SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IN DESIGN
“ Extraordinary change requires building extraordinary relationships, and this requires gathering together diverse people representing diverse views so they can speak and listen to each other in new ways.� PETER SENGE
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SUSTAINABILITY Overview • As DMGTers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OUR METHOD Case Studies • Interviews • Filtered Affinitization • Deriving insights • Our insights
THE PILOT OPPORTUNITY
What it is • How to use it • Our Pilot Opportunity
OUR CONCLUSION
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6 12 18 24 56 70 76 98 100
COURSE BACKGROUND What the course is • Who we are
OUR PROJECT Mission Statement • Givens
OUR PATH TO OPPORTUNITIES How Might We’s • Sacrificial concepts • Our Sacrificial concepts
THE WORKSHOP KIT What it is • Workshop components • Our Workshop Kit • Our Full Detailed Design for Collaboration and Communication
APPENDIX 5
COURSE BACKGROUND
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The title of this course is Sustainable Practices in Design (DMGT 740) and it is our first sustainability course here at SCAD. As design management students we’ve really enjoyed learning more about the practice of sustainability as well as the City of Savannah We are SCAD Design Management MFA students with diverse cultures and backgrounds. Our diversity of both experiences and knowledge brings a multifaceted approach to our project in this course.
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HERNAN Colombia Industrial Design
REBECCA Puerto Rico Architecture MARIA Venezuela Graphic Design
GABRIELLA United States Architecture
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WHO WE ARE
PILAR Colombia Industrial Design
JINGYA China Photography PAULA Colombia Industrial Design 9
Scott Boylston is a Design for Sustainability professor at SCAD and our guide for this course. As a class of Design Management MFA students, the topic of sustainability seemed quite a daunting task to tackle in one quarter. Scott was very helpful in both introducing us to important and fundamental concepts of sustainability while simultaneously integrating these learnings with our design management discipline. This made the topic matter much easier to understand and allowed us to build upon previous knowledge with a new, sustainably focused lens. As a class we were amazed by the overlap of the two subject areas, as well as our own piqued interest in many sustainable topics introduced by Scott to the class. In addition to guiding us through our first course in sustainability through lectures, selected readings, and class discussions, Scott’s past experience with the City of Savannah and the ESS Office in the past helped to guide our class with him acting as our guide. We had the freedom to create and ideate based on our research, but could also turn to Scott and seek his input based on previous experience and expertise with regard to sustainability and collaborative project development.
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SUSTAINABILITY 12
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SUSTAINABILITY STOOL Overview Our lens for understanding sustainability as a practice is the stool of learning capabilities (Peter Senge, 2008). The first leg of the stool is learning to see larger systems. It is about recognizing and identifying systems where organizations take part so they can align their goals towards long-term solutions that nurture their environment. The second leg is collaborating across boundaries. The only way to interact successfully with a larger system is to collaborate beyond the organization’s limits. Companies need to establish empathic relationships in order to sustain the larger system at play and ensure their long-term existence. The third and final leg is creating desired futures, shifting from reacting to creating. This is a consequence of learning to recognize larger systems and collaborating. Organizations need to create strategies that preserve their environments. The era of reacting to what has gone wrong needs to disappear in order to pursue a proactively sustainable future.
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core learning capabilities
collaborating across boundaries seeing systems
creating desired futures
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As DMGTers During this course, we have discovered that design management methods and sustainability models are very similar. Both are based in systemic thinking and a holistic approach to problems. This is because both emerge from the urgency of changing the way society develops. “The Industrial Age has brought extraordinary improvements in public education, human rights, and material wellbeing, but it has also destroyed ecosystems, swallowed up traditional cultures that had thrived for centuries, and created a way of life that cannot continue for much longer” (Peter Senge, 2008). We are shifting towards an era where the only way to bring development to everyone and guarantee a safe future is to start a truly sustainable way of living. Business models need to incorporate systemic thinking and “invest seriously and immediately in building a regenerative economy and society that mimics nature as fully as possible” (Peter Senge, 2008). 16
One of the major similarities between sustainability and design management is at their core: collaboration. It is impossible to think about a new way to empower our communities and businesses without imagining them as an interdependent network where participants acknowledge the function and influence of everyone, empathizing with the needs and desires of one another. As design management students we have been learning to facilitate collaboration. We are now experts in empowering people to build trust while working together in complex situations. It is not just about organizations as independent agents that work together. Moving forward, we have started a journey to facilitate the relationship between those organizations and the environment in which they interact. We recognize that our influence as design managers creates impact beyond the limits of the organizations we work with. 17
OUR PROJECT
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Mission Statement We will empower the City of Savannah’s Office of Environmental Services and Sustainability (ESS) through building alignments and a shared vision for the different city departments so they can work together towards the goals of the 2016 ESS Sustainability Assessment.
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CITY OF SAVANNAH
Givens SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT At the beginning of the course, we were given the Sustainability Assessment from the Office of Environmental Services and Sustainability (OESS). The Sustainability Assessment was a draft document that included a comprehensive overview of data about current and past sustainability metrics in the City of Savannah. The assessment is the result of almost two years of work and the contribution of SCAD sustainability students serving as interns within the Office of Environmental Services and Sustainability. This document helped our class to have a better understanding of the context in which our work will take place and to leverage this quantitative information towards a qualitative-based research study to understand the emotions, concerns and thoughts of those in the city department. When creating and designing solutions for the future, it is imperative that we understand both the past and the present in order to inform how to proceed. The Sustainability Assessment is a progress report for phase I of a larger Comprehensive Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP) initiated and led by the OESS. This action plan will address social equity, environmental quality and economic vitality in addition to community health. 20
PRIORITY AREAS FOR CITY OF SAVANNAH AND SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE The ESS priority Areas for City of Savannah and Sustainability Office provided us with a comprehensive list of current initiatives underway to lead sustainability efforts across multiple disciplines and activities.
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A SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
THIS BOOK AND ITS ENCLOSED PAGES CONTAIN THE SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT FOR THE CITY OF SAVANNAH. THE RESULT OF ALMOST TWO YEARS OF WORK, THE SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMEANT FEATURES A BASELINE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION THAT PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS OF BOTH THE COMPREHENSIVE SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN AND A COLLECTION OF DATA FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF CITY SECTORS AND THEIR OPERATIONS.
These were the priority areas for the City of Savannah and Sustainability Office and included interdepartmental partnerships and out side supports in different areas and developing a work plan for the ESS. The goal date for these projects ranged from 2016 to 2020.
