how can we help business improve their environmental performance from problem to pitch email...
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A summary of the process for the GeoVation Environment Challenge - from discovering the problems to idea generation and pitching at GeoVation CampTRANSCRIPT
NSC Insights Generation Service
‘from Problem to Pitch’A summary of the nonon facilitated support of the GeoVation Challenge: “How can we help business improve their environmental performance?”
July 2013
In this document
• What happened before the GeoVation Camp (pg 5) • What happened at the Camp (pg 12)• Feedback (pg 75)
The GeoVation challenge was supported by:
GeoVation has grown from strength to strength
What happened before the GeoVation campWe ran a Problem PowWow ins BristolThe goal of a Problem Pow Wow is to ‘unpack’ the challenge of how we help businesses to improve their environmental performance.
By unpacking the challenge, we discover within it a range of valuable problems which, if met, will then provide value for all parties. We spent time with people who have perspectives on the barriers that hinder businesses from improving their environmental performance.
A summary of the output is shown overleaf.
In the images that follow, a sample of the 43 insights are shown. For the full set please visit:
http://www.geovation.org.uk/resources/environment-powwow/
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Problem PowWow team – Bristol, November 2012
Raw output from Problem PowWow
Example infographic of output
Example infographic of output
Example infographic of output
What happened at the GeoVation camp
• 47 ideas were submitted to the GeoVation website
• These submissions were written descriptions of the idea
• The judging panel invited a shortlist to develop them further
• 10 teams then took part in the camp itself
Objective:To ensure each team leaves the camp with a positive, supported, next step.
What happened at the GeoVation camp
• We structured activities around the components of innovationWe believe that Innovation is a product of finding the best problem, responding with an excellent solution and then executing it in order to scale it and make it viable from a business perspective. Our summary equation for this is I = P x S x E.
As innovators had previously submitted ideas to the GeoVation Challenge website in written form only, we felt it important to create activities that brought those ideas to life. At the same time, we wanted to challenge participants to ensure they really had thought about problems and were given an opportunity to build on their ideas. Where possible, we also wanted them to prototype aspects of their thinking in order to demonstrate to the judges a degree of robustness.
Further information about the Challenge can be found on the GeoVation Challenge website here. Over the following pages, there are a selection of images which show in chronological order how the Camp unfolded from the initial gathering on the Friday night, to the pitches on Sunday afternoon.
no-nonsense innovation
nonon
Innovation without the smoke and mirrors
INNOVATION = PROBLEM X SOLUTION X EXECUTION
INNOVATION = PROBLEM X SOLUTION X EXECUTION
invention
INNOVATION = PROBLEM X SOLUTION X EXECUTION
assumption
INNOVATION = PROBLEM X SOLUTION X EXECUTION
I = P x S x EWhat is the problem you are trying to solve, and for whom?
Why does it matter?
Why has it not been ‘properly’ solved yet?
I = P x S x EWhat is the best alternative to your solution if you did nothing?
What value will your solution deliver for the customer?
How will you know that your solution actually works?
I = P x S x EWhat might prevent your idea from being implemented?
Where might the most significant costs lie?
How will you scale and sustain your venture beyond early stage funding?
We assembled Ordnance Survey’s headquarters on Friday 21 June
Chris Parker from Ordnance Survey welcomed everyone.
We heard from Roland Harwood, chair of the judging panel
And Sean Miller from nonon.
GeoVators Luke and Viv, also GeoVation Community Manager, kept the weekend running smoothly.
And we videoed most of the weekend.
We got to find out a little about each other…
And created a map of the world based of where we came from.
Saturday morning began with a brief intro from each team…
…with each summing up their idea in 60 seconds or less.
Sean introduced the camp structure…
And introduced the output from the Problem Pow Wows.
Insert booklet image
The teams explored the problems in detail.
Laura from nonon introduced us to sketching....
…and got everyone to draw portraits of each other.
David introduced the group to prototyping...
and Richard introduced the pecha kucha template.
Ian Holt introduced Ordnance Survey data.
With support, teams began sketching out ways to improve their ideas.
This enabled discussions which in turn gave rise to new ideas.
The innovators requested help from our wonderful supporters ranging from…
…visualisation...
…to developing pitches…
…and process maps…
…to building prototypes…
…to developing business model options…
…and discovering how best to use Ordnance Survey products and services.
One team also built personas of potential users.
The judges were briefed on the camp…
Roland Harwood (Chair)100% Open
Alison PrendivilleDeputy Director of C4D
Quentin JohnsHub Westminster
Jason DaviesProbation Service
Anthony ParsonsEnvironment Agency
John CarpenterOrdnance Survey
..before beginning their project tours…
…and meeting the innovators…
…so they could understand more…
…about their ventures.
‘Wasted Energy Network’ kicked off the pitches.
They were followed by ‘RecycleLink’…
…then ‘Business Energy Owl’…
Next up was ‘GeoCraft’…
Who were followed by ‘Element Green Recycling’…
And then ‘The ‘Green’ Contest’…
Who were followed by ‘Carbon Prophet’
Next up were ‘Streetkleen Bio Project’…
Who were followed by ‘Britain’s got Energy’…
‘Get on my land’ closed out a very engaging afternoon of pitches…
As the judges were about to deliberate on the winning teams…
…we voted on our favourite idea to win the Community Award…
…and then had a paper aeroplane, throwing competition.
The winners of funding included Carbon Prophet who also won the Community Award.
…GeoCraft…
…Element Green Recycling…
…and Streetkleen Bio Project
.
Overall, the whole process was an exciting, intense and amazing experience where new contacts, friends and knowledge were gained.
Everyone involved in the GeoVation Challenge were friendly and helpful which aided in making the camp successful. At this point I would like to give a big thank you to all those helpers who helped us out with our ideas especially Kaushik Sudra who helped the Britain’s Got Energy team with prototype and presentation design along with good advice on the whole idea development. There are quite a lot of other helpers who also assisted us and deserve a big thank you.
I would recommend to anyone to join in with this process, either by entering your own idea or by becoming a helper for the GeoVation Camp.!
Camp feedback
It was an amazing and intense weekend, with Ordnance Survey staff throwing a brilliant development gig and support from a huge number of people across the business world.
During the weekend we worked hard and had fun bringing our idea to life through the formula that Innovation = Problem x Solution x Execution.
At every step we were supported by designers, data analysts, product developers, technology experts, business minds and more. The goal? To turn our idea into reality
Camp feedback
Thank you.For more information on any of the information contained in this document, please contact:
Sean Miller
07971 660 583
For more information on the GeoVation Challenge in general and this camp in particular, please go to: www.geovation.org.uk or contact:
Chris Parker
07867 553091