in strategic planning for npos - crcamerica.org · innovation methodology and creative problem...

Innovation Tools in Strategic Planning for NPOs

September 29, 20163:00 AM - 4:15 PM

Understanding Innovation What does Innovation mean in the nonprofit world?

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking

we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein

Most INNOVATION is a REACTION to CRISIS….

and, CREATIVITY in a Crisis is

DIFFICULT

That’s WHY a Structured PROCESS

and TOOLS are HELPFUL.

Innovation in public & NPO sectors can come in three forms:

• Improving something you already do to deepen your organization’s impact on people’s lives.

• Adapting a tried and true idea to a new context.

• Developing something entirely new to achieve your organization’s mission and goals.

Source: Overview of Innovation in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors

Why is Innovation in the public and non-profit sectors necessary?

• Expectations in public & NPO sectors is rising at a time when budgets and timelines are shrinking - leaving public servants struggling to deliver results.

• Innovation is not simply a one-time project or a new online tool. It is a learned process that requires a shift in thinking, a disciplined approach and strong leadership.

• Expectation that public & NPO sectors will solve problems.

• Public & NPO sector still lacks an environment of grassroots innovation where new ideas can emerge at any time and in any context.

Source: IDEO ’s article, Innovation In Government

Innovation Tools for Strategic Planning

Innovation Methodology and Creative Problem Solving (CPS)

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Process

Source: Gregg Fraley & KILN

Frame the Opportunity -identify the challenge or problem with focused and practical strategy.

Discover Insights - Break frames using different lenses, facts and feelings exploration, by seeking opportunities and being consumer centric.

Ideate Concepts - Create new solutions and generate ideas by challenging assumptions and using creativity for break-through thinking.

Prototypes & Pilots - Create viable offerings by conceiving holistic solutions, using a comprehensive view that learns and adjusts.

Launch Solutions - Extract value by adhering to the value proposition, communicating vision and learning and adjusting as needed..

Organization Imperative - a major change or gaol that you organization promises to reach or major issue that must be resolved.

Project Charter - describes what your project is and how you will approach it

Findings/Insights - using insights to make statements that capture a clear and deep understanding of a consumer's attitudes and emotions.

Concepts - general idea derived or inferred from specific instances or occurrences.

Services and products - new services or products for sale in the market place.

• strategy definition• business analysis• interviews• stakeholders• frame problem• create budgets• select approach/tools• align stakeholders• secure resources

• ethnographic research• trends analysis• consumer immersion• value chain• affinity and pattern• mapping findings• articulate insights

• ideation• crowdsourcing• concept creation• brainstorming

• define concepts• organize concepts• develop business model• develop go-to-market• early experimentation

• run larger pilots• iterate• resource launch• monitor & adjust• launch

• innovation games (cover story, plus/delta)

• chartering• strategy/challenge mapping

(why? what’s stopping you?”

• “I/we wish” statements• “how might we/I”

statements• brainstorming

• empathy mapping• mind mapping• AEIOU, POEMS & NOABS• SCAMPER• 4 A Framework• strategy/challenge mapping (why?

what’s stopping you?)• “how might we/I” statements• word dance

• capturing ideas & concept writing

• brainwriting• lens-smashing• forced connections• orthodoxy flips• hits• PPCO (refinement) or POINT• clustering/restating clusters• evaluation matrix

• storyboard, build props and simulate

• future tense storying-telling• benefits exploration• value proposition exploration• concept writing• card sort • PPCO & POINT• paired comparison analysis

• assisters & resisters • RACI (Responsible,

Accountable, Consulted, Informed

• project charter• strategic intent• context articulation• business “sandbox”• project plan

• context exploration• consumer understanding• environment observations• expert point of view

• concepts• solutions• ideas

• refined concepts• business models• go-to-market plans

• scaled pilots• simulations

Identify the Challenge

Facts & Feeling Exploration

Solution Refinement & Development

Action Planning

Idea Generation

Focus

Inputs

Activities

Tools

Outputs

Using the CPS Tool• We’re going to use the CPS tool to get a sense

of how the whole thing works.

