Innovations, agency and transformation in front-line work

New ideas and innovations are required for solving emerging problems and challenges in homelessness work. Multiple innovative solutions have already been created during recent programmatic developments in the field. First, the purpose is to examine the types of innovations and second, their connections to transformative agency within and between work communities are discussed. The aim is also to study why, and for which purpose the innovations were created. The data of successful innovations presented by employees from local and national levels is collected in five workshops with participating front-line workers. The data of the workshops is transcribed. The data-driven coding scheme contains the characteristics of the presented innovations. The main types of solution, process and system innovations originally suggested by Engeström (1995) are applied in the analysis. Solution innovations are generated as solutions to problems. For example, a new tool, a new rule or a new form of dividing labour can represent such solutions. Process innovations relate to reorganisation of work processes and system innovations concern an entire activity system of actors involved. The study is part of the TSR research project “Collective Professional Agency in Finnish Homelessness Work”. The aim of the presentation is to discuss the methodology and the method and to provide preliminary findings of the study. EU general data protection regulations are followed, and the participants registered have given an informed consent in the study.