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NICK AND ASHLEY Nick Deffley and Ashley Hemholdt of the Environmental Services and Sustainability Office were great and valuable partners throughout this entire process. Nick Deffley is the Director of the ESS Office and Ashley is the Coordinator. Both have robust and unique backgrounds in sustainability ranging from social to environmental approaches to sustainability as well as community outreach and developing education programs. We began our relationship with Nick through his previous work with our professor Scott. Nick and Ashley made the initial contact with other city departments to inform them of our study and get consent to be interviewed. This saved our class a great deal of time and reduced our barrier to entry while also sparking insightful conversations between Nick and Ashley and our class as we tried to gain a better understanding of those we would interview. This relationship extended throughout the quarter in the form of informal feedback sessions, both in person and via email, as well as their attendance and guidance during both our midterm and final workshop presentations. Our relationship was mutually beneficial; we were able to give them a unique lens of insight due to our fresh perspective and design thinking mindset. In turn, Nick and Ashley were able to guide our findings, provide feedback based on their working relationships and direct our efforts towards the best possible solutions. In the end, their feedback was critical because our final offerings are in service to them and to their department as part of a greater service to the City of Savannah government as a whole.
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Case Studies
OUR METHOD
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As a team, we began with a case study approach to understanding sustainability in city initiatives by looking to other cities for inspiration. The lens we used when researching these case studies involved the definition of sustainability that we adopted for this course. Our definition revolves around the three-legged sustainability stool from Peter Senge’s book Necessary Revolution where each leg is critical for success. Being able to see systems as a whole, collaborate across boundaries, and create a desirable future is at the core of sustainability as a practice. The cities we used as case studies are Charleston, Atlanta, New York, and Frankfurt. The specific efforts and practices in each city are different and are influenced by the city’s history, culture, location and particular conditions. However, many of the issues they face align with one another and with the City of Savannah. Each case study city has made sustainability a priority and has developed practices that allow these initiatives to take place by working across city departments and with external organizations. In the case of the City of Savannah, this seems to be the most important initial step to a more sustainable, integrated practice and therefore our primary focus.
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New York New York City’s recent sustainability initiatives place as much emphasis on environmental issues as they do on issues of equity. Mayor de Blasio states that, “environmental and economic stability must go hand in hand.” The city has also made efforts to co-create with citizens in open forums in order to engage communities to take action and participate in the goals of OneNYC. OneNYC’s 2016 Progress Report is a fantastic resource for cities seeking broad-sweeping sustainability initiatives. Another strong area of focus is on resiliency; OneNYC is not just looking at ways in which the city can improve, but ways in which the city can integrate long-term measures for cyclical success despite inevitable hardships that may come and go in the future. The integration of urban planning, zoning laws, increased access to public transportation, and social justice are all integrated into OneNYC’s vision of sustainability for America’s biggest city. One of the biggest challenges New York City still has to overcome is an issue that plagues many cities around the world: the not-inmy-back-yard syndrome. It is easy to ignore the wicked issues of sustainability and pretend that the waste accumulation in cities will always end up somewhere where citizens can’t see it. Unfortunately, citizens in low socioeconomic classes and developing countries are often the recipients of an entire society’s waste, and this once again relates the issues of environment and economy in such a way that they can no longer be separately addressed within city initiatives. 26
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Atlanta Atlanta has an extensive sustainability program that is based on two concepts: progress and potential. The city had planned to cut energy consumption by 15 % by 2020, a goal that has already been achieved. Some of the major efforts are being directed to the commuting practices that shape the city though the use of green incentives. Their Power to Change initiative is as informational as it is inspiring. The Atlanta Beltline is one of the City’s main efforts. Much like the Highline in New York, the Beltline provides a walkway that connects the city, creates a safe passage for pedestrians, offers opportunities for small business, encourages development around the areas it connects and enables community building. Atlanta, is also one of the top ten attractive cities for electric vehicles, which has resonated well with a new workforce (the millennials). Known as “the city within the forest”, Atlanta needs to work towards efficient ways to preserve the environment, host an increasing population and provide a transportation system that can connect the growing city. However, the city’s efforts and the momentum of these projects can fall behind if sustainability ideals don’t permeate the entire population.
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Charleston The South Carolina city of Charleston has sustainability embedded into its traditions. It may not have been using the “S” word for long but it has been ahead of the curve since it passed the nation’s first historic preservation ordinance in 1931. Since then, they’ve incorporated a “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra. The City of Charleston is trying to provide citizens with tax credits and other incentives as tools to address a variety of issues including rising water levels, greenhouse gas emissions and waste production. A Green Committee was created in 2007 and has been constantly working and growing since. The committee is working on different initiatives that promote sustainability around the City of Charleston such as the Green Business Challenge, Green Plan, CharlestonWISE and Century V Plan. Furthermore, they have several projects in the works to achieve more efficient transportation systems and more effective tourism.
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INTERVIEWS
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As design management students, we have conducted primary interviews in several classes, but the interviews for this project were unique in that the subjects were city officials. We were excited as a group to visit their offices and gain a better understanding of the City of Savannah. With the help of the Department of Environmental Services and Sustainability, we were able to contact several department heads within the City of Savannah as interview subjects. Our goal in these interviews is to understand the mission and methods of each city department so that we may find areas of convergence and opportunity for sustainable driven departmental collaboration.
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14 Interviews
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DEPARTMENTS
NAMES
Building and Electrical Maintenance
Alan Waters
Community Development and Planning
Patty McIntosh
Department of Economic Development
Manuel Dominguez
Department of Vehicle Maintenance
Marlon Epps
Purchasing
Molly Huhn
Housing
Brian Brainerd
Community Relations and Internships
Carliss Bates
IT
Cam Mathis
Pete Shonka
Pete Shonka
Traffic Engineering
Michele Strickland
Stormwater
Zach Hoffman
Park and Tree
Gordon Denney
Sanitation
Quhannah Andrews
Environmental Services and Sustainability
Nick Deffley and Ashley Hemholdt
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Informed Consent Form
I voluntarily agree to participate in an interview/inquiry performed by students at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I understand that this interview/inquiry is being conducted by ___________ , in order to identify the following opportunities for design: Sustainable Practices in Design (DMGT 740) I understand that the evaluation methods may include: 1. recorded (audio, video and/or photography) observations 2. my completion of an evaluation questionnaire(s) and/or 3. my participation in a 30–60 minute interview
I grant permission for the interview/inquiry to be recorded and transcribed, and to be used only by _________________ for analysis of interview data. I grant permission for this data—generated from the above methods—to be used in an educational setting.