• This will be done individually. I will provide an example as we go from my own experience.

• This is going to happen fast in about 30 minutes, normally it would take a day or more to run through this with your NPO.

• On the worksheet provided write down your own challenge - it can be whatever you want it to be (personal or professional).

My EXAMPLE

• I’m a Member of the Friends of the Library of a small, rural library in my Library District.

• I want to see the library thrive and become a destination in our community.

• The CHALLENGE I will focus on for the exercise is……. to increase library usage.

Step One: Identify the Goal, Wish or Challenge

Start here when you want to create, invent, solve or improve something.

Generate statements of your goals, wishes or challenges. DIVERGE by thinking about QUANTITY then CONVERGE by thinking about QUALITY.

Your outcome is a statement starting with “I wish…” or “It would be great if…”

Source: Gregg Fraley, KILN

Objective FindingDivergent Phase - Stems: “Wouldn’t it be nice if….” and “I wish….”

Using your own personal or professional challenge:

Take 5 minutes to generate your own “I wish…” or “wouldn’t it be nice if..” statements - with YOUR challenge.

EXAMPLEDivergent Phase - Stems: “Wouldn’t it be nice if….” and “I wish….”

My CHALLENGE: Increase library usage….

• I wish everyone in the district used the library.• I wish we had more children using our library.• I wish the Friends of the Library could think up a cost effective

solution to getting more patrons.• Wouldn’t it be nice if the library was closer to town - then people

would use it more b/c they could walk there.• I wish we had a more space for things like a community room and/

or maker spaces.• I wish we had a state-of-the-art library with lots of computers and

high speed internet access.• Wouldn’t it be nice we had a library that was energy efficient.• I wish we could attract more users and meet their needs.

Objective FindingConvergent Phase

Look at your statements. Pick the one wish that most resinates with you.

Using your own personal or professional challenge:

EXAMPLEConvergent Phase

Increasing rural library usage….

• I wish everyone in the district used the library.• I wish we had more children using our library.• I wish the FOL could think up a cost effective solution to getting

more patrons.• Wouldn’t it be nice if the library was closer to town - then people

would use it more b/c they could walk there.• I wish we had a more space for things like a community room and/

or maker spaces.• I wish we had a state-of-the-art library with lots of computers and

high speed internet access.• I wish we had a library with spaces for children, teens and adults.• Wouldn’t it be nice we had a library that was energy efficient.• I wish we could attract more users and meet their needs.

EXAMPLE

I wish we could attract more users by meeting their needs.

If we can make this wish come true – are we happy with the outcome? Is it something you/we have energy to work on? These are our “checks” on if this is the “right” objective.


Convergent Phase

Start here when you want to explore the facts, feelings and data around the issue.

Generate a brief history, Who is involved?, What has been happening?, When do I want.?, Where can this go?, Why is this an concern? and How do you own this? DIVERGE by thinking of everything you can the then CONVERGE by picking the critical elements.

Your outcome is a list of key data points about your goal, wish or challenge.

Step Two: Facts and Feelings Exploration - Discover Insights


Fact FindingDivergent Phase - Stems: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

• What are the facts related to your challenge?• What research do you need to do?• Don’t forget to list feelings as ‘facts’ • What do you do when you can’t get facts about some aspect of your

business?• What techniques could you use to test assumptions or hypotheses?


• Who

• What

• When

• Where

• Why

EXAMPLEI wish we could attract more users by meeting their needs.

