Facilitating stakeholder engagement in innovation platforms : an ecosystem perspective within the South African health context

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa’s public healthcare sector is overburdened and underresourced, stifling the country’s primary healthcare delivery system. The burden on the public healthcare sector could be relieved through the alleviation of the population’s ill-health by focusing on the social determinants of health, such as living conditions and levels of social cohesion. This research considers socio-economic empowerment of those marginalised members of society living at the base of the pyramid (BOP) to improve factors contributing to poor health. Innovation platforms (IPs) offer opportunities to empower the marginalised. IPs draw together diverse stakeholders, which may include the marginalised, to pool resources and knowledge and collaborate around a specific set of challenges. IP participants contribute towards the development of context-specific innovation solutions to complex problems. Understanding and managing stakeholder engagement in networks of diverse stakeholders is complex; more so with the participation of the commonly marginalised. This research aims to develop a conceptual framework and management tool to better understand and manage the engagement practices of IP stakeholders. In a grounded theory approach, the research used a systematic literature review, a traditional literature review, semi-structured interviews and case studies as data collection methods. The research output was evaluated progressively. The framework’s development began with the analysis of relevant literature in the systematic literature review to identify good engagement practices present in IPs. Subsequently, the first part of the evaluation verified the findings of the systematic literature review using a subject matter expert interview and a theoretical case study, to further investigate these engagement practices. The preliminary framework was then compiled using the insight gained. The second part of the evaluation sought to confirm the content and structure of the preliminary framework. Semi-structured interviews with four subject matter experts informed this process. Where gaps were identified in the framework, the necessary modifications were made to address these. This led to the development of an enhanced conceptual framework. A ‘framework overview canvas’ was developed to complement the conceptual framework and further simplify the conceptualisation of stakeholder engagement in IPs. A process for using the enhanced conceptual framework and its overview canvas was subsequently developed and applied in a case study for the final round of evaluation in this research. The innovation ecosystem perspective was applied to analyse an existing IP in the case study. The case study found the conceptual framework to be suitable and relevant as a tool for managing stakeholder engagement in IPs. Final modifications were made to the conceptual framework and a ‘process canvas’ was developed to assist potential users in the application of the tool. The management tool for stakeholder engagement in IPs has three elements: (1) the final conceptual framework; (2) the framework overview canvas; and (3) the process canvas. The tool is flexible in its application and may inform the development of new IPs or facilitate improved stakeholder management in existing IPs. This tool is not limited to IPs or to the South African health context; it remains relevant to other stakeholder network architectures and several other sectors.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika se openbare gesondheidsorgsektor is oorbelas en ly as gevolg van ‘n tekort aan die nodige hulpbronne. Die land se primêre gesondheidsorgstelsel word onderdruk as gevolg hiervan. Hierdie las mag verminder word deur die verbetering van die bevolking se gesondheid deur te fokus op die sosiale beslissende faktore van gesondheid, soos lewensomstandighede en die vlakke van sosiale samehorigheid. Hierdie navorsing beskou die sosio-ekonomiese bemagtiging van die gemarginaliseerde lede van die samelewing wat aan die basis van die piramide (‘base of the pyramid’ [BOP]) woon om faktore wat tot swak gesondheid bydra, te verbeter. Innovasie-platforms (IPs) bied geleenthede om gemarginaliseerdes te bemagtig. IPs word gevorm uit die samekoms van verskillende belanghebbendes, wat die gemarginaliseerdes kan insluit, om hulpbronne en kennis saam te voeg en saam te werk aan 'n spesifieke stel uitdagings. Deelnemers aan IPs dra by tot die ontwikkeling van konteks-spesifieke innovasie-oplossings vir ingewikkelde probleme. Om die betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes in netwerke van uiteenlopende belanghebbendes te verstaan en te bestuur, is ingewikkeld, veral met die deelname van die gemarginaliseerdes. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel om 'n konseptuele raamwerk te ontwikkel om die betrokkenheidspraktyke van IP-belanghebbendes beter te verstaan en te bestuur. Data-insamelingsmetodes binne 'n ‘grounded theory’ metodologie bestaan uit 'n sistematiese literatuurstudie, tradisionele literatuurstudie, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en gevallestudies. Die navorsingsuitsette is deurlopend geëvalueer. Die ontwikkeling van die raamwerk is begin met die ontleding van relevante literatuur in die sistematiese literatuurstudie. Die literatuur is gekodeer om goeie betrokkenheidspraktyke in IPs te identifiseer. Vervolgens het die eerste deel van die evaluering die bevindings van die sistematiese literatuurstudie geverifieer met behulp van 'n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoud met 'n vakkundige en 'n teoretiese gevallestudie om hierdie betrokkenheidspraktyke verder te ondersoek. Daarna is die voorlopige raamwerk opgestel met behulp van die insig wat verkry is. Die tweede deel van die evaluering het probeer om die inhoud en struktuur van die voorlopige raamwerk te bevestig. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met vier vakkundiges het hierdie proses ingelig. Waar daar leemtes in die raamwerk geïdentifiseer is, is die nodige wysigings aangebring om dit aan te spreek. Dit het gelei tot die ontwikkeling van 'n verbeterde konseptuele raamwerk. 'n ‘Framework overview canvas’ is ontwikkel om die konseptuele raamwerk aan te vul en die konseptualisering van die betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes in IPs verder te vereenvoudig. 'n Proses vir die gebruik van die verbeterde konseptuele raamwerk en sy ‘overview canvas’ is vervolgens ontwikkel en toegepas in 'n gevallestudie. Die gevallestudie vorm die finale evalueringsronde in hierdie navorsing. Die innovasie-ekosisteemperspektief is toegepas om 'n bestaande IP in die gevallestudie te ontleed. Uit die gevallestudie is bevind dat die konseptuele raamwerk geskik en relevant is as 'n instrument vir die bestuur van betrokkenheid by belanghebbendes. Finale wysigings is aan die konseptuele raamwerk aangebring en 'n 'process canvas' is ontwikkel om potensiële gebruikers te help met die toepassing van die instrument. Die bestuursinstrument vir die betrokkenheid by belanghebbendes in IP's bestaan uit drie elemente: (1) die finale konseptuele raamwerk; (2) die ‘framework overview canvas’; en (3) die ‘process canvas’. Die relevansie van die instrument is nie beperk tot IPs of die Suid-Afrikaanse gesondheidskonteks nie; dit bly relevant vir ander netwerkargitekture vir belanghebbendes asook vir verskeie ander sektore.Master