I understand that any identifiable information in regard to my name and/or company name will be removed from any material that is made available to city staff, elected officials, or anyone else not directly involved in this study. No direct quotes will be used without permission.
_________________________________ _________________________________ Printed Name Signature
As design management students, we work to uphold proper research protocol methods that are always in service to our interview subjects and participants. The goal of our research was to extract areas for communal growth, collaborative opportunity and sustainable progress; our goal was not to single out any particular person or department. We felt that trust was a critical component to getting the most honest and therefore applicable data from our interviews. In pursuit of this trust, our consent form indicated that all quotes would remain anonymous and not tied to any person or department with regard to either identification or quote content.
_______________________________________ Date
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Informed Consent Form
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“(We want to be) supporting the need of the organization. That being said, we need the organization to support our needs so that we can do that.”
“There’s more work than even for a couple of people. I would want to have it more integrated with other city functions that are all working on similar goals.”
“I’d really like to see us have a stronger community and environmental justice focus so that we can really be helping solve some of the problems that are pretty consistent in our community, like food access, like access to just transportation, that we could be building those really concrete solutions through our partnerships, and helping to move it forward.”
“I have learned that sustainability is more a global thing, is not just recycling, it is doing whatever we need to do to protect the earth and our resources for future generations”
“The people we have working for us truly are devoted to what they do and they love it. Also because other people see what they do and love it, they get a lot of positive feedback which really drives everyone. Instead of hearing constant, why aren’t you doing this, they’re hearing a lot of, I really appreciate what you do, so it instills a pride in them of what they do and they take ownership.”
“Because we have such an amazing community, full of so many resources, I would say our challenge is just trying to figure out how to make the most impact, how we can reach out to everyone, strengthen the city relationships and how we can partner more. That’s an ongoing challenge of trying to figure out how to make that work more effectively in our community.”
“Biggest challenges are one, getting everyone to understand what we do and why we’re doing it and why exist here at the city.”
“I like to think we have our internal customers like city departments and city staff, and we have our external customers who are the citizens. So it is important. We are a team and so we always try to assist were we can and help.”
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“In our department, I would say it [department success] is when we cease to exist.” “I think projects go through cycles so sometimes you have very frustrating times and then things can get better.”
“My definition of success (...) is making sure we perform well and make sure that every department is satisfied”
“I’m very impressed with the employees we have, the commitment they have. A huge example of that is the hurricane event we had here just recently. Those guys actually stayed during the hurricane and kept those pumps running, and prevented what could have been significant flooding, to a minimum. I think the strength of the employees is probably our biggest strength.”
“Probably the most challenging part is when you have a lot of different stakeholders at the table and everyone has their own very strong ideas. But the key is trying to figure out how you can take a piece from here, a piece from there and put it all together for one big puzzle that is the solution for whatever we are focusing on, whatever initiative or campaign we are working on at that time.”
“It’s just not something that anybody thinks about in their daily lives (sustainability). They don’t relate our poverty problems to it, or our crime problem to it and it’s all connected. A lot of education needs to happen to bridge that barrier.”
“It’s hard for me to find one department that we don’t benefit from working together with. I mean, really they all need to work together. As we all start to work together, we realize that there are things that both of us need to understand about the others’ work program,”
“The idea that you influence others in the community through your actions rather than by what you say is really more important than anything else. To me, that’s the value of an organization like Thrive.”
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Filtered affinitization After gathering all of our interview data, we developed a more unique and effective method of analyzing our interview data as a class. In design management and related disciplines, we use the process of affinitization to analyze and group data points in order to discover patterns that generate insights. While this method is largely effective for both designers and researchers, we wanted to filter the affinitization process through frameworks in order to guide the insights and maintain the nuances and integrity of each individual interview. The two primary frameworks we used were the Systems Map and the Empathy Map.
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What it is We created a system map to understand our perceptions of the relationships between the departments interviewed. While system maps can represent multiple scales, our scale was the City of Savannah with the hubs of interaction being the departments themselves. This is a working map, rather than a static artifact, that will continue to evolve and grow as we work with the departments to learn more about their dynamics.
How to use it System map creation embodies a very large area of practice with many specific typologies. For general purposes, a systems map can be thought of as a visual mind map or mental model of how entities relate to and interact with one another. It is the macro view of the scale at hand, peppered with more detailed micro information as needed. The best way to create systems maps is in groups on a shared whiteboard or large piece of butcher paper. Multiple colored markers, post-it notes and active group participation help to make the systems map a truly collaborative tool.
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SYSTEMS MAP 42
Reference Final Doc Pg 89
It is best to use systems maps when there are complex relationships at play within a system. For example, the only way for us to really understand each individual interview with the different city departments was to understand our perceptions of the relationships and dynamics between each department in order to build contextual awareness. Each team member was able to bring the insights from their individual interviews and build upon one another until the entirety of the picture became clear. Without this systems thinking lens, we are unable to understand issues, entities, and actors in the larger context. 43
What it is In design practice, empathy is a critical tool for understanding and designing for the user rather than our own needs or assumptions. This notion of empathy is critical in this class, as many of us have not worked within city organizations or sustainability initiatives prior to this course. Through the use of empathy, we can merge our outside perspectives with a deeper understanding of our interview subjects and the context in which they work. The empathy map embodies the notion of empathy through six sections. These sections relate to the senses: think & feel, see, hear, say & do, pains, and gains. Applying the empathy map method to departments is a method of personification; while the empathy map is traditionally used for human personas, we can see that organizations, businesses, and groups can be successfully used within this framework. Additionally, the systems map and empathy work together to inform and advise one another; while the empathy map provides insights relating to unique perspectives, departmental vision, and needs or concerns, the system map relates this qualitative data back to the larger system as a whole that is the city government.
EMPATHY MAP 44
Reference Final Doc Pg 90
How to use it
When?
When creating and analyzing started multiple empathy maps, begin with each individual empathy map based on individual interviews. Next, find the salient points that were present across all empathy maps and extract those to aggregate into one empathy map representing the system (in this case the City of Savannah) as a whole. This helps to see areas of convergence and divergence, as well as prioritize the current needs to address and successes to build upon.
Empathy maps are best suited for qualitative and emotional analysis. They should be used with either primary resource data points or with informed persona creation. This is because the empathy map conveys feelings, emotions, and fears in ways that are often overlooked by other frameworks. However as such, empathy maps are a tool for understanding perceptions and rather than singular factual representations.