Divergent Phase - Stems: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

Who’s is involved? • 1360 people in town/poa• 3000 people in District• the Town and POA• District board and staff• Friends of the Library (FOL)• community growth - younger population • other library examples

What has been happening? • old run-down trailer• not enough room• not meeting needs of community• infrastructure is falling apart• uncomfortable setting - not a conducive library

environment• young & older populations growing

Where? • 5 miles outside Town • not able to walk• not close enough to new Charter School

How do you own this? • assist District• raise funds to help• not directly involved in decision-making

Why is this a concern? • fear of District closing down library in community• population is growing - youth & seniors• current library is not meeting needs of community• libraries are becoming other things (maker-spaces,

learning environments, study lounges, reading rooms, etc)

• must preserve free options for community spaces

When? • effects future for many years to come• consideration of timing of other large community

projects• leadership is in place

Convergent Phase - Identify facts which strike you as important

• Which of your fact finding statements strike you as most important?

• What resinates with you as something that is critical to this issue?

• What needs more exploration and clarification?

Fact Finding

I wish we could attract more users by meeting their needs.Who’s is involved? • 1360 people in town/poa• 3000 people in District• the Town and POA• District board and staff• Friends of the Library• citizens have a low level of awareness• don’t feel like it’s a real problem• other library examples

What has been happening? • old run-down trailer• not enough room• not meeting needs of community• infrastructure is falling apart• uncomfortable setting - not a conducive library

environment• young & older populations growing

Where? • 5 miles outside Town• not able to walk• not close enough to new Charter School

How do you own this? • assist District• raise funds to help• we’re not directly involved in decision-making

Why is this a concern? • fear of District closing down library in community• population is growing - youth & seniors• current library is not meeting needs of community• libraries are becoming other things (maker-spaces,

learning environments, study lounges, reading rooms, etc)

• must preserve free options for community spaces

When? • effects future for many years to come• consideration of timing of other large community

projects• leadership is in place• efforts should begin as soon as possible

EXAMPLEConvergent Phase - Identify facts which strike you as important

Start here when you want to pinpoint the right problem to solve.

DIVERGE - “How to….?” or “In what ways might…?” or “How might we…?

CONVERGE by picking a specific statement that identifies the problem you want to solve.

Your outcome is a well defined statement of the problem - but phrased in the form of a question.


Step Three: Problem Framing and ReFraming

• Frame your challenge using “In what ways might I/we…” and “How might I/we….” statements.


Divergent Phase - Stems: “In What Ways Might I/We, or How Might I/We….?

Fact Finding - Problem Definition

EXAMPLEDivergent Phase - Stems: “In What Ways Might I/We, or How Might I/We….?

• In what ways might we raise awareness of the need for more library users?

• How might we get citizens involved in solving our library usage problem?

• HMW…make awareness-building FOL’s main message and mission?

• HMW…get the District to do more?

• HMW…work cooperative with District?

• HMW…get more exposure for the FOL?

• HMW…get citizens excited about using the library?

• HMW…better understand the existing issues with our library?

• HMW…help the District meet the needs of our library users?

• HMW…determine the needs of the library users?


• Pick ONE of your reframed statements to ideate on.

Fact Finding - Problem DefinitionCovergent Phase

Covergent Phase


EXAMPLE

• In what ways might we raise awareness of the need for more library users?

• How might we get citizens involved in solving our library usage problem?

• HMW…make awareness-building FOL’s main message and mission?

• HMW…get the District to do more?

• HMW…work cooperative with District?

• HMW…get more exposure for the FOL?

• HMW…get citizens excited about using the library?

• HMW…better understand the existing issues with our library?

• HMW…help the District meet the needs of our library users?

• HMW…determine the needs of the library users?

Start here when you need novel, useful ideas to solve your problem.

DIVERGE - Generate as many ideas that might solve the problem as time allows. What can you combine, substitute, modify, eliminate, rearrange, or what other ideas can you get from other objects, worlds or situations?CONVERGE - by picking the idea or ideas that will help the most.

Your outcome is an idea or group of ideas that are promising in solving the problem.

