In September 2017, Percolab was invited to assist Quebec’s Ministry of Economy, Science, and Innovation (le Ministère Québécois de l’économie, science et innovation du Québec) with a series of consultations with industry professionals across the province, with a view to developing a new government strategy to support industrial innovation.

Ministry representatives wanted to draw on collective intelligence and sought guidance in creating and facilitating a participatory process.

Our role

The workshops brought together around 300 people—from the fields of research, industry, innovation, and entrepreneurship—to paint a picture of the challenges facing innovation in Quebec and to gather feedback and proposals for developing a strategy capable of meeting the needs of stakeholders in the field.

We developed a framework based on the conceptual models of complexity (Cynefin by Dave Snowden) and emergence (Sam Kaner’s “Diamond of Participation”) to achieve the desired outcomes and navigate the complexity of this type of consultation process. Indeed, when working within a consultation framework between a level of government and citizens, the challenge is to build enough trust so that stakeholders feel heard and that their voices are valued, while moving beyond the expression of frustrations to engage in co-creation. Furthermore, it is necessary to transcend the polarities between individual voices to bring forth a truly strong collective voice, without dismissing the underlying tensions. These processes therefore require subtle design and facilitation.

01 – Check-in

We start with a light-hearted check-in on the topic of innovation, which helps us connect with the workshop’s theme and get to know the other participants on a personal level.

02 – challenge

An exercise to identify your personal challenge related to innovation, connect it to the challenges faced by others, and identify possible solutions.

03 – emergence

A moment of focused improvisation to get into a mindset of collaboration, openness, and co-creation.

04 – Dialogue

An open dialogue, using an emergent approach, to gather insights from discussions about challenges and reflections on common solutions, identify trends, and paint a picture of the needs and opportunities in each region.

IMPACT

In addition to the expected deliverables—namely, an overview of the diverse challenges faced by innovation practitioners in the industrial sector across Quebec’s regions and recommendations for the MESI’s development of a future innovation strategy—the process yielded other, less anticipated outcomes:

1. Relationships were established or strengthened among stakeholders in local ecosystems;
2. Workshop participants and ministry representatives discovered collaborative practices and theoretical frameworks that they can now apply in their own settings, thereby strengthening a culture of innovation and collaboration.

All of this contributes to an innovation strategy that is better aligned with the needs and aspirations of Quebec’s entrepreneurial community and better equipped to support regional development based on existing strengths.