4 minute read
Our learning
How we evaluated the programme
The partners delivering the programme wanted to capture insights from the programme to support our learning, and to enable others to take inspiration from the programme. Evaluation and learning measures were therefore implemented from the outset to capture insights from the participating teams. Given our focus on mission-based innovation, a key objective was to capture individual teams’ learning outcomes as well as the wider impact of the cohort across missions.
Specifically, we aimed to understand the programme’s ability to build capacity across teams, nurture and develop alternative practices and support learning and adoption. These aspects are discussed over the next pages.
It was also an objective for the programme to support wider learning for the sector. This is covered in the subsequent section, which sets out insights for Government, designers, and social innovation teams.
Impact was captured through cohort surveys, reflective journals, notes from coaching calls, interviews with participants, public facing exhibitions, a speed dating event with invited designers, policy makers and researchers and a panel discussion with invited experts.
Baseline
A baseline survey conducted during the first phase of the programme revealed that the cohort consisted of design savvy teams. 58% of respondents stated that they regularly use design tools and design thinking in their practice, with 32% stating that they’d heard of design tools and techniques. Only 10% didn’t know about design tools and skills prior to joining the programme.
58% regularly use design tools and design thinking in their own practice
32% heard of design tools and techniques.
10% didn’t know about design tools
Respondents were also reasonably familiar with systems design although this was less pronounced. 26% had not heard of systems design before, while 26% had some familiarity with the concept. The remaining 48% declared that they had moderate experience of working with systems. No respondent stated that they had a great deal of experience with systems design.
Teams had different motivations for joining the programme. 29% of respondents joined the programme to improve their innovation, with 15% joining to use design thinking and clarify what to do next. A further 15% had joined to build relationships to inform their design and share learning.
26% had some familiarity with systems
26% had not heard of systems design before
29% joined the programme to improve their innovation
48% had moderate experience of working with systems
15% joined to build relationships to inform their design and share learning
15% joined to use design thinking and clarify what to do next
Building capacity and Developing alternative practices
A final survey was issued to the 11 teams who completed the second phase of the programme.
100% of respondents stated that they’d been ‘satisfied’ with the overall programme experience, and that they’d ‘benefited’ or ‘benefited greatly’ from participating in the programme.
75% of teams reported that they agreed that their knowledge of missionbased innovation had increased over the course of the programme
88% stated that they’d applied systems thinking in developing their project
However, we also received suggestions for how to evolve the programme offer. Principally, these related to exploring ways to reframe the workshop format to allow more time for collaboration and co-creation. Respondents also noted that more could be done to support teams beyond the lifecycle of the programme.
Finally, the teams suggested that, within their missions, it would have been beneficial to have had even more time allocated for collaborative work. It was suggested that this could be achieved by having more in-person events.
Adoption and Adaptation
We also wanted to capture how ideas generated through the programme were adapted to new situations and adopted by others. 100% of respondents reported positive spillover effects. This included developing physical assets, now used by other teams, and generating novel data through surveys to build an evidence base to impact policy.
100% of respondents reported positive spillover effects
Teams also reported developing new connections through the programme, with 15% creating connections within the programme (for instance with other teams and with colleagues from the project teams), and 46% reporting that they had created connections with external partners (for instance with other local authority officers, and community groups).
However, teams also reported that they would have liked to have had more opportunities to engage with external stakeholders, highlighting a speed dating event convened with external stakeholders as an example to be replicated.
