Ned Rava

Ned Rava portrait

Co-founder, Futures of Social Innovation Research Group
sLab Research Advisor

Ned Rava (@RavaNenad) has 20 years of professional experience in organizational change, strategy, and innovation. Working across 25 countries, Ned facilitated complex social systems change on 50+ projects and initiatives; produced 40+ reports, policy papers, strategies, methodologies, and roadmaps; and designed and delivered 45+ training and educational courses. His work focused on strategic development, policy design, stakeholder dialogue, institutional innovation, and organizational learning - across sectors and industries (including education, healthcare, social policy, economic development, community development, and democratic governance). He is currently advising the United Nations Development Group (DOCO/DRT-F) on Integrated Policy for the Sustainable Development Goals (12 countries, 20 UN agencies, and 45 projects); the United Nations Capital Development Fund on partnership strategy for financial inclusion and impact investment; and the Empowering Futures Initiative of the Global Centre for Public Service Excellence on new strategic foresight approach.

Ned worked as Research Associate at CIRCAP (Centre for the Study of Political Change) in Italy; at the University of Stirling UK and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK; at the EUDO (European Observatory for Citizenship); and at the Oslo Governance Centre, and the Regional Bureau for Development of UNDP. He was an Assistant Professor for Strategic Management at the University of BK and Lecturer on Strategy and Social Complexity at the MBA program of the American University of BiH.

Ned co-founded the Futures of Social Innovation sLab research group, and provided advisory contribution to several sLab projects including: “Governing in the Digital Era: Westminster and Beyond”, new foresight methodology for the “Imagining Canada’s Future” (SSHRC), and the “Relating Systems Thinking to Design” Symposium on Systemic Design for Social Complexity (RSD5), He presented his comprehensive study on Policy Design(ing) as a part of the sLab Explorations series in March 2017.

Education

  • Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation (OCADU)
  • PhD in Quality of Democracy and Nation-State Integration (CIRPAC)
  • MA in Comparative Politics (University of Sienna)
  • Specialisation in Development Policy (VDA and Johnes International University)
  • BSc in Management (UBK)

 

Expertise
Policy Design, Strategic Foresight, Social Impact and Systemic Change, Institutional Innovation and Modernization, Strategic Development, Democratic Governance, Political Transitions, Business Design

Research interests

  • Social Impact and Impact Investing
  • Integrated Policy Design for the Sustainable Development Goals
  • Platform Business Design
  • Future Policy for the AI “subjects”

 

Publications (selected)

  • Platforms Everywhere: Transforming Organizations by Integrating Eco-Systems in Business Design” (OCADU, SFI, forthcoming)
  • Empowering Futures Initiative: Foresight Guidance for Practitioners (Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, 2017)
  • Policy Design: From Technocracy to Complexity, and Beyond (with B. Guy Peters), in International Conference on Public Policy 2017 Proceedings (International Public Policy Association, forthcoming)
  • Foresight: A Manual (Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, 2017)
  • Policy Design(ing): Towards Understanding and a Methodological Framework (OCADU, sLab, Exploring Design, 2017)
  • New Policy Direction for 2030: the Sustainable Development Goals (Canadian Government Executive, 23/1, Jan 2017)
  • DRT-F Results and Lessons Learned on Integrated Policy Support to the SDGs (UNDG, 2017)
  • Designing for Policy and Institutional Design in Governance (RSD5 Proceedings, 2016)
  • Mid-term Evaluation of the Civil Service Hub (UNDP/ACSH, 2016)
  • Organizational Change and Innovation (Desenta, 2016)
  • Systemic Functional Review of Public Administration (AAM/EC, 2015)
  • White Paper: The Community of Practice on Policy Design and Strategic Planning (EP/EC, 2014)
  • Policy, Planning, and Implementation (Foreign Investors Council, 2014)
  • Proposal for Implementation for the Blueprint on Central Bodies of Governments (EP/EC, 2013)
  • Quality of Democracy and Nation-State Integration (CIRPAC, 2013)
  • Book review: Shaw, J. and Stiks, I. (eds.) (2012). Citizenship After Yugoslavia. Routledge
  • Institutional Development and Capacity Building: Reform of the Education Sector (EP/EC, 2012)
  • International Trends: Retraining and Advance Training (Astana Economic Forum, 2012)
  • Public Sector Reform: Case studies (EuropeAid, 2011)
  • The Use of Competences in Human Resources Management (RCPAR, 2011)
  • Elusive citizenship in an elusive nation-state (CITSEE Working Paper 8, 2010)
  • Guidebook for the Methodology for Strategic Development Planning (World Bank, 2010)
  • Capacity for Inclusive Policy-making in the Aftermath of Political Change (UNDP/BDP, 2009)
  • Guide for the Workspaces: a Virtual Collaboration Platform (RCPAR, 2009)
  • The Role of Presidency in Ensuring Accountability, Professionalism, Transparency and Legitimacy of the Policy Process (in Restoring Professionalism and Accountability, NISPA, 2008)
  • Municipal Status Report on Decentralized Public Service Delivery (UNDP, 2008)
  • Organizational Review of the Office for National Investment Plan (UNDP, 2007)
  • Professional and Depoliticized Civil Service: Lack of understanding and problems of application (WeBa CoP, 2007)
  • Review of Decision-Making - A New Approach (DAI, 2006)
  • Enabling Institutions: Capacity Assessment and Development of Local Institutions (SCTM, 2005)
  • Guided Self-Assessment as an Entry Point for Continuous Organizational Change (in Methods of Radical Reform, FMUBK, 2004)
  • Relevance of the Learning Organization for Social and Economic Change (Director, Sept, 2001)
  • Managers as Modern Sophists (GSM, 1996)