Old and new paradigm: to understand better
In the past we have constructed our civilizations within an industrial paradigm, which is not about collaboration but about controlling, hierarchy or imposing solutions. We have believed that one right solution is in experts' or rulers' possession and the only thing to do is to force others to obey them. Collaboration - bridging people, groups and perspectives wasn’t part of such a setting. And predominant administration models are based on this industrial paradigm. What we tried to do in the Boostinno project is to observe and foster all those mechanisms and processes within our cities which show ways of transformation into a new paradigm. Industrial market era times are gone because they started to fail, ran out of fruitful ideas and methods of innovating. To some extent old industrial thinking brought us enormous development (we can’t deny it) but at the same moment developed societies, which are full of new problems for which paradoxically industrial thinking has no working answers. Example: the industrial era developed media and technology which enables millions of people to undertake processes of producing information but at the same moment in reality of governance citizens still need legitimization to be treated equally with administrations . Access to knowledge and skills for navigating through complexity of all those sets of information make so many groups of citizens still excluded. Brokerage is not like one stage in step-by-step model. Social innovations in the city require constant brokering - especially from city authorities. Why should a city be initially more responsible for brokerage? Why does it seem that local authorities are the best brokers at some point? Although we see brokerage as a constant effort in enabling exchange and sharing (so every group in the city can take part in brokering), the very special position and responsibility of the city authorities is crucial. a municipality is a functional institution with its officeses in almost every area. This allows it to give a full coverage of services which are important for citizens (education, health, transport, infrastructure) the city hallhas a structure and institutionalised procedures so it is easier to engage it’s assets officials has contact with different citizens and their job is to make the city function (better!) Connections ----> Commons -----> Collaborations ------> Exchange------> Sharing-------> Engagement ------> Dealing with complexity ------> Innovations ------> Wide public access ------> Wellbeing (for all!) ----------------------------------------------------BROKERAGE------------------------------------------------->
Paradoxes of distances Main gaps where brokerage is so needed: Municipality and Society
City and Social Innovation
This means that where citizens are too distant from officials and policies, when they don’t have chance, space and tools to participate in creating the city and its inner elements (like policies, infrastructures, services) and the municipality loses its chance to act innovatively and to operate on the innovation stage. Separation between people who inhabit a city and people who are its servants is something harmful and we should never get used to that. And that is why all those mechanisms we need for social innovation, are bringing the official structures of municipalities, procedures, laws and bureaucracy closer to people. As it is so natural to see that a City is part of Society.
Now we know that bringing solutions requires all of us - all citizens with their diversity, creativity, flexibility and imagination working together within the quadruple helix. That exactly is the very first, fundamental assumption of the new paradigm and a new innovative approach. Collaboration requires connections, connections enable blending diverse perspectives (empathy, understanding) and finally innovation, solutions, transforming conditions out of which our well-being can emerge.
Brokerage or brokering sounds very business-like but actually seems to be an inevitable element to shift from the old industrial era to the social-ecological era we are entering now. Brokerage is also a pivotal dimension in innovative process consisting of constant fostering of connections. (watch amazing lecture of professor Manzini and Jospephine Green https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9h6kE531tk)
From Josephine Green lecture (btw on a bottom would be better to have managing and creativity) To understand why we have to think about brokering and brokerage. We should see what all the ecosystems of our times should look like if we put into practice the new paradigm of governing, thinking and innovating.
To shift from centralized to decentralized and distributed reality we need to create bridges between active people, groups, companies, scientists and administrations. Every point in this distributed stage is part of a living circle made of diverse groups constantly in motion and using connections with others circles/points. An active society is not given - it is constantly in motion and ready to transform. That was theory but what does brokerage mean on the daily basis? never work alone on an issue or challenge - ask, think and create in a group try to link people, institutions, organisations and group of citizens who can be useful for each other (there are many tools of managing extended maps of entities) share your data, knowledge, challenges and questions - be open for engagement of those whom you never work with take care of constant communication - as a city official you can organise meetings, workshops and on-line exchange of knowledge, pay attention to invite a wide range and diverse participants Connected to be ready for complexity
The old paradigm's main weakness was a silos based culture, fragmentarization or constant divisions/zones. The new paradigms starting point must be then focused especially on connections and different types of flows (data, arguments, information, knowledge, resources) using this connection. This is also the best approach for dealing with complexity.
Industrial market paradigm
Social-ecological paradigm
Professionals and officials - centered
Citizens centered
Hierarchy
Distribution and connections
Competing
Collaborating
Thinking of systems
Thinking of ecosystem - habitat
Values made from having, producing, consuming
Values from relations, exchanging, learning and taking care
Abundance of commodities
Abundance of relations and imagination
Hyper-individualised
Hyper-commons community based
Professor Manzini listing the conditions necessary for building culture for innovation mentions weaving commons like places, projects, ways of thinking. To make these commons possible and active we definitely need brokering as a method of approach and connecting people. Commons spaces in the next step to shared ownership and leadership, which is crucial in providing conditions for real engagement. Engagement is the next big challenge in changing our cities towards even more collaborative ecosystems and role of brokering in enabling engagement for every citizen, not just “heroes� and activists is vital.