Section outline

  • Welcome to the 2025 Innovation Festival!

    Dear all,

    We’re thrilled to welcome you to this year’s DanChurchAid (DCA) Innovation Festival - a month of Innovation. 

    The different sessions will be for all things bold, creative, and future-focused at DCA. This page will be your guide to the festival programme, featured speakers, case studies, and practical resources.

    Why Innovation Matters

    At DCA, innovation is a cornerstone of our Global Strategy. It’s how we challenge systemic social and environmental issues in the global south and how we reimagine new ways of engaging the Danish public. From simple ideas to groundbreaking solutions, innovation offers as many challenges as opportunities. This festival is about exploring everything! 

    What’s New This Year?

    The Innovation Festival is back and open to all DCA staff and DCA partners. We’re gathering changemakers, creative thinkers, and dedicated professionals to share ideas, experiences, and practical tools for driving positive change.

    Expect case studies, hands-on workshops, and open conversations on how innovation can support humanitarian and development work.


    What's In It For You?

    • Fresh perspectives on how innovation is transforming the sector

    • Real-world case studies from DCA’s innovation projects

    • Interactive workshops where you can test ideas and learn new tools

    • Opportunities to connect with peers across sectors and countries



  • SIGN UP HERE

    Just a quick "How To" before you sign up!


    To sign up for a session you just add the session to your calendar. So how to add innovation festival sessions to your outlook calendar?

    You can pick and choose the sessions that interest you by downloading individual calendar invites for each one. Follow the steps below to add them to your Outlook calendar:

    Step 1

    Click on the link for the session(s) you’d like to attend. This will download an .ics calendar file to your computer. From you downloads, click open file on the session you downloaded. 

    Step 3

    In Outlook calendar select a calendar, click import. 

    Step 5

    Repeat for any additional sessions you’d like to attend.

    STep 2

    Open your Outlook and go to calendar.



    Step 4

    Click OK 


    feel free to reach out to us at innovation@dca.dk if needed 
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    • Session Overview 

      Scroll down to see recordings of all sessions 

      Session name 

      Session Description


      Speakers

      13 May 9.00-10.45 CET

      Festival Opening & Anticipatory Action – Nepal’s Strategic Innovation Journey

      		 DCA's International Director, Karin E. Lind will open the festival.

      Dive into Nepal’s pioneering journey in applying anticipatory action through a strategic innovation lens. Participants will gain insights into how foresight, systems thinking, and community-driven approaches are being used to better prepare for and respond to emerging risks. 

      Karin E. Lind, International Director,
      DCA

      Béatrice Mauconduit, 
      LearningLab, DCA

      Samjhana Bista, Country Director,
      DCA Nepal

      Bimal Ghimire, Head of Programmes,
      DCA Nepal

      Dinesh Gurung, Programme Manager, DCA Nepal  

      15 May 9.30-11.00 CET

      MEAL in Innovation and Innovation in MEAL
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      Welcome to this dynamic workshop where we explore the evolving relationship between MEAL and innovation. As innovation becomes a core approach to tackling complex challenges, MEAL systems must adapt to be more agile, learning-oriented, and future-focused. At the same time, innovation practices can benefit from more robust and reflective MEAL frameworks that go beyond measuring outputs to capturing learning, iteration, and systemic change. 

       

      Mia Chartouni, MEAL advisor, DCA

      Kelvin Gatuha Mungai,
      MEAL Advisor, DCA

      Adaline Hui, Learning Lab, DCA

      20 May 9.00-10.20 CET

      Scaling Social Innovation 



      		 2

      Join us as we unpack what “scaling” looks like in practice and explore how DCA and its partners can grow social innovations in ways that stay true to their values, context, and impact. This session will challenge conventional ideas of scale and offer fresh thinking on how to expand what works—without losing what matters.

      Christina Dahl Jensen, Senior Innovation Advisor, DCA

      Linn Tomasdotter, Senior Innovation Consultant, Head of Tinkr, Sweden

      Max Vieille, Global Director, Response Innovation Lab

      20 May 10.30-11.30 CET

      Kenya Office's Innovation Learning Journey 


      		 3

      Get a glimpse into innovation leadership in action, hear reflections from the Kenya office, and learn from the country office take aways on how to work with innovation from an organisational perspective.


      Patrick Kipuku,        Head of Programmes, DCA Kenya

      Karen Poore, Country Director,
      DCA Kenya 



      20 May 11.45-12.30 CET

      Locally Led Innovation in South Sudan


      		 4

      Learn how South Sudan has worked with Locally Led Innovation by following the DCA innovation process


      Rikke Kristiansen, Programme Officer, DCA South Sudan 

      23 May 9.30-11.30 CET

      Innovation Introduction Course 

      		 5

      This fast-paced, 2-hour course offers a practical introduction to the fundamentals of innovation. Designed for beginners, it covers key concepts, tools, and mindsets needed to understand and apply innovation in real-world contexts. 