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DERIVING INSIGHTS 46
What it is
How to use it
The most important thing to recognize about insights is that they are emergent; this means they emerge or appear from the data via patterns that come to the surface through affinitization and analysis of all data points collected. Insights are the iceberg below the surface: the deeper patterns that are only revealed through indepth research and analysis. These insights are critical towards designing innovative and impactful solutions as they are derived from research rather than assumptions or misunderstandings.
Insights are the culmination of both primary and secondary research data points and framework analysis. They can be considered the turning point between research and ideation. Once the research team is equipped with insights derived from emergent patterns in the data, they are able to move into “how might we” and “what if” questions in order to ideate around a more informed and desirable future. Example: data from several City of Savannah departments reveals a pattern of interest in working with creative minds in the city. This is an insight because it emerges from the data and emerges across multiple sources. Additionally, it is an insight because it was not known prior to research. This insight leads us to a “how might we” question: How might we better connect the City of Savannah departments to local creative and academic institutions to create mutually beneficial projects? 47
OUR INSIGHTS 48
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THINK AND FEEL I feel creative minds must come together to solve community problems through sustainable and effective practices. I think that collaboration between different departments is important because they complement each other. I feel success would be that the community is really driving a lot of our initiative forward.
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SEE “ We just need our citizens to be more engaged and we need to make them more aware. We need young, creative minds to come to the table with us and tell us, give us ideas about how we can stop or solve certain problems in this community. We need those types of things.”
I see success as having strong relationships within the city government and in the community. I see sustainability as something difficult to implement. I see other departments are perceived as more receptive than others.
“ The biggest challenge is overcoming the perception that we are a road block as opposed to a way to help. I think that we do a pretty good job combating that perception but if you don’t deal with us often then I guess that is that perception of an extra step that you have to do.”
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HEAR I hear praise and appreciation for jobs well done that impact the city. I don’t hear much about sustainability except that it’s expensive and it is about waste. I hear complaints from other departments and customers which means I need to manage stakeholder expectations. I hear that others don’t know what we do.
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SAY AND DO “ I think that’s our biggest challenge. Getting the word out. I think the services are there, it’s about getting folks to take advantage of them.”
I am driven to collaborate when there’s mutual benefit. I find that measurable data validates initiatives. We need to be more efficient as a city system when we reach out to the community I try to retain well-prepared and component staff at the core of the government so that the city can flourish.
“ It’s huge, for us, especially, to partner with other departments. I think every time we’ve gotten better and better and better, all of us working together. It was harder, I think, in the past. It’s definitely gotten better.”
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PAINS It’s hard to establish relationships and collaborate with different departments for various reasons. Top-down slow process limit excitement. We can only do so much without proper community engagement and support.
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GAINS “ Our department is part of a bigger bureau and it’s very hands on management. So it’s hard for me to go directly to another department if I need them to cooperate with us.”
I know that the implementation of collaboration with departments is essential for success. I find that technology resources provided allow the city of Savannah staff to do their jobs. I find value on bringing together community and academic initiatives.
“ I feel as far as city departments all across this organization, we are all connected and we just have to figure out how to make that work. There’s always strength in numbers and so we have to figure out how to work together more across the board and assist each other.”
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OUR PATH TO OPPORTUNITIES DATA INSIGHTS HMWS SACRIFICIAL CONCEPTS 56
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What it is As mentioned previously with the explanation of insights, “how might we’s” are questions that address an insight by posing them as questions. This form of questioning allows us to imagine a future that we may not have opened our mind to in other circumstances. The “how might we” question relates our next steps directly to the research findings so that we know we are asking the right questions and thereby pursuing the right solutions.
How to use it In order to form the “how might we” question, start by listing out the research insights. Next think about the insight as a question that requires solving. List out these “how might we” questions with the research group and decide if you are going to tackle all of them, a select few, and the order of addressing.
When?
HOW MIGHT WE’S 58
“How might we’s” are used after the insights are derived and before ideation of concepts begins. They are also used in research circumstances in which the purpose of the research is to lead to actionable and informed concepts.
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OUR HMW's
HMW attract creative maps to inspire new solutions? HMW find the commonalities between departments so that collaboration can take place? HMW identify community initiatives so that we plan forward while keeping them in mind? HMW sustain the positive feedback that the city departments receive when jobs are well done? HMW break through the barrier of the established notion of sustainability so that new opportunities are created? HMW manage everyone’s expectations so that internal conflict is avoided? HMW inform the departments what others do in an effective and attractive manner so that new relationships can be created? HMW foster strong relationships between city government departments to that new opportunities flourish? HMW overcome the notion that sustainability is hard to implement?
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HMW remove misconceptions about departments in order to foster an open and collaborative dialogue? HMW find mutual benefit within departments so that we can create collaboration? HMW convince departments that measurable data can encourage others to create impactful initiatives. HMW maximize city’s efficiency when reaching out to the community? HMW attract and retain well prepared staff so that city efforts are sustained over time? HMW incentivise simulations of collaboration so that it permeates into daily use? HMW integrate community and academic institutions to create value and bring new ideas? HMW solve the complications that limit collaboration with different departments? HMW manage top down decisions so that project don’t lose synergy and interest? HMW create community support and engagement so that better projects arise?
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SACRIFICIAL CONCEPTS 62
What it is
How to use it
When?
Sacrificial concepts are initial, early concepts in response to “how might we” questions that are in no way permanent, unchangeable, or final. The notion of sacrificial concepts is just that; the idea that they can be sacrificed, manipulated and altered throughout the ideation process. Adopting this mentality when beginning the ideation process is critical towards removing mental barriers and moving towards something truly new and innovative. Sacrificial concepts are as much about a mindset and method as they are about generating ideas to pursue.
After writing out the derived “how might we” questions on either a white-board or large white butcher paper, use post-it notes in a group to respond to the questions with ideas for resolution. These ideas can be simple in nature; the practice does not require thinking out all the details of implementation. You do not want to bog yourself down with details and barriers. Allow team members to bounce ideas off of one another and think outside the initially apparent box.
Sacrificial concepts are in response to “how might we” questions so therefore they are used after the creation of the “how might we’s” and before more advanced concept development. While this is the more structured method for introducing sacrificial concepts, thinking about initial concepts can really occur anytime during the research phase. Keep a journal or notebook of any concepts or ideas that come to you and see if further data validates them throughout the research process. However, more formally speaking, sacrificial concepts are the first attempt at concept solution design.
