DESIGNED FOR SOCIAL IMPACT

 
 

The International Innovation Corps bridges the gap between innovation and impact. Our model has three defining features:

 

Innovation Underpinned by Diversity

Project Associates from varied academic and professional backgrounds combine unique perspectives to create innovative solutions. The diverse teams are a source of collaborative innovation for our projects.

Large Scale Impact

Project associates  work in interdisciplinary teams directly with the partner government and development organizations. We run structured problem diagnostics and  pilot iterative solutions, ultimately leading to an overhaul of existing systems and creation of new interventions to drive and sustain project impact. These direct interventions with government partners and stakeholders on ground offer unparalleled opportunities for solutions to achieve scale.

Sustainable Solutions

The Project Associates work to ensure their interventions have a lasting impact. They focus on creating systems for scale and sustainability to achieve the desirable results and develop rigorous methodologies for evaluating outcomes, including defining metrics to assess their success by collecting and comparing baseline and endline data.


Our Project Associates provide end-to-end support as Project Management Units (PMUs) for programs implemented by government departments, foundations, and large-scale NGOs. The IIC works across a range of stakeholders, while conducting rigorous scoping and base lining exercises, followed by intervention design, and implementation. Through our hands on approach, we create data driven solutions that can be operationalized and scaled.

The International Innovation Corps has a two-fold mission:

CREATING SCALABLE SOLUTIONS

IIC teams work closely with governments and large scale development organizations to create systematic change and ensure sustainable impact.

Data and Policy Diagnostics 

 

IIC teams conduct extensive on-ground fieldwork to understand how policies and programs are implemented at the last mile. They develop strong research processes backed by rigorous qualitative and quantitative analysis.

 

Project Management and Implementation 

 

Our Project Management Units (PMUs) design and plan implementation strategies for pilot interventions. They take leadership in project execution, stakeholder management, and documentation of best practices to ensure sustainability.

 

Capacity Building 

 

IIC teams work closely with partner organizations to create effective processes and increase operational efficiency.

CREATING GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT LEADERS 

We seek to build the capability and professional competency of young professionals who can address complex policy challenges. The endeavor is to equip them with abilities to acclimatise in new and, often, ambiguous environments, create milestones for success, and achieve results in a timely manner. 75% of IIC Project Associates remain in the social sector after their fellowship.

Identify Talent

 

We recruit passionate, early-career professionals from diverse areas of expertise to serve as IIC Project Associates. Our rigorous application process involves an innovation proposal and  two rounds of interviews. We have a selection rate of 6%.

 

Mentorship

 

We organize Project Associates into diverse, interdisciplinary teams. All teams have access to myriad opportunities for professional development throughout their Fellowship year. Our three annual training sessions are supplemented by knowledge sessions with IIC’s institutional partners, subject matter experts, and a global network of industry leaders and thinkers.

 

Access to Resources

 

We engage with University of Chicago’s faculty, centers, and alumni, as well as sector experts from the industry and academia, to maximize project impact and provide professional mentoring.

 
 
2014-15 Project Fellow Brennan O'Rear reflects on the tangible impact of the IIC-CEL project