Step Four: Idea Generation - Ideate Concepts


In what ways might…____________________________________________________________________________________________?

Divergent Phase

This is the question you generate ideas to answer.

Idea Generation

EXAMPLEDivergent Phase

This is the question we generate ideas to answer.

In what ways might the CB Friends of the Library (FOL)…help the District meet the needs of the library users?

Divergent Phase

Idea Generation

Use the BRAINSTORM tools to generate ideas to this statement. These tools include:

• brainstorming• brainwriting• SCAMPER • AEIOU, POEMS & NOABS, 4 A frameworks• lens-mashing• forced connections • visual connections• guided visualization

Divergent Phase

In what ways might the Friends of the Library (FOL) help the District meet the needs of the library users?

• Set up a Facebook page - ask citizens for input • Set up a Twitter Account - get folks interested • Conduct a SurveyMonkey survey- online• Put surveys around town (at the post office,

grocery store and library)• Form a committee to work with the District• Hire a professional planner to develop a

strategic plan• Convince the District to build a new library• Find someone to donate some land for a new

library• Put a FOL representative on the District Board

of Directors• Provide monthly reports at District Board

meetings• Hold a visioning session with current library

users and community leaders• Add onto the existing library - more space

• Recruit more members to the FOL• Conduct fundraising events to support the

programs in the library• Ask one of the spiritual centers to donate

funds to build a new library• Ask the Dalai Lama to come for a fundraiser• Partner with the local Music Festival to build

awareness• Hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility

study• Partner with the Charter School to become

the official school library.• Host several informational events - ask

users for their opinions• Recruit community leaders to serve on a

capital campaign committee• Write grants to support expansion of

services and programs

EXAMPLE

Further Convergent on Selected Ideas

Idea Generation- Clustered Ideas

Pick your top idea:

?

EXAMPLEConvergent Phase

Construction• Convince the NSCLD to build a new library• Find someone to donate some land for a

new library• Add onto the existing library - more space• Ask one of the spiritual centers to donate

funds to build a new library

Partnerships• Form a committee to work with NSCLD• Put a FOL representative on the NSCLD Board of

Directors• Provide monthly reports at NSCLD Board meetings• Partner with the Crestone Music Festival to build

awareness• Partner with the Crestone Charter School to

become the official school library.

Fundraising• Conduct fundraising events to support the programs

in the library• Ask the Dalai Lama to come to Crestone for a

fundraiser• Recruit community leaders to serve on a capital

campaign committee• Write grants to support expansion of services and

programs

Public Relations• Set up a Facebook page - ask citizens for input • Set up a Twitter Account - get folks interested • Recruit more members to the FOL

Research/Data• Conduct a SurveyMonkey survey- online• Put surveys around town (at the post office,

grocery store and library)• Hire a professional planner to develop a

strategic plan• Hold a visioning session with current library

users and community leaders• Hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility

study• Host several informational events - ask users

for their opinions

Start here when you want to turn promising ideas into workable solutions.

DIVERGE - Generate Criteria, “Will it….?” or “Does it…?” What are the pluses, potentials, concerns and opportunities in these ideas?

CONVERGE by picking the solution(s) that best fits the criteria.

Your outcome is a well developed, detailed, and improved solution - “What I now see myself (us) doing is….”


Step Five: Solution Refinement & Development

Further Convergent on Selected Ideas

1.Recruit more members to the FOL

2.Partner with the Charter School to become the official school library.

3.Ask the Dalai Lama to come to Town for a fundraiser

4.Convince the District to build a new library

5.Hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study

EXAMPLE

Solution RefinementDivergent Phase

What I see Friends of the Library doing is…

1. Recruit more members to the FOL• Doesn’t really need a big plan, let’s just do it. Everyone bring 2 people to the next meeting.

2. Partner with the Charter School to become the official school library.

3. Ask the Dalai Lama to come to Town for a fundraiser

4. Convince the District to build a new library

5. Hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study


What you see YOURSELF doing is…

?