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OUR SACRIFICIAL CONCEPTS 64
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HMW sustain the positive feedback that each city department receives when jobs are well done?
HMW integrate community and academic institutions to create value and bring new ideas?
CINC
Intern department walkthrough day
Anonymous creative initiative competition with voting
Open classes taught by SCAD Sustainability professors and department heads once a month that are open to the public
Employee borrow and exchange program for specific initiatives to rack up social points
CINC
creative
coast
CLC and SMEs
Movable wall in the city where tourists and citizens can express their appreciation for the city
Drunk cups for open-container city, either biodegradable or something you keep and take to all the bars
Once a year day without cars
Creative Coast, 1 Million Cups Entrepreneurship
HMW Overcome the notion that sustainability is hard to implement?
HMW find the commonalities between departments so that collaboration can take place?
It can remotely control computers to save energy by turning them off like building does by remote control HVAC Bring your own mug designed by SCAD students or personalized Vehicle M. Check air tire inflation to reduce gas usage across all city departments
C OLLABORATIVE L EARNING C ENTER
CINC department matching questionnaire Cluster map showing departments working in Savannah, who’s working where when?
CINC
Form a multi-department Slack group
HMW inform the departments what others do in an effective and attractive manner so that new relationships can be created? Profile for each department of what they do and what they don’t do Speed dating or Secret Santa between the departments 66
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THE PILOT OPPORTUNITY 68
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What it is
Our Pilot Opportunity
A pilot opportunity is the act of putting a concept plan into action. It is not necessarily a direct trial of the final concept itself, although it may be. More often however, the pilot opportunity is a chance to test a concept through live prototyping with stakeholders. Depending on the level of development of the pilot project, it may be intended to test a specific aspect or shortened version of a concept or it may be to test the entire concept in full.
As a research team, we evaluated several “how might we’s” when trying to determine the best pilot opportunity to serve the needs of the Office of Environmental Services and Sustainability in their mission to help the City of Savannah as a whole. Although we thought of several different types of concept deliverables, between our insights and our feedback from the ESS, we decided to pursue workshop design as our primary opportunity.
How to use it A pilot opportunity should not be chosen lightly. It is important that the research team is directing its resources and efforts in the proper direction. It is wise to only test one concept from a “how might we” rather than combining multiple concept ideas into a single pilot opportunity. This reduces complexity and brings clarity to both the opportunity itself and the team’s ability to evaluate its successes and failures. A pilot opportunity requires proper preparation and planning. A scheduled design plan should be created to direct all the activities and deliverables involved in the manifestation of the pilot opportunity.
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As designers, we not only design products and services, but also work to design the ways in which teams and stakeholders interact with one another. In design management, we have had several classes in which we have been tasked with designing workshops for clients and stakeholders with the intent of helping them solve specific problems or needs. In the case of this project, we were informed about workshops that are currently held between the different City of Savannah departments and felt that we could infuse our research findings and insights into their future workshops. However, simply passing along these insights is not enough to ensure the success of meetings. Therefore, we created a 3-tier plan to help the ESS facilitate productive, forward-thinking workshops that foster sustainability through collaboration and mutually beneficial projects.
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Description
Relation to mission
Within this 3-tier plan, the most involved portion of our pilot opportunity involves an actual workshop prototype during our final presentation. This prototype is a workshop centered around collaboration and communication practices between departments. We chose the topic of collaboration and communication from a list of 4 key topic areas that emerged from our research as crossdepartmental needs. All 4 key topic areas are listed below with their categorization within our 3-tier plan.
Our mission statement from the start of the quarter reads:
We chose to both prototype and create a full detailed design plan for future workshop use by the ESS because it was the most urgent need among all departments. Without addressing collaboration and communication between departments, the other workshop areas (academic engagement, sustainability, and community engagement) may risk a greater chance of failure.
Game Plan Our plan is to train the ESS through our final presentation workshop and a walk-through our example detailed design plan. Then, we will equip them with further outlines and a bank of resources and workshop activities to pursue the other workshop topic areas from our research, as well as any other current and future projects they wish to discuss as collaborative endeavors.
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We will empower the City of Savannah’s Office of Environmental Services and Sustainability (ESS) through building alignments and a shared vision for the different city departments so they can work together towards the goals of the 2016 ESS Sustainability Assessment. We have addressed our mission with our pilot opportunity by empowering the City of Savannah’s Office of Environmental Services and Sustainability with workshop and facilitation tools in order to better align goals and mutually beneficial projects with other departments. These goals and achievements between departments, not matter how small, will add together towards achieving the 2016 ESS Sustainability Assessment in addition to improve the relations between city departments overall.
Relation to ESS As a class, we strategically chose to focus our efforts more around alignment, designing collaboration and workshop facilitation than around sustainability and sustainable practices. The ESS are the experts on sustainability; what we discovered was needed through our research was a first step towards inter-departmental unity and vision. With a strong foundation, the ESS will have enjoy more fruitful collaborative endeavors with the aim of sustainable development. If we can use our design management training and design research applications to help make their sustainable missions more achievable, we will have helped to make Savannah a more sustainable city. 73
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THE WORKSHOP KIT 76
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What it is
Workshop components
A workshop kit is a series of activities oriented to facilitate working sessions around specific topics that need to be developed by a group of people. The main objective of workshop sessions is to align different points of view towards a shared vision that allows greater commitment and therefore generates better results.
Workshop sessions have a general form usually structured by five activity categories. 1. Social Activities These activities are oriented to connect teams in a personal level to build trust and foster collaborative work. They set a comfortable work environment and bring energy to teams. There are 3 main kinds of social activities: Ice-breakers: These activities are usually performed at the beginning of a workshop session. Their objective is to build connection and common ground between participants. Energizers: These activities are generally used in between the main activities to reinvigorate people’s engagement. Cool downs: Usually performed to wrap up a session or a specific activity. They are used to refocus the attention to the main objective of the session.
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2. Main Activities As their name indicates, these are the central part of the workshop. They are oriented to action and are related to the final objective of the workshop. They must foster commitment by actively engaging participants. 3. D iscussion Activities These activities are used as complements for the main activities. They foster dialogue around specific topics and their main objective is to bring everyone’s voice to the discussion. 4. Problem solving Activities These activities are usually used when there are conflicts or specific difficulties that the team must resolve. Their use varies depending on the workshop objectives. 5. Reflection Activities Reflections are used as wrap ups after other activities. Their objective is to make evident the results of the activity previously performed and build common understanding around it. Their intensity and length vary according to the objective of the activity that precedes them. 79
1. Welcome (refreshments). Every workshop should start with informal conversations around food. This helps setting up a comfortable environment and helps participants connect in a personal level.
