Measuring Connection

How do you measure something as intangible as innovation?

Our method has the Rainforest Alberta community score how effective each pillar is working in relation to each other. These measurements are calculated into a score out of a possible 1000 points. The goal is to get to 800/1000 by 2021. Scorecard data is collected before summits annually. The current score for Calgary is 630/1000.

The scorecard measurement, meant to bring awareness and understanding of ecosystem issues, serves as a means to create and have ongoing dialogue around a shared cultural narrative of innovation. The scorecard is a snapshot of the ecosystem in time, describing its strengths, weaknesses, and general conditions. The outcome of the scorecard number is to drive behaviours and models of thinking which are shared ecosystem wide. An honest examination of the ecosystem’s assets will work to identify opportunities to improve the culture of innovation.

Questions we ask the community.

We ask the community to evaluate the ecosystem based on their experiences using the following scale:
0 = I do not see this in the ecosystem; 5 = I see this half the time in the ecosystem; 10 = I see this all the time in the ecosystem.

TAKE THE SCORECARD SURVEY

• Failure and calculated risk are viewed positively as part of the path to success through learning.
• The community embodies a "give-first" mindset; they’re willing to help without expectation of immediate return, thus emphasizing the common good of the community.
• The community is welcoming, inclusive, and collaborative.
• Trust, honesty, and integrity are evident cultural elements.
• The community encourages people with ambitious, creative, and innovative mindsets.
• People think in terms of “positive sum” and “win-win” situations, not “zero sum” or “I win if you lose”.

• Leaders come from diverse backgrounds.
• Visions and objectives for promoting innovation are effectively communicated by leaders.
• Leaders champion innovation and encourage ideas from all people.
• Leaders are accessible to the community for advice and guidance.
• The community supports the direction of leaders.

• Policy promotes future growth and has a positive impact on innovators in the community.
• The physical infrastructure in the ecosystem supports the community’s needs to grow and innovate.
• Timely decision-making enables growth within the ecosystem.
• Communication tools used in the ecosystem are robust and collaborative.
• Innovators are familiar with and can identify the stages in the Startup Commons lifecycle. The key players who support entrepreneurs at each stage are well known.

• There are widely accessible programs to train/retrain workers with needed skills for the tech and innovation ecosystem.
• The ecosystem's workforce is diverse and talented across a range of skill sets that support market demands.
• There are effective resources from organizations and individuals to educate, mentor, and support innovative entrepreneurs.
• There are mechanisms to inform industries about skilled, needed, and in-demand people to help organizations through tech transition.
• Innovators are aware and have opportunities to access funding from the various channels available.
• Information from a broad spectrum of resources is current, relevant, and accessible to the community.

• Successful innovators are viewed as role models; they are valued and validated for their contribution in building the ecosystem.
• Role models are actively engaged in the community, supporting innovation through guidance and encouragement.
• Role models represent a diverse spectrum of the ecosystem.
• The community seeks future high-potential role models and promotes their journey through the ecosystem.
• Role models are celebrated in the ecosystem.

• There are numerous community activities that support tech and promote innovation.
• Activities attract and engage a diverse and broad audience to foster connections.
• Activities span a spectrum of disciplines and provide cross-pollination opportunities for ideas, collaboration, and innovation.
• Activities create value by providing education, inspiration, calls to action, or problem solving.
• The ecosystem encourages self-organization of events and activities.

How do we get to 800?

To achieve this, we created open spaces for our community to collide and build relationships. The sheer act of gathering and connecting had been enough for our score to naturally rise over the three years.

In 2019, a shift occured. To push into the second half of our goal the community needs to focus on collective action as framed through the six pillars.