• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • Devex Impact
    • Opinion
    • Exclusive Interview

    On DFAT's InnovationXChange: 'We need to take risks — appropriate risks'

    Six months on, InnovationXChange, the program within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has a more defined direction and a clearer vision for the future. Devex talks to Chris Vein, CEO of Dome Advisory Services and member of the hub's 14-person International Reference Group.

    By Lisa Cornish // 07 October 2015

    When Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop launched InnovationXChange in March as an innovative hub to solve aid-related problems, there was limited understanding of how this would impact the Australian aid program. Six months on, the program within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a more defined direction and a clearer vision for the future.

    Chris Vein has been involved in the program from the early stages. A former chief innovation officer for Global Technology Development at the World Bank, the American has two key roles as part of InnovationXChange. First, he serves as a member of the 14-person International Reference Group. Second, he advises Bishop, secretary of DFAT Peter Varghese and InnovationXChange head Lisa Rauter to think through strategically what is possible with the hub and how it should be built to fully achieve its potential.

    Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, identified Vein as the man for the job. When he was first approached about the project, Vein was still working at the World Bank with his role searching out innovative approaches and projects that had the potential to scale around the world. Technology-based solutions were fundamental to this work and it was this drive for technology-enabled innovation in the Australian aid program that enticed Vein to the job.

    This article is free to read - just register or sign in

    Access news, newsletters, events and more.

    Join usSign in
    • Innovation & ICT
    • Australia
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
    The views in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect Devex's editorial views.

    About the author

    • Lisa Cornish

      Lisa Cornish@lisa_cornish

      Lisa Cornish is a freelance data journalist based in Canberra, Australia. Lisa formerly worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist for the national network and was published throughout Australia in major metropolitan and regional newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane and online through news.com.au. Lisa has recently been awarded the 2014 Journalist of the Year by the New South Wales Institute of Surveyors.

    Search for articles

    Most Read

    • 1
      How low-emissions livestock are transforming dairy farming in Africa
    • 2
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 3
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 4
      How AI-powered citizen science can be a catalyst for the SDGs
    • 5
      Strengthening health systems by measuring what really matters
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement