Co-creation briefing framework
Toolbox for experimentation participation, by Alice Holmberg
Content What will the experimentation be? Its programme? The details of the intervention? Who will be involved? (team, performers, professionals)? What is the hypothesis being tested? How is this experiment challenging the City scale?
Context Physical space: Where will it be? Spatial context and history: What is currently there, what was? Motivation: What makes this place interesting or why has it been chosen? Discursive benchmarking: What does it drawn on, where is it positioned? What is the connection to State of the Art? Human Cities relation, how is it related to the other experimentations or the other cities? (if relevant)
Potential Is the experiment planned as a one-off or repeating event? If one-off, would repetition, expansion or adaptation be possible? If repeating, where? - Across the country? - Across industry? - Across Human Cities partners? - other? Is a ripple effect possible? Have you mapped the available assets toward the experimentation? This would mean identifying human, financial, talent, spatial, discursive, and many more types of assets that will help the experiment along (asset mapping).
Partners Which partners does the experimentation include and what role do they play? The following are suggestions, if yes, please define, respectively: - Local community? - Local associations? - National/International associations? - Human Cities partners? - Corporate organisations? - Academia? - Sponsors, funders, grant-givers,..? - Statutory partners? (council, region, state, EU or departments) - Others?
Reach Who will you reach with you experimentation? Consider that there might simultaneously be very different audiences to different levels of the experimentation. The following are suggestions, if yes, please define, respectively: - Local community? - Stakeholders, local/national/international? - Participants (who is this for?) - Audience and readers? - Professionals? - Levels of engagement? (reader, supporter, participant, implementer)
Impact What is the aim of the experimentation? What will be its impact? Incl. derivative or expected impact? The following are suggestions, if yes, please define, respectively: - Awareness raising? - Change in physical environment? - Behavioural change? - Policy influence? - Short-, medium- and long-term goals? - Scientific contribution? Have you established your theory of change?
Simplified example of a theory of change: You create two raised beds with plants on a square this year. Next year, the City council takes over and greens the whole neighbourhood. In year three, two gardeners are employed and a trainee programme for aspiring gardeners is created. The fourth year has the greening programme roled out over the whole city and it is possible to measure more people on the streets and less crime. In year five, you can measure cleaner air, stronger sense of community, safer environment and have created 10 jobs and 6 apprenticeship possibilities for your people, etc.
Planning What is the programme of the experimentation? Which tools will you deploy for participation? – physical and methodological What are your plans for: - Participants? - Participation? - Outreach and communication? - Postproduction, reporting, follow-up? What of the above do you find relevant to be included in a final report for your case? Have you planned a legacy for the experimentation?
Tools The following is a suggested checklist, feel free to add or if yes, please define: - Participation tools - Communication tools - Facilitation tools - Planning tools - Measurement tools - Monitoring and evaluation tools