
or 2-day)
Send staff to externalresearch centers andshare info upon their
return
Implementation
Determinemeasurements and
indicators
Rewardaccomplishments
Form physical team
Train AI/chatbot toprovide/ search
information
Develop knowledgemanagement platform
Form non-commercialpartnerships withaugmented reality
developers on virtualmeetings
Create simultaneousbrainstorming/
innovation groupswithin each service totrack the information.
They periodicallygather, analyse andfeed the info to the
management fordecision making
Establish sharing linksamong duty stations
Re-establish IT teamwithin DCM to expediteimplementation of new
IT developments
Continue learning howto learn
Consolidation tool
Workflow mapping
our first mind-map
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Design and layout by Yustiniya Khokhlova (UNOG, DCM)Printed at United Nations, Geneva, February 2018
Cover image: © Getty Images/enjoynzAll designs original unless indicated otherwise
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