Showing up differently

From the very start it is all about a complex issue.

This is not the solution. Its the issue that has aggravated someone to the point where they find the courage to name it – hoping that others also feel this strongly about addressing it.  Sometimes its communities, other times its providers or funders who start the process by naming the issue.

These pervasive social issues;

• have been stubbornly immune to being shifted by all efforts to this point…
• are emotional, both frustrating but also the beginnings of hope and optimism that things could be different.
• are quite different to the transactional approaches that we are familiar with where solutions are packaged neatly in advance and procured as deliverables.
• have never had sustained impact on the core issues that communities and organisations struggle with.

View the full process diagram here

How does this compare to a transactional approach?

Co designing together

As more people join this table around the cup – the compelling issue, a shared purpose begins to emerge followed by a flow of ‘what if?” ideas and possibilities.

• These solution are based on needs, issues and strengths – ‘what can I offer’ – maybe time, connections, expertise or resource…
• Having community, providers and funders involved throughout the process allows the group to design prototypes together, so naturally all parties commit to its implementation, and ongoing review.

Defining scale, scope and resources is important

This in turn leads into some of these ideas being scoped and defined into actions and prototypes, then resourced and implemented. This step involves;

• turning concepts into details plans
• inviting people into roles that are clearly defined and match their strengths,
• defining actions, decision making and communication processes
• securing resourcing and capacity to implement actions

Implementation of prototypes

Initiatives are now launched in order to test the prototypes. Everyone is involved in some way by bringing their time, expertise, resources or moral support to the process.

Feedback is continuously refining the project

Developmental evaluation allows ongoing feedback to be collected regularly from all involved. Some ideas work well, others bomb and this learning is quickly fed back into the co-design process to fine-tune the next steps in the initiative.

Success and failure is understood from all sides, and changes made accordingly.

Exponential impact

The cycle of design, do and review continues and over time, elaborate, bespoke, targeted and impactful solutions emerge due to the inclusion of all involved and the ongoing fine-tuning of approach

Interestingly – this process not only creates innovative solutions to the original issue that started the process.  Exponential impacts are also common where people involved in the process grow to trust each other and understand the importance of the co-design process which leads to them initiating new projects in the same way.  These unintended consequences extend well beyond the scope of the project and contribute to significant shifts in the wider system.