The Accountability Incubator is the Lab’s flagship program for civic innovators working on accountability and governance. The Incubator supports strong and innovative ideas from young people for accountability, participation and open government, helping them to build effective andsustainable for change.

The Incubator recently hosted a design and ideation workshop for the 2024 cohort beginning with a pitch session for the Accountapreneurs to share their raw ideas with a panel of experts. For many, this was the first time they had shared their ideas outside their immediate social circles.
The panel included Mukasiri Sibanda, Aretha Mare and Tendai Carter Chidada who hold almost fifty years combined of international development experience implemented across a diversity of sectors including technology for development, climate change and humanitarian interventions.

Among the insights they shared:
1. Investigate the root causes and nuances of the issue you aim to address – Accountapreneurs care deeply, putting their passion and energy into their ideas. However, lasting solutions go beyond the surface, digging deeply into its roots. Thoroughly understanding the problem means researching its causes, talking to people affected by it, and investing in understanding the impact of the issue on the affected community. This deep understanding helps in designing a more effective and relevant solution, ensuring that efforts and resources are focused on areas where they will create the most significant impact.

2. Understand the value of your solution– simply, value is the benefit of using a product or service. Being able to clearly articulate the value proposition of a solution helps potential stakeholders and beneficiaries understand why they should care about what you are doing. A value proposition is crucial in highlighting the unique benefits and advantages of your idea so that people can see why its worth investing, time, money, or resources into.

3. Define the impact you want to create – clearly define the specific outcomes and changes you intend to achieve by defining your impact goals and theory of change, that is, clearly outlining the specific changes and improvements you want to see in the community or sector you are working. Defining your goals helps you to stay focused, and measure your progress along the way.

4. Not all challenges require a technological solution – AI is a trending topic at the moment, but not every development challenge is suited to a solution involving AI. It is important to investigate the appropriateness, and applicability of technology, and if this will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the solution. Sometimes, a simple solution like better communication or community organizing can be just as effective – if not more so! Technology can be powerful for scaling solutions, or reaching more people, but it is essential to assess whether it is the right tool for the job.

Accountapreneurs took this feedback into the Human-Centered Design process, that is empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing, to develop initiatives to promote accountability in their communities.