Global, Regional, and National Policy Development

Rationale

Public policy is one of the most powerful levers for embedding social innovation into the fabric of societies. Yet today, only a handful of countries have institutional frameworks that explicitly support the design, implementation, and scaling of social innovations. Where such policies exist, they are often fragmented, embedded within unrelated domains, or suﬀer from a lack of shared language and clarity. A globally coordinated approach to policy development is essential — not to impose uniformity, but to oﬀer guidance, coherence, and legitimacy for local and regional action. This objective enables governments at all levels to articulate their vision for social innovation and embed it in actionable, accountable frameworks.

Insights from the Country Profile Survey (April 2025) and summit consultations reveal several critical trends and opportunities:

Key Insights

Fragmentation in policy development

Many countries lack dedicated social innovation policies. Where policies exist, they are often embedded in broader strategies such as social economy initiatives, charity law, or innovation roadmaps.

Lack of coordination and common language

There is minimal use of harmonized legal definitions. Terms like “social innovation” and “public innovation” are interpreted inconsistently, limiting shared understanding across jurisdictions.

Challenges in local adaptation

Governments face diﬃculties in translating global frameworks into national or subnational contexts, which often leads to policy inertia.

Growing demand for alignment

Stakeholders seek models and tools that enable more consistent policy development while allowing flexibility for national context.

Proposed Actions

1. Create a GCSI Global Policy Framework

To build momentum and coherence, GCSI will facilitate the development of a voluntary global policy framework that can be used as a reference by national governments, regional blocs, UN bodies etc. The framework will:

Articulate core values (equity, public good, sustainability);
Provide adaptable components for legislative or executive action;
Include case studies of regional adaptations;
Promote a participatory approach to policy creation and implementation

2. Develop and Disseminate a Model National Strategy Template and Tool kit

GCSI will co-develop a template for national social innovation strategies in collaboration with legal, governance, and community experts. This resource will include recommended legal definitions, policy pillars, monitoring structures, and stakeholder engagement plans. The template will be:

Designed to allow modular use and adaptation;
Translated into multiple languages;
Supported with training toolkits and implementation guides;
Piloted with a diverse group of early adopter countries.

3. Host Regional Policy Dialogues

GCSI will coordinate regional dialogues and thematic working groups to support mutual learning and alignment. These will:

Be hosted in partnership with existing institutions (e.g., AU, ASEAN, EU, OAS);
Focus on policy innovation, legal harmonization, and peer exchange;
Result in publicly shared regional action briefs and recommendations;
Facilitate trust-building between civil servants, civic actors, and researchers.

4. Launch a Policy Incubation Support Program

To move from vision to implementation, GCSI will launch a support mechanism for countries interested in developing or revising social innovation strategies. This program will:

Support stakeholder convening and co-creation processes;
Facilitate countries with legal drafting, innovation policy, and governance reform;
Offer policy mentoring and matchmaking between countries at different levels of maturity;
Track and publish learnings and outcomes in an open-access repository.

Expected Outcomes

By Year 1: At least five countries begin co-developing their national social innovation strategies using the GCSI model template

By Year 2: A globally endorsed GCSI Social Innovation Framework is launched, with early uptake by at least two regional governance bodies.

By Year 3: Ten or more countries have adopted or significantly revised their national policies with GCSI support.

The emergence of regional coordination hubs that align legal and strategic approaches to social innovation.

Increased legitimacy and visibility of social innovation in government planning, budget processes, and multilateral policy dialogue.

Shared vocabulary and governance models that reduce duplication and foster international collaboration.

Summary

Establishing a robust policy foundation is not just about drafting legislation — it is about legitimizing new ways of solving public problems. Through this objective, GCSI aims to provide both the inspiration and the infrastructure for governments to act. By supporting countries at varying stages of development, fostering regional coherence, and embedding equity and co-creation in policy processes, this work will ensure that social innovation becomes a recognized and protected part of governance systems worldwide.

Objective 1: Global, Regional, and National Policy Development