Our Workshop Kit This is a general structure of a working session. Depending on the available time, you can modify it according to your priorities. You may choose activities from the ‘Activities Bank’ or adapt and include other activities that you think might work for your objectives. It is important to keep balance between activities that provide personal connection with those related specifically to the project. Building trust and personal connections set the ground for commitment, so always include at least one activity that fosters those relationships. It is also very important to dedicate specific time for reflection. Every activity should end with a summary of what happened and participants should make comments about it. This way people feel more committed and understand what they are doing. Always close sessions with a round table where participants can express how they felt and also talk about their future expectations. Make sure you express your future plans and next steps as well. Once you have chosen the activities and the workshop outline, you can create a detailed design to keep the session organized and make sure that facilitators are aligned.
2. Introduction. It is very important to provide a short and clear introduction of the agenda and goals for the session. Make sure to use this time to clarify doubts and to set ground rules for the session. 3. Icebreaker. Before starting with the central work of the session, the facilitators should always make an activity that helps people feel comfortable working together. It also helps to energize the environment and to bring dynamism to the group (especially if the meeting is early in the morning). The main objective of icebreakers is to build trust within the group. So select activities that connect people in a personal level and that are appropriate to the public regarding age and mobility capacity. 4. Main activity 1. The first main activity should
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be oriented to build alignment between participants around the topic of the session: set personal and group goals, understand participants’ point of view and find common ground. Always close the activity by providing a short recapitulation of what just happened. Include participants in the dialogue and clarify any doubt.
as creativity boosters. They should be short, individual and dynamic. They should provide a space for reflection at the end of the activity.
activity should provide a space to think about something different but in a personal level. Think about these activities
10. Wrap up and next steps. Clarify any doubt and introduce future programmed activities
8. Main activity 3. The third main activity should be oriented to set agendas and future commitment around the project. In these activities, people should commit to specific actions to make the 5. Break. project become a reality. Dates Bio break. Provide refreshments. and milestones are created in this activity. Always close the 6. Main activity 2. activity by providing a short The second main activity should recapitulation of what just be planned around setting the happened. Include participants steps to accomplish the already in the dialogue and clarify any set goals. Think about them doubt. as activities that are central to the project. Always close the 9. Reflection. activity by providing a short Is the conclusion of the session. recapitulation of what just Use this space to summarize happened. Include participants what happened in the session, in the dialogue and clarify any highlighting important doubt. commitments and future activities. Bring participants to 7. Energizing activity oriented to the conversation and encourage build trust. them to make their own After participating in two main reflection about the session. activities, energy drops. This
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TIME
INTENT
METHODS AND STEPS MATERIALS Activity Title
00:00-00:00 (00 min)
General intent of the activity
1. Step 1 2. Step 2 3. Step 3 Activity Title
00:00-00:00 (00 min)
General intent of the activity
1. Step 1 2. Step 2 3. Step 3 Activity Title
00:00-00:00 (00 min)
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General intent of the activity
1. Step 1 2. Step 2 3. Step 3
MATERIALS Material 1 Material 2 Material 3
Material 1 Material 2 Material 3
Material 1 Material 2 Material 3
SET UP
FACILITATORS
How the room and materials should be organized
Door person:
How the room and materials should be organized
Door person:
How the room and materials should be organized
Door person:
Supporters:
Supporters:
Supporters:
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Our Full Detailed Design for Collaboration and Communication During the final workshop session the ESS experienced a short version of this detailed design. We developed it for a longer session where they could achieve further results. Following is the detailed design that could also be adapted according to time constraints.
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TIME
INTENT
METHODS AND STEPS MATERIALS Welcome
8:25-8:35 (10 min)
Make participants feel comfortable
8:35-8:40 (5 min)
Inform participants about course objectives and introduce team members
1. Welcome participants in the front door and guide them to the classroom 2. Have participants write their name tags 3. Offer participants refreshments.
MATERIALS Local food Name tags 3 sharpies
SET UP
FACILITATORS
Food ready. Tags and sharpies on the table
Door person: Supportes
Introduction 1. Facilitator explains intent. 2. Team members will go around and introduce themselves (name, background, where we are from) 3. Participants will go around and introduce themselves (name, role, where they are from)
Facilitator: Supporter:
Organize Cards
8:40-8:55 (15 min)
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This activity is designed to have groups work in teams toward a common goal. The goal is reached twice; the first time without any time for planning, and the second one allowing time for planning and strategizing with the members.
1. Divide the team into 2 groups and give each group a shuffled deck of cards. 2. Explain to the groups that the goal of this challenge is to finish completing the task faster than the other group. As soon as one team is finished they should raise their hands and say 'Done!' out loud. The other team should continue working until the solution provided by the first team is verified. 3. Make sure each group is set up around a table and with the set of cards (out of the box). 4. Finally, explain to the teams that they have to lay out the cards next to each other in 4 rows in the table. Each row should be sorted by suit and in numerical order starting with A, 1-10, J, Q and K. The suit order will be: Clover (first top row), Diamond (second), Hearts (third) and Spade (fourth bottom). Draw the order on the board as a guide. 5. Once the instructions are clear, you can inform the teams to start and you may start your timer. 6. When the first team finishes, stop the timer. Visit their table and verify that the order is correct, before naming them winners. If order is not correct, they should reorder. 7. Make sure you mark the time for both team's performance and write them on the whiteboard. 8. Once the round is finished, let the teams know that the activity will be repeated. Have both teams pick up the cards and shuffle the deck for 30 seconds while they strategize their approach for the next round. 9. Once the cards are shuffled, repeat Step 4-7. 10. Now, compare the time difference between the first and second round for both teams. Did they take longer? Did they take less time? Ask them why they think that might have happened. 11. To conclude, explain that even when a goal is clear there might be many ways of getting achieving it. Discuss hoe important it is to communicate with your team, organize yourselves, have clear expectations and develop a strategy that you all know about and can follow.
2 decks of cards
Have a table ready: clear chairs and materials. Decks of cards on the table.
Facilitator: Supporter:
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TIME 8:55-9:05 (10 min)
INTENT
METHODS AND STEPS MATERIALS
Explain background and mission.
