Reporting back on our Innovation Exchange interview

Thanks to those who have asked "how did the interview go at Cabinet Office?" ... and even if you didn't ... the team has prepared a collective response which we have video blogged on the Open Innovation Exchange site.
Refresher: I'm part of one of four teams shortlisted, from a field of 21, after tendering for a £1.2 million Government contract to set up a Third Sector Innovation Exchange. We ran an open process to write the proposal in public to demonstrate how we think the exchange should operate. The interview was yesterday.
I think a fair summary is we felt that we did the best we could to get our ideas across, with stories, sketches,  and conversation-starters rather than a Powerpoint presentation. However, our interviewers - while entirely friendly and receptive - seemed to have a set of questions to be used with all four teams. Inevitable, I guess, so that responses could be scored and the process justified as entirely even-handed. The disadvantage for us was that it was difficult to get across why our approach had the winning characteristic of being both innovative and safe (the team's project management track record is terrific).
On reflection, doing a debrief video gives us the chance to remake some of our points to Cabinet Office and anyone else prepared to take look ... including the Minister Ed Miliband who may have a hand in the choosing the winning bid for announcement on Monday.
You can judge for yourself whether that might be an advantage here (Quicktime) or here (Flash). Perhaps next time we should ask if we can video the proceedings. Or would that be pushing Open too far?

Technorati Tags: collaboration, innovation, openinex

Comments

[Martin dudley]

I've watched with interest the bid progress. As you say in the video, the real test is their approach to risk. Well, Alan Sugar went for a riskier option - if you want predictable results you never have an edge. So best of luck - we know you make sense!

[Ed]

hmm well chin up mate!

I guess that when you are in the business of disrupting a closed process, the process' framework won't be too ideal a thing to evaluate your work against others who are staying firmly within it...

And it's not over until the opera singer sings :)