On 14 October, Australian’s are voting on the establishment of a Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice – known as The Voice. Drawing on my over 25 years experience in innovation, I was struck by the fact that we are not talking about The Voice as a platform for innovation. In particular, how The Voice proposal draws heavily on the principles that underpin open innovation.
In the world of business and innovation, the concept of open innovation has gained significant attention. It involves sharing knowledge and ideas with external organisations to develop new solutions collaboratively. Companies have recognised the benefits of this approach, such as cost savings and creative insights.
The Voice represents a national embrace of open innovation to address some the most pressing and intractable challenges facing Australia.
The Voice: What we are voting on
The constitutional amendment has three parts:
- There has to be a body called the Voice;
- Its role is to make representations on issues relating to First Nations people; and
- Australian Parliament is in full control of its powers, operation and functions. These can be changed with the passing of legislation at ANY time.
The Voice is a platform for First Nations voices to be heard in the policymaking process. It ensures that their perspectives and concerns for part of the solution. It is up to Parliament (which all Australians vote for) to accept or reject those perspectives or concerns.
The Voice as Open Innovation
Now, let’s draw the parallels between the Voice and open innovation, highlighting:
Diverse Ideation:
- Open Innovation: Encourages ideas from a wide range of sources, transcending organisational boundaries for diverse insights.
- The Voice: Actively solicits ideas and perspectives from First Nations peoples and communities, recognising their unique knowledge and experiences, fostering diverse ideation in policy-making.
Collaborative Networks:
- Open Innovation: Promotes collaboration among internal and external stakeholders, forming networks for knowledge exchange.
- The Voice: Establishes a body that facilitates collaboration between different and diverse First Nations communities and then takes those to government. Building a knowledge sharing network that can collate diverse knowledge and experiences.
Rapid Knowledge Transfer:
- Open Innovation: Facilitates the rapid transfer of knowledge and best practices to stay agile and adapt to changing circumstances.
- The Voice: Provides a platform for direct and continuous input from First Nations communities, facilitating the rapid transfer of critical and updated insights to inform decision-making.
Problem-Solving Synergy:
- Open Innovation: Often results in the amalgamation of ideas from different fields, creating innovative solutions.
- The Voice: The inclusion of First Nations voices alongside broader perspectives creates a synergy of ideas and problem-solving approaches, fostering innovation in policy development.
Unleashing the Power of Open Innovation for All Australians
The Voice represents a ground breaking move towards open innovation in First Nations policy and program development. It embodies the principles of open innovation by actively seeking diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration, facilitating rapid knowledge transfer, and promoting innovative solutions. This initiative has the potential to yield better outcomes not only for Australia’s First Nations people but also for the broader Australian community.
In a nation striving for progress, the Voice reinforces the idea that true innovation flourishes when we open the channels for the flow of knowledge, perspectives, and ideas, bridging gaps and creating a brighter, more equitable future for all Australians.
