Framing the Challenge: Tips and Tricks from the Big Boys

Yesterday, we saw how President Obama was rooting for Innovation in his 2012 State of the Union speech. But truth be told: innovation has been on the President's mind since the very beginning of his term in office: in his September 2009 Strategy for American Innovation, Obama called on agencies to increase their ability to promote innovation by using tools such as prizes and challenges to solve tough problems. His plea was heard - and answered - because in March 2010, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a Memorandum on the use of challenges/contests and prizes to improve government and encourage innovation. Basically, the OMB provides a policy and legal framework to guide agencies in using prizes (money, scholarships, internships, ...) to stimulate innovation to advance their core missions.

Shortly after, Challenge.gov was created. This is a website where the government and the public work together: government agencies post challenges on this site and the public can post submissions to these challenges. But what exactly is a challenge?

Challenges can range from fairly simple (idea suggestions, creation of logos, videos, digital games and mobile applications) to proofs of concept, designs, or finished products.
Once a challenge is created, other people can join the challenge to propose a submission, discuss the challenge, and show support.

But why is this interesting to us, the MTB community? Well, just have a look at the wide range of challenges (http://challenge.gov/search).  Feast your eyes upon the great, clear and concise ways in which the agencies are able to frame their "proburtunities". Often, using a single sentence, they are able to put forward the issue(s) at hand and trigger the audience to accept the challenge. The substantial awards offered at the end might help as well, of course.

As all of you are starting your search for a great (GREEN) innovation, keep in mind that it should also solve an important 'challenge' within the MTB community. Take a look at your lives and that of your students and decide what is missing, can be improved, should be changed, ... Try to frame it clearly, i.e. put it into words, using no more than a single sentence. This is where Challenge.gov might help. And, should you be inspired and want to take up a challenge posted by the US agencies, feel free to let the entire MTB community be a part of your fame and fortune!

Astrid

(Check out: http://challenge.gov/)