Governance and Innovation for Social Impact Fellows

The Governance and Innovation for Social Impact (GISI) Fellowship Program is a leadership development program of the Bridging Leadership Institute and various social labs of the Asian School of Governance, in collaboration with the Ateneo de Manila University and the Municipality of Paracelis. This 11-month Fellowship prepares a new generation of leaders to bridge sectors, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and co-create transformative solutions to complex governance and sustainable development challenges.

The Fellowship combines Bridging Leadership, Adaptive Leadership, systems thinking, social innovation, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, culture-based innovation, design thinking, artificial intelligence, Harvard's Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) to equip Fellows with the competencies needed to lead collaborative change in an increasingly complex world.

The Fellowship serves as a living laboratory where learning takes place through action. Fellows work alongside local government, indigenous communities, universities, students, civil society organizations, development partners, and the private sector to address real development challenges while strengthening the innovation ecosystems of Paracelis Municipality, the Cordillera Region, and the Philippine innovation sector as a whole.

Our Philosophy

Building Innovation Ecosystems

The GISI Fellowship is designed not only to develop individual Fellows but also to strengthen the innovation ecosystem of Paracelis and the Cordilleras.

Throughout the program, Fellows help build stronger relationships among local governments, indigenous communities, universities, researchers, students, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, government agencies, investors, and development partners.

They contribute to expanding the capacity of the Paracelis Innovation Center and its network of Social Labs as platforms for continuous experimentation, learning, collaboration, and scaling of innovations.

Learn by Solving Real Problems

Every Fellow works on actual municipal and community problem sets identified by local government offices, indigenous communities, and development partners.

Using systems thinking and collaborative innovation methodologies, Fellows will:

• Identify priority governance and development challenges.

• Facilitate multi-stakeholder collaboration.

• Conduct community immersion and stakeholder engagement.

• Apply Indigenous Knowledge Systems and culture-based innovation.

• Design and prototype innovative solutions.

• Support pilot implementation.

• Develop policies and implementation roadmaps.

• Mobilize partnerships and resources.

• Mentor student innovation and research teams.

• Build an innovation portfolio for scaling and investment.

Social Labs

Fellows are embedded within one or more Social Labs. Together, these Social Labs form an integrated innovation platform that connects research, governance, entrepreneurship, and community action.

Measuring What Matters

Creating innovation is only the beginning. Demonstrating measurable impact is equally important.

The Fellowship equips participants to evaluate the outcomes of their work using internationally recognized frameworks, including:

• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to measure contributions to global development priorities.

• Social Return on Investment (SROI) to assess the social, environmental, cultural, and economic value created by innovations.

• Outcome and impact indicators that support evidence-based policymaking, investment decisions, and continuous improvement.

By embedding measurement throughout the innovation process, Fellows learn how to generate credible evidence that supports scaling and long-term sustainability.

Program Objectives

The Fellowship aims to:

1. Develop Bridging Leaders capable of leading collaborative action for social impact.

2. Strengthen innovation ecosystems through pentahelix innovation by co-creating solutions with communities, government, academe, private sector, and civil society organizations.

3. Build a continuous innovation pipeline that transforms priority development challenges into scalable solutions that advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

4. Measure and communicate impact using SDG indicators and Social Return on Investment (SROI) to support learning, accountability, policy development, and investment.

Who Should Apply?

The Fellowship welcomes emerging and experienced leaders who are passionate about creating positive social change, including:

• Local government officials and staff

• Indigenous community leaders

• Civil society organizations

• University faculty and researchers

• Undergraduate and graduate students

• Entrepreneurs and social innovators

• Development practitioners

• Professionals seeking to create public value

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the Fellowship, participants will have:

• Developed the competencies of a Bridging Leader.

• Built a portfolio of high-impact governance and social innovations.

• Strengthened the Social Lab ecosystem of the Paracelis AI Innovation Center.

• Established partnerships across sectors and disciplines.

• Integrated Indigenous Knowledge Systems into innovation practice.

• Produced measurable social impact using SDG and SROI frameworks.

• Contributed to a sustainable innovation pipeline capable of generating long-term improvements in governance, livelihoods, resilience, and community well-being.

Our Vision

The Bridging Leadership Institute envisions thriving local, regional, and national innovation ecosystems  where government, indigenous communities, universities, civil society, and the private sector work together to build resilient innovation ecosystems, transform complex challenges into opportunities, and create lasting social impact for present and future generations.