Local Change Lab

Solution Oriented,
Interactive
and Inclusive

Learn more

The ACT NOW Local Change Lab

The ACT NOW Local Change Lab is a co-creative two-day event designed to kick off local change. It tackles a single local challenge by bringing together local stakeholders with experts from our international pool of best practices..

Solution Oriented, Interactive and Inclusive

For members of the ACT NOW Mayors’ Network, the event offers an opportunity to move from international exchange to local action. The format fosters the active engagement of civil society/NGO representatives and young people in the community by involving them from the outset. It employs interactive methods to collaboratively develop solutions that work for the local context. Local Change Labs are organised by The Innovation in Politics Institute in cooperation with a municipality and local stakeholders.

Who takes part?

The participants are made up of 20-30 local stakeholders with an involvement in the challenge being addressed. There should be roughly an equal number of representatives of the municipality, representatives of civil society/NGOs, and young people (aged 15-25). We place a high value on diversity and inclusion. The participants should therefore also represent a mix of genders and backgrounds.

Format

Local Change Labs create an environment which enables municipality representatives, civil society/NGOs and young people to work together in interactive sessions and in an atmosphere of mutual appreciation and respect. The format of the Local Change Lab is designed to be adaptable to different local contexts and to different stages of addressing a challenge. It combines methods from the Design Sprint and Art of Hosting methodologies to enable an effective, solution-oriented process that encompasses diverse perspectives.

The three steps

First Step

Generate and select
project ideas
Defining a common goal, open brainstorming and quick voting

Second Step

Develop project
scenarios
Step by step plans for selected projects, mixing up teams and quick voting

Third Step

Settle tasks and
commitment
Defining tasks on selected project, settle commitment for next steps

Who does what?

The Innovation in Politics Institute:
  • designs the interactive and solution-oriented event (in consultation with the municipality and local community)
  • provides input from external experts (who have practical experience related to the respective challenge)
  • facilitates the event
The local partner(s):
  • provide the event location and facilities
  • mobilise and communicate with the local participants
  • supply the local background information relating to the respective challenge