Basic Report

As a typical approach for social innovation, this study focuses on participatory local governance system, where diverse local agents participate and discuss on local issues and agendas, in order to find innovative solutions and alternatives together. The definition of social innovation varies by different approaches or scholars, but it is broadly understood as 'a new way to solve social problems that can not be solved by existing approach and methods'. The purpose of this study is to define the concept of local social innovation as 'innovative problem solving process based on participatory and collaborative system' and to examine participatory and collaborative governance system through the lens of social innovation.
   In fact, local governments are promoting socio-economic policies and projects to solve various problems. In this process, they emphasize to create participatory and collaborative governance system, such as public-private collaborative governance based on active participation and cooperation of major actors in their local areas. In other words, various socio-economic policies (projects) promoted at the local level for social innovation can be understood in terms of contents, while local governance can be understood as a procedural aspect. The main argument of this study is that those participatory local governance structure and strategies should work social-innovation-friendly, that is a way to promote social innovation in diverse localities. Therefore, this study focuses on the procedural aspect of social innovation, ie, governance structure and strategy, and analyzes the characteristics of various governance structures and their socially innovative strategies at the local level.
   Given this purpose, the Chapter 2 reviews related theoretical discussions on social innovation and local governance, and discusses the relationship between them. Specifically, the study examines the theoretical and practical discussions, ranging from the background, concept, and emergence of social innovation, the source and level of social innovation, and the types and components of social innovation to the stages of social innovation. The study also reviews the literature on local governance. Based on this literature review, this study proposes an argument on how social innovation and local governance can be related, and sets up a research framework to conceptualize the structure and strategy of local governance that is social-innovation-friendly.
   In order to examine how governance actually works through the lens of socially innovative strategies, this study selects two cases of Seongbuk-gu in Seoul and Hongseong-gun in Chungcheongnam-do as typical examples of urban and rural areas, respectively. Then, each case is analyzed from a comparative perspective in terms of governance structure, social innovation strategy, and institutional support. The case analysis includes an in - depth case analysis based on interviews and field study, and governance evaluation survey by key participants in each local governance. Specifically, governance structure is examined by key elements of participants composition and communication strategies, and socially innovative strategy is examined by a set of key elements including meeting social demand, practicing new ideas, enhancing effectiveness, enhancing the capacity of social practice, inter-sectoral crossing, and open and cooperative networking. Following the in-depth case analysis, Chapter 5 conducts a survey analysis on the governance performance evaluated by the key governance participants in each case.
   Finally, based on the analysis of in - depth case study and questionnaire analysis, Chapter 6 provides a suggestion of participatory local governance system for social innovation. First, it is needed to construct participation governance structure and strategies on the basis of the recognition and consensus about the necessity of social innovation. Specifically, the first is to build a multi-layered and convergent governance system that enables various sectors to collaborate. In addition, other factors should be considered significantly including (2) formalization of governance as a deliberative process for solving public problems as well as strengthening of governance authority, (3) the establishment of a participatory governance system and operational strategy that reflects local characteristics, (4) enhancement of participant diversity, (5) a system and procedures for diversifying communication methods and channels, (6) co-evolution through mutual learning.
   In addition, it is necessary to establish facilitative strategies for social innovation. This study suggests to establish a clear goal of local governance, that is public awareness about shared local problems and governance as a process to solve those public problems, strategic supports for creating and practicing new ideas, development of a monitoring system, improvement of practical capacity in a multi-layered (personal, organizational, and local community) perspective, creation of synergy through cross-cutting activities between diverse sectors, and enhancement of governance openness. The study finally argues that it is also necessary to develop legal, institutional, and financial support systems, which would form a basis on which participatory local governance could work for social innovation.