OPM Conference: Nesta on prototyping

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[email protected]

Policy prototyping(Not just dysons and post its)

Adapted from the Open Book of Social Innovation, Young Foundation and Nesta

Part of a process…

Why prototype?• Make ideas tangible VS documentation only• Fail early at low cost VS large scale pilots• Use diverse ‘stakeholder’ views VS go it alone• Get relevant, workable ideas VS unknown

Types of prototypingType Constraints Benefits

Rapid prototyping(ref. hackdays and accelerator days)

• Time• Diverse attendance is crucial

to success• Commitment to be

accountable to diverse group

• Acceleration of testing• Faster iterations• See results quickly, cheaply• Create buy in across diverse,

relevant groupOngoing beta (ref. kaizen, GDS)

• Budget• Culture of ‘Delivered’• ‘Mistakes’ made in public

• Flexible resourcing• Collaboration and collective

responsibility to improveIn house ‘on paper’ (ref. personas, roleplay )

• No direct citizen testing = less direct viability testing

• Needs ability to take on diff. perspectives – use facilitator?

• Quickly iterate a number of ideas

• Quick, very cheap results

Citizen centred (co-design)

• Careful citizen engagement, on sensitive issues

• Higher staff time investment in ongoing engagement

• Direct citizen engagement = fast feedback on actual viability

• Diverse inputs may help ID new opportunities

Method DescriptionAlpha/Beta phases Originating in digital services, this refers to an ongoing iteration of design. The first,

alpha stage involves creating a minimum viable version of a service and testing with users. In the beta stage it is refined continuously based on user feedback and results of live testing of specific design features.

Rapid prototyping This involves building cheap, quick and multiple versions of a proposed service or product then discarding many to find front-runners. It can be done ‘on paper’, through role playing or using 3D models.

Co-design Working in close partnership with all relevant stakeholders to explore and develop a design for a policy, product or service.

Scenario building Researching specific real world scenarios and inviting relevant staff to either use ‘tabletop’ planning, discussion or acting out to explore how complex scenarios would play out in specific circumstances.

Piloting Implementing a full or partial new service or strategy in a limited number of areas before rolling out that service or strategy in a modified form.

Cost benefit analysis A primarily quantitative approach to assessing whether or not to proceed with a given strategy or design. A value is assigned to costs and benefits; the balance is compared.

Blueprinting Drawing from design thinking, this method involves mapping out user journeys to understand key points in which design changes can be made to improve outcomes.

Ethnography In-depth observation of relevant stakeholders in their own environment to better understand ‘revealed’ behaviour that may impact a chosen strategy.

Logic models Creating a step-by step rationale for taking a particular course of action. Mapping out possible results of decisions in a logical order to achieve an end impact.

Are you already ‘prototyping’?

Example – Complex Families

Potential benefits in policy making

1. Risk and resource management2. Staff empowerment; encourage initiative3. Wider perspective on the problem–

challenging assumptions4. ID new perspectives + opportunities5. Low cost research + viability testing6. Raise likelihood of appropriate design7. Horizon scanning