The 100 Day Challenge is a structured innovation process, combined with coaching support. The approach enables people from across a system to collaborate and rapidly experiment with new ideas and new ways of working, to achieve real results for people and communities.

The method works with leaders from across a place or system to mobilise those closest to the action – driving change from the bottom up, in real time and at pace. 100 Day Challenges are intensive periods of action and collaboration that typically involve representatives from health, social care, education, and the voluntary and community sector. Another important part of the jigsaw is the involvement of citizens and people with lived experience.

With local system leaders identifying strategic challenges, and frontline teams responding to these, learning from the challenge is then able to inform future strategies and policy.

This approach focuses on creating the conditions for change and innovation in complex systems, as seen below.

A diagram showing the conditions for change and innovation in complex systems

Conditions for change and innovation in complex systems

The 100 Day Challenge method works best on complex issues which require collaboration across organisational and professional disciplines, and a range of interventions to be tested at the same time.

Teams – ideas – results

Diverse, place-based teams are challenged to collaborate and step into a new way of working for 100 days. Teams set their own ambitious goals, and develop and test ideas that they believe will help them to achieve this goal. Through working together differently and changing the way things are done, they are often able to significantly improve how things work and achieve impressive results; which have included reducing hospital admissions and supporting people to change their lifestyle to reduce their risk of diabetes.

Throughout the 100 days, the teams are supported by coaches who help them to stay on track, and use data to track the impact of the changes they are making. Senior sponsors are also on hand to help unblock obstacles and scale successful approaches.

You can read more about what we are currently up to and find out about the impact we have had over the past five years.

Check out our short animation and recent report for more information on the approach. You can also check out our full easy read booklet or the shorter version for more information.