Solution RefinementDivergent Phase


Divergent Phase

Let’s create a list of criteria by which we canevaluate the ideas…

1. Criteria

2. Criteria

3. Criteria

4. Does it reach original objectives of:

Solution Refinement

Divergent Phase

Let’s create a list of criteria by which we canevaluate the ideas…

1. Cost less than $10,000?

2. Implemented by June 1?

3. Does it leverage FOL connections & resources?

4. Does it reach original objectives of: I wish we could attract more users by meeting their needs.

EXAMPLE


Divergent Phase

Solution Refinement

Ideas Criteria 1 Criteria 2 Criteria 3 Criteria 4 Overall Rating

Idea

Idea

Idea

Idea

Ideas Cost less than $10,000

Implemented by June 1st

Leverage FOL connections & resources

Reach original objective

Overall Rating

Partner with the Charter School to become the official school library. 4 3 2 2 11

Ask the Dalai Lama to come to Town for a fundraiser 1 1 4 1 7

Convince the District to build a new library 3 4 1 4 12

Hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study 2 2 3 3 10

Convergent Phase

1 to 4 Scale Evaluation

EXAMPLE

Alternate Way to Refine Ideas

PPCO Tool• Positives• Potentials• Concerns • Overcoming Concerns

POINT Tool• Positives• Opportunities• Issues• New Thinking


Great way to get people focused on what’s good, and making it better.

Start here when you want to implement a solution.

DIVERGE - Who might assist? Who needs to be convinced? What resources are available? How can we get acceptance and enthusiasm for your idea?

CONVERGE by selecting action and form a specific plan.

Your outcome is a detailed plan for implementation of your solution which includes WHO will do it. WHAT they will do. WHEN they will do it. HOW will they do it. And reporting completion to WHOM.


Step Six: Action Planning - Launch Solutions

Divergent Phase

Your Lists of Implementation Aspects

Acceptance Finding

related to your improved idea

• Assisters

• Resisters

• Resources

• Ways to Generate Excitement

EXAMPLEDivergent Phase

What I see Friends of the Library doing is…

Partnering with the Charter School to become the official school library. AND…..Convincing the District to build a new library in Town.

Identify & List: • Assisters • Resistors • Resources • How to generate enthusiasm?

Divergent Phase

Assisters • some factions of the District • Mayor of Town • County Commissioner from Town • District Board members representing Town • Friend of the Library • Charter School staff & board • Local School District • local writers and poets group • children of the community • seniors of community Resistors • some factions of the District • some members of the public who don’t like change • District staff may see this as a burden

Resources • Dalai Lama • spiritual centers • FOL volunteers • Colorado College - local campus

How to generate enthusiasm • create future tense story about new library • article in the local newspaper

Identify & List:

EXAMPLE

Divergent Phase

What I see myself doing is…

Identify & List: • Assisters • Resistors • Resources • How to generate enthusiasm?

Acceptance Finding

Convergent Phase

Action Who?Date to

CompleteReporting

To? Comments/Ideas

Acceptance Finding

Convergent Phase

ActionWho’s

Responsible?Who’s

Accountable?Who to Consult?

InformedWhen

Completed?

Build body of evidence to show that a new library is needed in Crestone.

Jane Jones FOL BoardConsultants &

Board FOL Board January 1

Reach out to Crestone Charter School principal to discuss partnership.

Tom Smith FOL Board Dan Front FOL Board February 15

Schedule private meeting with NSCLD Director to put out feelers.

Jane Jones FOL Board Sarah Hatch Tom Smith March 15

Schedule meeting with Charter School Board of Trustees - present ideas.

Tom Smith FOL Board Dan Front FOL Board March 30

Ask to be placed on NSCLD Board meeting agenda - to present ideas.

Tom Smith FOL Board Sarah Hatch FOL Board April 15

EXAMPLE

Questions?

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