ICS Seminar Series - Joanne Mcneill
Date: Thursday 13 February, 2014
Time: 11.30am - 1pm
Venue: EA.G.38, UWS Parramatta South campus
Joanne McNeill
Social Innovation in a Diverse Economy: Implications for Public Sector Enabling of Local and Regional Development
Abstract
In this seminar I will outline ongoing doctoral research that is exploring relationships between social innovation, local and regional development, and public policy and programs. Through exploration of over 20 cases from around the world performative roles in enabling social innovation activities are being considered. Drawing on the work of key theorists, a typology that characterises social innovation activity across three aspects - social relations dynamics, diverse economic agents and processes, and social market dimensions – is in development. The typology is presented as part of a ‘language politics’ that seeks to position enabling social innovation as a key strategy for generating more sustainable forms of local and regional development. The pre-circulated paper was presented in November 2013 at the Social Frontiers: the next edge of social innovation research conference in London. It includes an early representation of the typology applied to two of the cases, and discusses input from two ‘user’ groups on the key concepts being developed. The seminar presentation will also begin to identify key themes that will be explored in the overall thesis.
Biography
Joanne McNeill is a PhD student with the Institute for Culture & Society at UWS, supervised by Professor Katherine Gibson. In 2013 she presented papers at the EMES Research Network conference in Belgium and at the Social Frontiers conference in London; and in 2012 had a paper published in The International Journal of Sustainability Policy & Practice. Prior to commencing her current studies she established and managed the Social Enterprise Program at Parramatta City Council in Sydney. Joanne is a member of Social Enterprise Finance Australia’s (SEFA) Credit Committee, the Management Committee of Multicultural Enterprises Australia, and the Social Innovation Entrepreneurship & Enterprise (SIEE) Alliance; she co-founded Social Enterprises Sydney and the NSW Social Procurement Action Group; co-authored Australian Stories of Social Enterprise (with Cheryl Kernot, 2011); and in 2008 was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to undertake a study tour exploring public sector support for social enterprise development. Joanne holds an MA in Communication Management and a Diploma in Management Studies. She has also worked in consulting; for the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership (a corporate social responsibility initiative); briefly in the nonprofit sector and community theatre; and spent two years living and working in Central America with her then young family.