Presentation Background Sustainability (overcome barriers shared future) Mission Objectives
MATERIALS
SET UP
FACILITATORS
Computer
Have screen ready with the presentation
Facilitator:
Have a deck of post-its and marker ready per participant.
Facilitator:
Projector/screen
Supporter:
Wishes come true
9:05-9:50 (45 min)
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Have the participants map how their departments relate to one another. Ask them to mark how they work together and also create new possible connections
1. Introduce the activity. Explain the intent. 2. Hand in markers and post-it's to participants. One color per person. 3. (5 min) Have the participants write 5 wishes for their department. They can be wishes for the present or future. Explain that they should be specific to their department (i.e. budget is not allowed!) . One wish per post-it. 4. While participants write their wishes, draw a two by two axis on the white-board and name the top left quadrant 'Wishes'. 5. Ask participants post their wishes in the quadrant. Have them place the post-it's in columns, one per participant. 6. Ask participants to observe and read again their wishes. Ask them to choose one wish they would like to work on. 7. When each participant chooses his/her wish, name the top right quadrant 'Advantages'. 8. Ask participants to place their wish on the 'Advantages' quadrant. 9. Have participants write on post-it's four advantages related to that wish. How can this wish improve their departments and how is it good for the community? One advantage per post-it. 10. Ask participants to place their advantages under they wish on the "Advantages" quadrant. 11. Have participants write four barriers related to their wish. What stands in the way of their wish? While participants write their barriers, name the bottom left quadrant 'Barriers' 12. When everyone has placed their barriers ask participants to share their wish, advantages and barriers with the group. 13. Divide the group in teams and assign each team the wishes (with advantages and barriers) that belong to other participants that are not in the same team. 14. Ask participants to create bridges to overcome the barriers that stand on the way of the wishes. What can they do to make those wishes come true? 15. Ask participants to come together again. Each team shares their bridges with the group. 16. Hand in the "Action Plan" sheets to each participant. Ask them to place the wish they selected together with its advantages, barriers and bridges in the designated space. Explain participants that in the bottom area they should write specific actions to make their wish come true. 17. Ask them to take their other 4 wishes from the board and place one wish in each sheet of paper in the designated area. Tell them to make time to repeat the activity and work on their own to make their wishes come true! 18. Wrap up the activity by conducting a short reflection about how participants felt about the idea exchange.
4+ decks of different color Post-its Permanent Markers.
Supporter:
Whiteboard Markers.
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TIME
INTENT
METHODS AND STEPS MATERIALS
MATERIALS
SET UP
FACILITATORS
Have the mandala vision map printed and hanging on the wall.
Facilitator:
Vision Map
10:00-10:30 (30 min)
10:30-11:10 (40 min)
Define and clarify the project's vision. Align departments towards a common goal.
This activity provides a space to relax after an intense activity. It also boosts creativity, helps to “think outside the box”, and enhances interaction by sharing ideas.
1. Ask participants to count from 1-2 to make 2 groups 2. Introduce the activity. 3. Ask participants to write down on post-it's values that they think are important for the project. 4. Each group needs to write a statement that reflects their vision of the project put it in post its on the mandala map. They have to be written in in present tense. 5. Ask participants to create subvisions for the vision and put them on post-its on the mandala map. They have to be written in present progressive tense -ing verbs. 6. Bring the two groups together and have the participants write a final vision statement and final subvisions on post its and put them on the vision map.
Printed mandala map. Post it's Markers Tape
Post it's on the table.
Supporter:
Scribble 1. Introduce the activity and ask participants to sit with the sheet of paper and pen ready. 2. Ask them to scribble randomly on the paper, free and loose for 1 minute. 3. Ask them to stop drawing and look at their scribble. 4. Ask participants to connect the scribble making a drawing that makes sense for them. It could be anything! 5. Tell participants to share what was their final outcome of the scribble. 6. Wrap up the activity by making observations about what just happened.
Paper Markers
Have materials on the table and pass them around.
Facilitator: Supporter:
Five Bold Steps
10:30-11:10 (40 min)
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To help the group reach consensus on goals and the actions needed to achieve them.
1. Have the map printed and hanging on the wall. 2. Gather participants in front of the map. 3. Ask participants to bring the visions and sub-visions they created in the vision map and place them where it corresponds in the map. 4. Ask participants to revisit the vision and sub-visions they created individually and have them write one as a group taking into account what they individually expressed. 5. Ask participants to write in post-it’s 5 bold steps they would need to do in order to accomplish the vision. 6. Ask them to write on post-it’s challenges they could encounter to accomplish the vision. 7. Have participants write on post-it’s supports they count with to accomplish their vision. 8. Wrap up the activity by having an open table discussion about any doubts or questions. Make a short reflection about the process.
Printed map Tape Post-it’s Markers
Have the five bold steps map printed and hanging on the wall. Post it's on the table.
Facilitator: Supporter:
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TIME
11:10-11:30 (20 min)
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INTENT
METHODS AND STEPS MATERIALS
Close the activity and provide participants with key chains. Encourage them to keep connecting and working together to accomplish their wishes.
Closing and takeaways 1. Explain the symbolic takeaway. 2. Let participants choose their own key chain. 3. Close the workshop with a reflection of what just happened and introducing future planned activities.
MATERIALS
SET UP
FACILITATORS
Keep Connecting Keychains
Keychains organized on desk
Facilitator:
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OUR CONCLUSION
As design managers learning about sustainability, we discovered that our discipline is closer to the topic than we initially thought. Sustainability is about fostering productive relationships between change makers. It is about connecting people around systems thinking where planet, people and profit come together. It was especially interesting for us working with the City of Savannah’s Office of Environmental Services and Sustainability because it gave us the opportunity to explore how Savannah City works. We met and interacted with 15 of the city departments, understood how they work internally , and detected that all of them had the same wish: to br more connected with other departments and to work together to better accomplish their goals. One of our strongest skills as design managers is facilitating collaboration, and that was exactly the main objective of our work with the ESS. We helped them to visualize how the city departments are currently connected and how they would like to be working together in the future. We also provided them with tools to further nurture those relationships, and had the opportunity to test our strategies with outstanding results: a trustworthy environment of collaborative work where every participant was committed to keep being actively engaged in future projects. We hope this ‘pass-it-on’ provides the ESS and other city departments with inspiration and motivation to keep connecting towards the vision of a sustainable Savannah.
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APPENDIX 100
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SYSTEM MAP
LADDER MAP Relationship Matrix
Sustainability
Value in sustainable initiatives from and by the city.
