unusual suspects: designing better for better outcomes

ThePublicOfficeDesigning a better way for

better public outcomes

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

ThePublicOffice: the origins

“Nobody designed it to be this bad.”


“We had to catch 5 trains and a taxi to get up there, and when we arrived they said the prison is closed because they are decorating the hall.”

Anita


“You need to feel that information is being given freely - not that you have to prize it out of people.”

Sheina and Brian


“I think they’ve just looked at me as a number rather than a person.”

Lisa


Our families told us:

• There is poor collaboration between public services

• It’s a struggle to get the right information at the right time

• Public services are often poorly set up to deal with common life events

• Public services don’t respond to the needs of both individuals and their families

• Citizens have to become experts to make the system work for them

5 public service insights


BUT there are islands of innovation


User created feedback can be used to improve servicesCitizens’ knowledge is valuable. Listening and responding really makes a difference

Navigating services can be made much more simpleWe need to design pathways to and through services that make sense not to us but to citizens

Users can help themselves and each otherWe need to create the permitting circumstances for self-help and empowerment

Services can be combined to increase reach/take upWe can think creatively about co-locating or combining services, and also about incentives

Better information can improve the customer experienceHow difficult is it really to enable easy access to quality information, and to be transparent?

How could public services be different?


Discover Define DeliverDevelop

Learninghonesty and reflection, being open to failure, sharing and applying what we learn

Capacity buildingbuild organisational capacity to think, do and lead differently

Generatenew and

creative ideas Selectthe most

promising ideas

Execute & measure

whether value is delivered

A design and innovation process:

Test & developImplement

quickly and cheaply


Workforce & Culture

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast…”

Methods & Approaches

Doing new things in new ways…

Leadership & Governance

“ Be the change you want to see…”

System Conditions

Changing the weather…


•The importance and power of citizen voice

•Attend to the skills/capabilities/dispositions of staff

•Emphasise technology as an enabler, and then x20

•Create ‘spaces’ with permission and license

•Deliberately bring diverse groups together

•Attend to innovation strategy (system conditions) and innovation projects (methods & approaches)

•Change travels at the pace of learning: accelerate it

Design not accident


@ruthkennedy

www.wearethepublicoffice.com


http://www.wearethepublicoffice.com

http://www.wearethepublicoffice.com

unusual suspects: designing better for better outcomes

Government & Nonprofit

right time public services

differencenavigating

right information

quality information

incentivesbetter information

innovation process

system work

delivereda design