Enhancing Community Resilience for a Non-Profit Network-QUBì via Service Design
xxxxx
Timeline
September to December 2023 (14 weeks)
My Role
Group project with Chiara Rignanese, Haoyu Li, Linda Perrotta, Rafael Fernandez, Zhiben Zheng
collaborator
· QuBì (third sector)
– Politecnico di Milano
tasks
-Value proposition
-Cool hunter/hacker
-Boundary object and toolkit design
-Ecosystem and business canvas
/who is QUBì niguarda
QuBì is a non-profit network in Milan dedicated to combating child poverty via participatory governance.
QuBì Nigurda, one of the nine QuBì networks in Milan formed by public institutions and the third sector, is highly valued by the municipality for its strong neighborhood ties, which help identify "ghost families" not reached by social services.
In a district where 36% of residents are seniors and minors, the network offers services like work support, food aid, recreational activities, study aid, and social engagement. 'Recipe' is metaphorically used to describe these initiatives.
/problem
The instability caused by imbalanced participation among network participants has led to a gradual loss of funding from the Cariplo Foundation for QuBì.
The Qubì networks are currently undergoing a transition period due to Fondazione Cariplo withdrawal from the financial support. A co-programming and co-design process is underway to build a new relationship with the Municipality of Milan, leading to the renewal of the actions of the Qubì networks on the territory and ensuring the sustainability of the networks independently from foundation funding. Our design focus is on如何解决现存问题并让他们逐渐获得更多的independence
/solution
The Impasta toolkit aims to make QuBì networks more resilient and adaptable to change by introducing the concept of Communities of Practice (CoP).
The main services include 2 major parts: Self-assessment and Action Plan, linked by a guide called "Cookbook." Alongside 5 supporting services, these help QuBì network stakeholders elevate their implicit capabilities and manifest their hidden issues, promoting a focused and proactive method for addressing challenges as outlined in the action plan.
主要讲循环这个过程，不断evolve，不是一尘不变的，他们也要根据各自情况不断iterate
/Process
No detour is useless🧠
Despite changing our design direction after the midterm review, each decision was strongly evidence-backed. We aimed to maximize the use of previous design assets for a smooth transition, enabling the delivery of a highly refined solution within a tight timeframe.
01 ·
research
/literature review
What is the participatory governance model?
Participatory governance is a form of governance that involves the active participation of citizens and stakeholders in decision-making processes (Fung, 2015). It is characterized by the inclusion of diverse perspectives, the promotion of transparency and accountability, and the empowerment of marginalized groups (Fung, 2015; Baiocchi & Ganuza, 2014).
/case study
To grasp participatory governance in practice, we conducted benchmarking through position mapping to analyze trends.
We positioned our researched cases along four dimensions: from bottom-up to top-down initiatives, from low-intensity to deep participation, expert influence, and tech level. We then analyzed horizontal, vertical, and diagonal trends.
/UNDERSTAND the current stakeholder system
The foundation withdrew funding due to imbalanced participation causing destabilization in the QuBì network.
The QuBì network's users rely too much on a few internal operators (proximity operators), causing a reliance on personal connections instead of formalized workflows. This has resulted in imbalanced participation among network stakeholders, ultimately shaking the system's stability.
The network is structured in 3 levels of participation, yet the unifying force is the common goal within the core layer. Without it, participation would scatter like sand.
/focus group
Defined together with QuBì Niguarda members a common vision for the future of the network.
To seek a common goal with the members of QuBì, we used the metaphor of a hot air balloon to help them identify and manifest their respective strengths, weaknesses, and core assets. This fostered a consensus for collaboration and aligned their expectations for the future.
They saw the common goal as ensuring effective information flow, recognizing that unawareness of each other's capabilities, responsibilities, and needs hindered consensus and mutual benefits.
/Problem definition
Inefficient communication blocked information flow and resource allocation, leaving existing assets underutilized and invisible.
The ripple effect of inefficient communication led to the underutilization of the community's resources and assets, lowering the Cariplo Foundation's funding confidence. Thus, elevating the community's implicit assets has become the primary design objective moving forward.
02 ·
concept development
/initial concept
By enhancing the communication strategy and information flow to enable ABCD (asset-based community development) within the QuBì network.
Integrating the principle of ABCD, our approach highlights the role of information as the QuBì network's primary asset. Our goal is to catalyze its circulation into community knowledge, thereby nurturing the community's development by drawing on its intrinsic strengths.
/offering map
Developed tailored service design offerings for active, on-the-fence, and informed stakeholders.
Asset mapping encourages as many stakeholders as possible to elevate the community's implicit assets. The digital workplace aims to offer a transparent, efficient environment for core network members. Lastly, the case library focuses on undecided stakeholders, boosting their determination to contribute to the core team.
/co-design to validate
To validate and co-create our initial ideas, we conducted a co-design and a service prototyping session.
Through co-design and service prototyping, we've recognized that these solutions may be too challenging for QuBì members, leading to their feedback: "Why do we need these toolkits? How do they solve our problems?"
