How to support experiments - a guide for the mentors

Abstract

We Finns are a nation of planners. We are good at thinking about how things should be done, but we often lack the courage to see our plans through. In a world full of complex challenges, solutions born on the designer’s table alone will not work. That is why we increasingly need to take swift action – developing by experimenting. The more complex the problem, the more crucial it is to experiment.

One of the policies in the Government Programme of Prime Minister Sipilä is to introduce an experimenting culture. The aim has been to create innovative solutions for developing our society and various services, encourage proactivity and entrepreneurship, strengthen regional and local cooperation and promote citizen- driven ways of working. An experimental culture as an aim included in the Government Programme has been a unique feature on a global scale. The wider aim is to make Finland the world’s best environment for innovating and experimenting by 2025.

This guide is primarily intended for the supporters of experiments in the public sector. These mentors play a key role in initiating and funding experiments, acting as coaches during the experiments, and utilising and sharing their final outcomes. The guide delves into the different forms of supporting experimentation, which are divided into four themes.