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
ROB HERNANDEZ
Internships thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
PURCHASING
?
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES & SUSTAINABILITY PUBLIC INFORMATION
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING
Works together
Internships thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future but it will be challenging.
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future. Stormwater thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Stormwater thinks they work together.
Internships thinks they work together.
TRAFFIC & ENGINEER
Police Department Georgia Power
Sanitation
Internships thinks they work together.
Possible relationships
Internships thinks they work together.
Stormwater thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Re mo te
Internships thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Georgia Power Public Safety Communication Centers
STORMWATER
Possible relationships
Internships thinks they work together.
Hybrid bulldozer
Economic Development thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Good working relationship
Economic Development thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Stormwater thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Internships thinks they work together.
Internships thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Should talk the to public
Knows about Thrive initiative
Public Information Office Works together
Purchasing
Pete Shonka
Room for improvement
Possible relationships
Traffic Engineering
Good working relationship
Economic Development thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Park and Mobility
Good working relationship
Stormwater thinks they work together.
Economic Development thinks this is a challenging relationship.
SANITATION
Good working relationship
Stormwater thinks there is a good existing working relationship. but it's also but it is challenging.
Good working relationship
Street Maintenance
Good working relationship
Water and Sewer
Good working relationship
Good working relationship
Works together
Police
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Social Talks to public
Works together
Stormwater thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Economic Development thinks they work together.
Works with all departments
Stormwater thinks they work together.
Economic Development thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Sustainability thinks they work together. Truman Trail
Vehicle Maintenance Good working relationship
Sustainability thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Internships thinks they work together.
x
Stormwater thinks they work together.
Economic Development thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Good working relationship
Building and Electrical Maintenance
Stormwater thinks this is a challenging relationship.
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future. Sustainability RFFs
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future but it will be challenging.
STREET MAINTENANCE
Housing
Good working relationship
Internships thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Good working relationship
Sustainability thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
MOBILITY & PARKING SERVICES
WATER & SEWER PLANNING
Possibly work together We believe there is a work relationship but it wasn’t speficied in our research.
Good working relationship
Economic Development thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
Internships thinks they work together.
BUILDING & ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE
Work together One or more department confirmed that they worked together.
Park and Tree
Possible relationships
Good working relationship
Sustainability thinks there is a good existing working relationship and an opportunity to work together in the future. EV, Solar Panels
COMMUNITY RELATIONS & INTERNSHIPS
con trol
o W
LE D’s
HOUSING
No relationship We did not identify specific information about this relationship in our research.
Storm Water
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Sustainability thinks they work together.
Police Department Fire Department
PARKS & TREES
Good working relationship One or more department believes that there is a good existing working relationship.
Economic Development
Community Planning
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
w ith SC AD stud ents
Internships thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future. Economic Development thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future but it will be challenging.
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
rk
Challenging but beneficial One or more department believes that this is a challenging but beneficial relationship.
Community Engagement and Internships
public safety
I.T.
`
Private Sector
Internships thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future but it will be challenging.
Sustainability thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future. Economic Development thinks there is a good existing working relationship.
PETE SHONKA
In the future One or more department believes that there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
IT
Work together
Should work together
Good relationships
Challenging relationship
Environmental
Economic Development thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Stormwater thinks there is an opportunity to work together in the future.
Development Services
Rob Hernández
Economic
740 Sustainable Practices in Design | Prof. Scott Boylston | Fall 2016
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Aggregation of Department Empathy Maps
EMPATHY MAP
• Creative minds must come together to solve community problems • Better funding and staffing
• Complaints and needs from other departments and community • Others don’t know what we do • About one department doing work without consulting to others that could be involved • The impact they have in the city • Praise and appreciation for job well done • Don’t hear about sustainability (and when they hear about it is about waste) • New City Manager coming • Need for more and better personnel and better budget (3)
• Maintain infrastructure for the city as long as possible. • Aware of a trend to lower consumption and reduce emissions. • Budget restrictions: management, allocation and amount. • Lack of trained staff. • It’s difficult to retain talented professionals. • Dealing with unclear information from other departments. 104
• Make Savannah a good place to do business • Having real impact within a community • Eager to provide a faster, transparent, and satisfied • Departments complement each other customer services • Assure helpful and equal access to service for everyone • Assure helpful and equal access to service for everyone • A growing business community of • More sustainable education and effective practices in Savannah entrepreneurs in the city that can • Realize the importance of collaboration among different departments draw investors (4) • New developments and modernization • Oversupply of some resources (like parking) and undersupply of other resources (6) • Opportunities to work with police, fire, community centers, and other non-department city related groups • Certain departments perceived as more receptive than others • Need new technology for efficiency • Sustainability as something difficult to implement • Provide opportunities for the economic growth of the city (4) • Create opportunities for low income families to thrive in Savannah. • Retain talent in the city so that economic development as well as other factors flourish. • Effective communication (1) • Maintaining well prepared and competent staff members at the core of the government.
• It’s hard to collaborate with other departments for different reasons: budget, staff, communication, coordination. • Finding the right way to communicate with the community to engage them in projects provided by each department.
• Misunderstanding by both public and other city officials of what each department does • The city must maintaining the cultural heritage at the same time of adopting new technologies.
• Know that the implementation collaboration with departments is essential for success. • There are advantages that are outside of our work, for example the city of Savannah has good neighbors associations. • Bringing together the community and the academic institutions
• Wants Savannah to be more independent and sustainable • Technology resources provided, allow city of Savannah staff to perform their jobs.
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We would like to extend a special thank you to all of those who attended our midterm and final presentation workshops in addition to those who participated in our interviews. We greatly appreciate and value each participant’s time and effort as we know how busy and demanding their current work schedules are. We would also like to extend gratitude towards the City of Savannah departments for their great and collaborative work during Hurricane Matthew. As SCAD students who love and use this city to its fullest extent, we appreciate their hard work and dedication during that time.
THANK YOU 106
We would like to extend a special thank you to Nick and Ashley who always made themselves available and provided us with valuable feedback that shaped the outcome and success of this course. We hope that our findings and deliverables help them in their initiatives and hope to be of any service in the future as part of the SCAD community.
Alan Waters, Patty McIntosh, Manuel Dominguez, Marlon Epps, Molly Huhn, Brian Brainerd, Carliss Bates, Cam Mathis, Pete Shonka, Michele Strickland, Zach Hoffman, Gordon Denney, Quhannah Andrews, Leah Scott-Perry, Nick Deffley and Ashley Hemholdt
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