2023 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

The Laboratorio de Innovación en la Participación (Participation Innovation Lab) - ParticiLab, is a space dedicated to fostering creativity and collaboration to promote the generation of innovative ideas and solutions for implementation in different local contexts. Its origin goes back to the need to find solutions to complex problems in the city of Bogota and to anticipate the constant changes in the environment.

The main objective of an innovation laboratory is to create an environment conducive to experimentation and the creation of new approaches and solutions. It seeks to foster a culture within the innovation ecosystem of participation, encourage the active participation of members and promote multidisciplinary collaboration.

ParticiLab's operation is based on a flexible and open structure, which allows for the free expression of ideas and the exchange of knowledge. It usually has a facilitating team, in charge of guiding and supporting the innovation process, and adequate physical and technological spaces for the development of creative and prototyping activities.

Through the implementation of agile methodologies and design thinking techniques, the innovation lab encourages the exploration of different perspectives and the generation of disruptive solutions, as its projects have been. In addition, collaboration between people from different areas of knowledge is promoted and teamwork is encouraged, thus enhancing synergy and diversity of ideas.

The results obtained have been varied and can be manifested in different ways. These include the development of functional prototypes, the generation of viable ideas for young people, the implementation of improvements in existing processes, the identification of opportunities for citizen innovation and the improvement of citizen experience.

Monitoring and evaluation are key aspects to measure the impact of an innovation lab. Performance perception surveys have been conducted to monitor the progress of projects and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented solutions. In addition, constant feedback from participants is encouraged and adjustments are made to the focus and activities of the lab based on the lessons learned.

In conclusion, a participatory innovation lab is a space that fosters creativity, collaboration and experimentation to generate innovative solutions. Through its flexible operation and the use of agile methodologies, it seeks to promote the culture of innovation and obtain tangible results. Monitoring and evaluation allow measuring its impact and making continuous improvements. ParticiLab is a reference and catalyst for the development of new ideas and the transformation of organizations and communities towards a more innovative future.

Official site: https://www.participacionbogota.gov.co/particilab (External link)