Let’s Not Keep Reinventing the Wheel: Balancing Innovation with Impact

In this article, Martin Dorchester, our Chief Executive, lays out why we need to stop reinventing the wheel when it comes to balancing innovation with impact.

In anticipation of the Scottish Government’s mid-term financial and fiscal sustainability plan, this thought piece advocates for a more balanced funding approach that values both innovation and the scaling of evidence-based practices.

While innovation is essential for progress, proven solutions in education, social care, and health continue to deliver measurable impact and deserve sustained investment.

I propose a hybrid funding model that integrates innovation into the scaling of what already works.

Despite decades of research and successful implementation, many high-impact programs in education, social care, and health remain underfunded. Meanwhile, funding disproportionately favours novel, untested innovations that may not deliver long-term value or equity. For example:

• In education, digital tools are prioritised over foundational literacy programs.
• In social care, tech-driven case management overshadows relationship-based models.
• In health, AI and genomics receive more attention than community-based prevention.

Why do proven solutions matter?

 Proven solutions matter:

• They are cost-effective: programmes like early childhood education, health visitors, and family support services offer high returns on investment.
• They are scalable: these models have been tested across diverse populations and contexts.
• They are equitable: these proven solutions often serve marginalised communities more effectively than experimental pilots.

However, I am not anti-innovation. Far from it. Indeed, I advocate for:

• Smart innovation that enhances proven models (e.g., digital tools to support teachers, not replace them).
• Evidence-informed pilots that are rigorously evaluated before scaling, but once proven, are sustainably funded!
• Tech-enabled scaling of what we know already works.

What does this mean?

 From this, funders should look to establish funding frameworks that:

1. Sustain: Organisations such as includem should be able to secure long-term funding for proven programs.
2. Enhance: Innovation should be used to improve a project or program’s delivery and reach.
3. Evaluate: Organisations should invest in robust evaluation to continuously learn and adapt.

As the Scottish Government sets out the medium-term financial strategy, there is an opportunity for funders from the public, private and civic sectors to:

• Rebalance portfolios to include both innovation and evidence-based programs.
• Fund hybrid models that modernise proven approaches.
• Commit to long-term impact over short-term money.

Innovation is vital – but so is wisdom.

By investing in what works and enhancing it with thoughtful innovation, we can build systems that are not only modern but are also just, effective, and sustainable.

At a time when we need services to be delivered quickly, efficiently and effectively, this must surely be the route to take?