03 ·
pivot
/set back
Shift from solely problem solving to prioritizing problem finding to trigger shared awareness.
To help users grasp when and why to utilize particular tools, we're pivoting our design strategy to encourage self-assessment, enabling users to seamlessly align with the most suitable solutions.
/concept cohesion
A seamless transition was our goal after we had pivoted.
We've also considered how to repurpose old solutions to our advantage. After meticulously filtering through the chaos to pinpoint precise issues, our past strategies will serve as best practices for reference and a series of templates will be provided to inspire solutions.
/research iteration
How did we hack existing models and theories to stabilize our service?
To structure problem definition and solving, we've adapted and refined the Success Wheel Model from The Communities of Practices Playbook by the European Commission, significantly solidifying our services with a proven theoretical base.
Communities of Practice (CoPs) are informal groups that thrive by leveraging participants' know-how, enabling them to evolve and persist by adapting to the changing dynamics of their operational environment.
We've outlined 5 dimensions—vision, network, governance, convening, and measurement—to assist the QuBì network in conducting self-assessment and identifying tailored solutions.
/service blueprint
The final solution, QuBì Impasta, was designed to knead the future and shape change, drawing inspiration from its culinary genes.
To echo QuBì's culinary origins, we introduce QuBì Impasta's brand concept, where "Impasta" signifies kneading dough in Italian—a metaphor for blending varied ingredients into a cohesive whole, thereby transforming the initial components.
The service consists of 2 components: self-assessment and action plan. These help users define their problems and trigger potential solutions, enabling improvements across 5 CoP dimensions.
Our service blueprint ensures adaptability across all QuBì networks, fostering a flexible yet cohesive service experience. It distinguishes user interactions and internal processes, with clear lines of visibility and interactivity that ensure dynamic support and efficiency throughout.
/service offerings
Here are all the service touchpoints👀
We have designed a series of phygital artifacts to support our service design strategy, linking self-assessment to action plans. These service offerings ultimately foster network independence and resilience.
Individual Self-assessment
Question Dimensions:
Tailored 15 self-assessment questions on the open-source Woolclap platform are structured around the 5 redesigned CoP dimensions. While specifically tailored for QuBì Nigurda, they are adaptable for the wider QuBì network's use.
Answer Framework:
Responses follow a Likert scale from 'no action' to 'achieved' across 5 levels, facilitating the quantitative analysis of collective responses and paving the way for navigating to suitable solutions.
Community Consensus
Collective Agreement on Each Dimension:
After their self-assessments, participants will be convened by a QuBì facilitator for self-organized consensus creation, analyzing the 5 CoP dimensions from the perspectives of 'why,' 'what,' and 'how,' to agree on a unified Likert scale index for each dimension.
Radar Chart:
This printed poster will be collaboratively hand-drawn by participants to score each dimension and signed, visually highlighting the well-performing sections and the challenges that need to be addressed together.
Cookbook as Guideline
Cookbook Structure:
The booklet starts by setting a common language to deepen readers' comprehension of collaborators' intentions. It details the operational steps and touchpoints of self-assessment and action plan sections, guiding users with visual storyboards.
Action Plan
Problem-solving Templates:
For the 5 SoP dimensions, we designed ten templates in the action plan section to facilitate targeted analysis of issues in each dimension and guide users to think loudly.
Best Practices as reference:
We offer not only a technical toolkit but also include best practices in the Cookbook for each dimension, providing users with real examples that help ground and focus their thinking.
/ecosystem map
Service thrives not just on QuBì but also on relationship management with stakeholders which can empower long-term growth.
As a non-profit in the third sector, QuBì needs to bundle interests with foundations and municipalities to survive.
Internal QuBì network
QuBì network is the main beneficiary of this service. Access to this service is enabled by the Impasta facilitator who informs the rest of the network after receiving a training session from Polimi's design and research team.
QuBì and Foundation Cariplo
QuBì and Municipality
/Business viability
Why would Foundation Cariplo after gradually reducing financial support rekindle interest in financing Impasta?
The re-funding of QuBì by Foundation Cariplo aims to empower it to independently assess its problems and find solutions, enhancing its resilience. Cariplo's new non-profit funding also aligns with the Impasta service proposal.
Moreover, QuBì will showcase the impact of Impasta services on network development in its annual "Qubì as it is" report and share achievements at the Municipality meeting, setting the stage for negotiating further support.
04 ·
evaluate
/reflection
How did we get here?
Solution to Problem Definition
Service prototyping with actors has shifted our focus from just creating solutions to also defining problems, ensuring effectiveness when network members identify issues.
Theoretical Framework for Stability
Our approach to service stability involved adapting established theoretical models, like the European Commission's Community of Practice Playbook and MITD-Lab's Co-design Toolkit.
Guided Pathway for Accessibility
We created a pathway with milestones to guide network members through the complexities, from self-assessment to the action plan, allowing for flexibility in moving back and forth as needed.
Enhancing Applicability
We improved our service's meta-structure, extending its applicability from Qubi Nigurada to all Qubi networks, facilitating the co-programming phase with the Municipality.
