Development Innovation Principles in Practice

JULY 2019

Recognising the importance of innovation for the international development community to achieve its global ambitions, members of the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA) articulated and committed to six principles for facilitating innovation in international development in a 2015 Call for Innovation. In June 2018, Development Ministers from each of the G7 member countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) then endorsed the Whistler Principles to guide and accelerate innovation for development impact, which built on those in IDIA’s 2015 Call and added a greater focus on inclusiveness and gender.

Bridging theory and action

While shared principles are always an important mark of consensus for development actors, impact depends upon their translation into practice. To help development leaders and practitioners understand what this looks like, IDIA has created the Development Innovation Principles in Practice series, which looks at how the eight Whistler principles adopted by the G7 Development Ministers are brought to life across a range of sectors and geographies, drawing from a shared repository of over 60 innovation stories contributed by IDIA member agencies. Questions for reflection, resources and tools for practitioners looking to integrate the principles into their own practice are also included.

Online micro-course on Innovation in Development

Building on the content of the IDIA Principles in Practice report, IDIA has partnered with Apolitical to translate this report into a free online micro-course on Innovation in Development. To access the course for free, just click on the link below