      Christina Dahl Jensen, Senior Advisor Innovation, DCA 

      27 May 9.00-10.10 CET

      Digital Technologies
       and Innovation

      6


      What are DCA’s Country Offices and partners experimenting with? From AI to digital platforms—get an inside look at how digital innovation is unfolding in practice. 

      Cases: Mali (Chatbot) and Palestine (Violence tracker)

      		 Shanaz Jubran, Head of Programmes, DCA Middle East
      Souleymane Djanken Touré, Head of Programme/ Acting Country Director, DCA Mali 

       



      27 May 10.30-11.30 CET

      Innovation Case Sprint

       

      		 7

      Dive into       THREE selected innovation cases from Zimbabwe, CAR and Cambodia. Get a snapshot of what’s working, what’s being tested, and what can be scaled. 






      Christina Dahl Jensen, Senior Advisor Innovation, DCA

      Tom Martinez, Head of Programmes, DCA CAR 

      Loreen Mupasiri, Project Coodinator, DCA Zimbabwe 

      Kimhong Horn, Programme Manager, DCA Cambodia   

      28 May 9.15-11.00 CET

      Innovation Management Introductory Course 

      		8

      Interactive workshop, practical introduction to innovation management for individuals and teams looking to build their innovation capabilities. Participants will explore key concepts, tools, and mindsets that support the design, implementation, and scaling of innovative ideas within organizations. Topics include navigating uncertainty, fostering a culture of experimentation, and managing innovation portfolios.       		Christina Dahl Jensen, Senior Advisor Innovation, DCA 



  • Practicalities


    • Before the event

      • The event takes place in Microsoft Teams. You can use Teams in the browser, but for full functionality, please download Teams to your device. You can find more information about how to install the programme here.
      • For the best experience, make sure you have access to a headset with a microphone and test it the day before.
      • Join the digital event room 10 minutes ahead of time. This way we can all start together and solve technical problems that may arise.


      During the event

      • Please make sure you have downloaded the right session link

      • Your participation is voluntary - you can sign in and off based on your availability. 

      • Use a headset for the webinar, if possible. This will help all participants to hear you clearly.
      • Mute your microphone when you are not speaking, so we do not experience disturbing background noises.
      • Turn on your camera, if your internet connection allows. It creates a more visible audience for the presenters.
      • Please be respectful and considerate of other people's opinions. We are participants with diverse backgrounds both from DCA and outside DCA.
      • Use the 'raise hand' or the chat to ask questions or give comments.
      • If connectivity is a problem, try closing down other apps or programmes.
      • If you have technical issues, write us in the chat.



    • Discover DCA’s Innovation Community


      Become part of a vibrant innovation community and Take me back to the Innovation Hub Teams Channel or write us at innovation@dca.dk 

      DCA's Innovation Learning Hub on FABO


      Step into a space designed to spark ideas, share knowledge, and support your innovation journey. Click the Innovation Hub button to explore a growing platform filled with opportunities for learning, collaboration, and practical resources.

      The Innovation Hub is DCA’s meeting point for everyone curious about innovation. Here you’ll find:

      • Inspiration and guidance on navigating the innovation process

      • Tools and templates to support your own projects and ideas

      • Insights on how to manage, encourage, and sustain innovation within your team or programme

      • Information about DCA’s Innovation Fund and how you can get involved

      Whether you’re looking for hands-on resources, new ideas, or a community of peers working with innovation, the Innovation Hub is your starting point.



  • Session Recordings

  • Ressources

  • Presented Cases

    CountryName of CaseContact
    NepalAnticipatory Action Samjhana Bista(sabi@dca.dk), Bimal Ghimire (bghi@dca.dk) & Dinesh Gurung (digu@dca.dk)
    Kenya Innovation Learning JourneyPatrick Kipuku (patrick.kenya@dca.dk), Karen Poore (kapo@dca.dk)
    South SudanLocally Led InnovationRikke Kristiansen (rikr@dca.dk)
    MENA region Digital Technologies Shanaz Jubran (shju@dca.dk)
    ZimbabwePeacebuilding Loreen Mupasiri (lomu@dca.dk) 
    Central Africal Republic  Gender Tom Martinez (toma@dca.dk) 
    Cambodia  Living Labs  Kimhong Horn (kiho@dca.dk)