Social innovation & governance: a scoping review

Findings from a large and growing body of transdisciplinary research offer useful insights for a deeper understanding of the relationships between social innovation and governance. In this article, social innovation (SI) is defined as practices that aim to satisfy neglected human needs, based on collective actions and tighter social relations, potentially generating socio-political transformations. Governance is defined as ‘new ways of governing’, including participatory and collective decision-making, along with conventional forms of government. The authors discuss commonalities and differences in the understanding of both concepts. Both social innovation and governance often involve collaborative practices between civil society organizations and public actors to develop alternative solutions to meet social needs, and often face comparable socio-political challenges. The authors review five academic areas (political science and public administration, urban and territorial studies, sociology, sustainability and ecology, and culture and creativity studies) to identify the most relevant dimensions linking social innovation and governance.