Interactive Innovation: Network analysis tool for practitioners

Summary in the original language of the document

The network tool is used to:
• Identify crucial actors that shape the network and/or boost the innovation
• Identify actors that negatively affect the actors and/ or undermine the innovation
• Monitor the way the network develop and adapt the strategy/activities accordingly
The idea is to evaluate interactive innovation projects in terms of the role of actors’ interactivity in relation to decision-making on the innovation process (through information or knowledge exchange, and joint or cooperative research). This can be for example about the role of an actor that entered in the course of the process and that strengthened the innovation through establishing suitable connections with other actors, leading to a better decision-making process on the innovation.
The analysis of the network of actors can be made at one point of time only, or at 2 or 3 consecutive periods of time. We recommend the latter as it allows us to see the evolution of the network of actors over time. The evaluation can be done in quasi real time, but also in an ex-post manner. An ex-post assessment means that the evaluator will reconstruct the network as it was at the period of interest.
In terms of data source, three options are possible:
• The evaluator makes its own estimation of relationship level between the actors;
• The evaluator involve key actors to estimate the levels of relationships; or
• He/she asks the actors involved in the network, what their levels of relationships with the other actors are. In this case, bilateral exchanges are generally recommended.
However, if actors feel or would feel comfortable to discuss this together, for example in case there is no major power asymmetries or conflicts between actors, a workshop could also be performed.