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This learning brief looks at the key lessons from the inaugural round of Start Network’s Working Differently Challenge (WDC). It particularly explores lessons on how to support the collaboration of organisations to develop their emerging innovation ideas through different ways of working. The evidence draws from perception surveys gathered from the teams that took part in the challenge—CADENA, Islamic Relief, A Single Drop for Safer Water, Tearfund—and from learning captured through ongoing coaching and reflections.

Start Network’s first virtual Assembly meeting took take place from Monday 12 to Thursday 15 October 2020, alongside our 10-year anniversary celebrations. Watch the recordings of the sessions on Collaborative Innovation and access all the learning materials below.

Start Network has been looking into digital capacity, and blockchain solutions as part of its potential to solve structural problems within the humanitarian sector. Currently the system is overly centralised, funding is often slow and reactive, and the capacity to change is limited due to risk averse operating models. Start Network is embracing new ways of working that are locally driven, proactive and innovative. More recently the Network recently completed a series of pilots with Fintech startup Disberse and looked at using a blockchain based platform to make aid flows fully traceable, non-corruptible, fast and cost-effective. Read more about the learning from the first pilot, that was driven by Start Network member Dorcas.