The 2014 Human Services Summit
The Dynamics of Convergence
When & Where
October 24-26, 2014
Harvard University | Cambridge, MA

A Report, reflecting on and summarizing the sessions and insights that occured at this Summit, is now available for download.

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About the Summit

Overview

f there’s one common theme in the human services world, it’s that the pace of change and disruption is intense and relentless. Fueling this turbulent environment are the dynamics of convergence – a once-in-a-generation phenomenon in which societal goals, value measures, technological platforms, market incentives and operating models are aligning in profound ways. What’s imperative now is that human services leaders gain an understanding of how to shape convergence in order to create newfound capacity for the future, solutions for people in need, outcomes that communities want and legitimacy that society demands.

To move forward, human services leaders will need to examine and understand how the dynamics of convergence will play out now and in the future. Based on insights from previous Human Services Summits, research, and trend lines, we can forecast an array of impacts:

  • The alignment of health and human services – along with education, workforce development and public safety – will forge new partnerships and pathways to sustainable population-based health and wellbeing.
  • The fusion of technological platforms, mobile applications, data-driven analytics and social networks will open up entirely new ways of engaging with citizens, evaluating programs and customizing services.
  • The intersection of demand for preventive services with cross-sector capital models will accelerate financial mechanisms such as Pay For Success and Social Impact Bonds and open channels for investing in long-term solutions.
  • The merging of ideas in behavioral economics and evidence-based budgeting will set new standards and methods for how policy is developed, outcomes are valued and impacts are measured.

    • The combination of new research in developmental psychology, social determinants, executive functioning and multi-generational poverty will inform methods for designing interventions and empowering people for success.

As leaders start to grapple with the peril and potential of convergence, they’ll need to exercise adaptive leadership to mobilize their stakeholders, workforce and partners around the shared vision, joint investment and co-ownership of outcomes this new world will demand.

To help human services officials shape the dynamics of convergence, exercise leadership and build capacity for the future, the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, Leadership for a Networked World and Accenture, in collaboration with the American Public Human Services Association, are convening senior-most leaders for The 2014 Human Services Summit: The Dynamics of Convergence. This fifth annual Summit, to be held October 24 – 26, 2014, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn from and network with the world’s foremost human services practitioners, Harvard faculty and researchers, and select industry experts.

The Summit will feature practitioner case studies, ideation sessions and topical workshops designed to help participants envision an actionable transformation plan and hone leadership skills. Summit participants will gain membership to a community of peers and experts, and leave the Summit prepared and poised to not only shape the dynamics of convergence, but also deliver valued outcomes and impact for society, communities, families and individuals.

Who Should Attend?

Admission & Participation

The Executive Leadership Group

Uma Ahluwalia
Director
Montgomery County (MD) Department of Health and Human Services
Kim Hood
Executive Director
Utah Department of Administrative Services
Tracy Wareing Evans
President and CEO
American Public Human Services Association

Previous Reports

Purpose, Passion, and Impact for the Future: A Report from 2019 Health and Human Services Summit

Go to Report

What’s foremost on the mind of forward leaning and resolute leaders is igniting the vision and mission for a generative future – one in which services and solutions not only address the complex root causes and barriers to better health and human services outcomes, but also invest in community-driven innovation in order to build the social and economic mobility that help individuals and families to flourish.

This level of purpose, passion, and impact for the future requires courageous leadership. It is imperative for health and human services officials to not only leverage the bold innovations, disruptive business models, and radical breakthroughs that lead to new and better solutions, but also embed the technology, tools, and cultural attributes which lead to creativity, agility, and adaptability. And urgently, leaders must address challenges and opportunities that can make or break progress including: How do we intentionally put the “person at the center” of human services? How will we strive to achieve equity in opportunity and outcomes? How can we invest “upstream” and “downstream” via the social determinants of health and two-generation solutions?

To help leaders answer these questions and chart a path for the future, Leadership for a Networked World and Accenture, in collaboration with the American Public Human Services Association, convened senior-most leaders for the 2019 Health and Human Services Summit: Purpose, Passion and Impact for the Future held at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Summit provided an unparalleled opportunity to collaborate, learn and network with the world’s foremost health and human services practitioners, Harvard faculty and researchers, and select industry experts. Summit participants gained also membership to a community of peers and experts and left the Summit with actionable steps to build generative solutions that achieve better outcomes and more equitably for the individuals, families and communities they serve.

Creating the Future of Outcomes and Impact: A Report from 2017 Health and Human Services Summit

Go to Report

Challenging and uncertain times have always been a catalyst for looking at problems in novel ways, inventing fresh solutions, designing new organizations, and delivering better results and value. Now is no different. For leaders in health and human services, today’s challenges are bringing an unparalleled opportunity to create the future of outcomes and impact.

Creating a better, brighter, and more impactful future will require developing new forms and new levels of outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. This form of change and innovation will increasingly require health and human services leaders to build a “generative ecosystem” – a set of interconnected organizations, machines, and services that can coproduce new solutions that address and solve the root causes of individual, family, and community health and human services challenges.

Catalysts for Generative Outcomes: A Report from 2016 Health and Human Services Summit

Go to Report

What does the future of health and human services look like? Where can we see glimpses of the future? How will we scale up promising innovations to achieve our vision?

Even with all the positive examples of progress and innovation in knitting together services, more work must be done to envision and build the ecosystem of organizations that can work together to design and deliver solutions that address the root causes of individual, family, and community health and human services challenges.

Emergent Leadership: Turning Ideas into Outcomes: A Report from 2015 Human Services Summit

Go to Report

The question of how to achieve the potential of new ideas and business models is critically important in human services, given the powerful emergence of innovations such as Pay-for-Success and Social Impact nancing, collective impact strategies, executive functioning science, evidence-based service design, two-generation interventions, and many more capacity-building and outcome-driving ideas.

To help human services leaders acquire these skills and strategies, the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, Leadership for a Networked World and Accenture, in collaboration with the American Public Human Services Association, convened senior leaders for the 2015 Human Services Summit: Emergent Leadership – Turning Ideas into Outcomes.

The Dynamics of Convergence: A Report from 2014 Human Services Summit

Go to Report

To move forward, human services leaders must examine and appreciate how the dynamics of convergence will play out now and in the future. Based on insights from previous summits and research, we can forecast greater alignment and new partnerships between health and human services, education, workforce, and public safety to create pathways to community well-being.

To help leaders examine convergence dynamics and build capacity for the future, the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, Leadership for a Networked World, and Accenture, in collaboration with the American Public Human Services Association, hosted The 2014 Human Services Summit: The Dynamics of Convergence. This fifth annual Summit brought together the world’s foremost human services practitioners, industry experts, and Harvard faculty and researchers to explore these topics.

Leadership in an Era of Disruption: A Report from 2013 Human Services Summit

Go to Report

When disruption is the new normal, what does leadership look like? Successful leaders see opportunities to respond in innovative ways, and disruption becomes a catalyst for better business models that guide individuals, families and communities to self-sufficiency.

To harness and share these lessons, Leadership for a Networked World, Accenture, the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard and the American Public Human Services Association convened human services leaders for The 2013 Human Services Summit: Leadership in an Era of Disruption. The fourth annual Summit, held at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., brought together the world’s premier human services practitioners, Harvard faculty, fellows, and researchers and select industry experts to explore these topics.

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