Category: Featured Articles

About the Tool

SCAMPER is a creative thinking and problem-solving technique to enhance ideas, products, processes, or services. It looks at different aspects of a problem using the seven thinking approaches:

• Substitute: What elements can be replaced or substituted to improve the idea or product?
• Combine: How can you combine this idea with other materials or resources to produce something new?
• Adapt: How could you adapt or adjust your organization’s input, process, or output (product or service) to serve another purpose or use?
• Modify (or Magnify, Minimize): What could you add to modify your organization’s input, process, or output (product or service)?
• Purpose: How can you use this idea differently or for another purpose?
• Eliminate: What elements can be removed to simplify or streamline the idea?
• Reverse (or Rearrange): What can you reverse or rearrange to generate a new perspective?

SCAMPER is often used in brainstorming sessions to stimulate creative thinking and explore alternative solutions. It is a versatile tool that analyzes all possible angles and encourages thinking outside the box.

Purpose: Ideation

Estimated Time Needed: 30 minutes

Target Participants or Users: Change Managers, Program Managers, Operations Managers, Planning Officers, Process Planners, Policymakers, Service Designers

How to Use the Tool

Steps:

1. Let the participants select an existing input, process, or output (product or service) that they want to improve, one that they are currently having problems with, or one that they think could be a good starting point for future development.
2. Ask questions about the input, process, or output (product or service) they have identified, using the mnemonic SCAMPER to guide them. Brainstorm as many questions and answers as they can.

Sample SCAMPER Template

Sample SCAMPER Activity

About the Tool

Opposite thinking is a tool that helps teams arrive at creative ideas by looking at a problem or situation from a new perspective. This tool is a great brainstorming technique for thinking outside the box. It can stimulate creativity, enhance problem-solving, and provide a fresh perspective on challenges.

Opposite thinking is helpful when launching a new initiative or attempting to resolve a complex problem. By examining situations from a different angle, the tool helps identify hidden assumptions or aspects that may have been overlooked. Opposite thinking also enhances learning from experiences by extracting valuable lessons that can guide future approaches to similar situations. Anyone looking to improve their problem-solving abilities or creative thinking can benefit from using opposite thinking tools. This way of thinking encourages stepping out of comfort zones to explore unconventional solutions and make more well-rounded decisions.

Purpose: Ideation

Estimated Time Needed: 30 minutes

Target Participants or Users: Change Managers, Program Managers, Operations Managers, Planning Officers, Policymakers, Service Designers

How to Use the Tool

Steps:

1. Identify the problem or challenge.
2. Write assumptions related to the challenge you are trying to solve. These assumptions could be about current customers’ beliefs, behaviors, needs, preferences, technology limitations, and the context in which they interact with a product or service.
3. For each assumption, write an opposite statement. These opposite statements can be a minor change, a removal of a specific element, an exaggeration of elements or the whole situation, or the total opposite of the situation. Think about the opposite statements you have written and how they affect the problem or challenge.
4. In the third column, write potential solutions for these opposite statements.
5. Review all the proposed solutions.

Sample Opposite Thinking

A. Sample Template

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B. Sample Opposite Thinking Output

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References:

1. Board of Innovation (2024). Opposite Thinking. https://www.boardofinnovation.com/tools/opposite-thinking/
2. Interaction Design Foundation. Assumptions in UX/UI Design. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/assumptions

About the Tool

Crazy Eights is a core method in design sprints that serves as a fast sketching exercise, allowing participants to generate eight different ideas in just eight minutes. The primary purpose of Crazy Eights is to encourage participants to go beyond their initial, often less innovative, ideas and explore a wide range of potential solutions to a given challenge or problem.

The exercise focuses not on creating flawless designs but on allowing creative ideas to flourish. In team settings, Crazy Eights proves particularly valuable, as it generates various unique ideas that can be further developed in subsequent brainstorming sessions. Crazy Eights is an effective way to stimulate creativity and foster collaboration.

Purpose: Ideation

Estimated Time Needed: 8 minutes

Target Participants or Users: Change Managers, Program Managers, Planning Officers, Process Planners, Service Designers

How to Use the Tool

Steps

1. Let every participant understand the challenge statement (“How might we..?)that needs to be solved.
2. Have team members draw on paper. Each team member folds their piece of paper into eight sections.
3. Designate a team member as the timer, setting an alarm for 1 minute for each round.
4. Each member should sketch an idea in one section using icons and shapes. The sketches don’t have to be perfect or polished; they just need to convey the idea effectively. Write captions to explain.
5. Stop drawing after 1 minute. Repeat this process until all sections are completed.
6. Share ideas by posting completed papers on the board and having each team discuss their work.

Template Crazy Eights

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Sample Crazy Eights

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Design Sprints (n.d.). Crazy 8’s. https://designsprintkit.withgoogle.com/methodology/phase3-sketch/crazy-8s

About the Tool

An expanded client journey map is a visual tool for understanding and improving customer experiences, particularly in public services serving diverse client groups. Organizations can identify key touchpoints, satisfaction levels, and preferences by visualizing the customer’s journey. This information can be used to enhance service processes, improve the overall customer experience, and achieve organizational goals. Moreover, the insights gained from client journey mapping can inform strategic decision-making, leading to policies and strategies that better align with customer needs and preferences. Organizations typically synthesize information from interviews, observations, and feedback in creating a client journey map, often by asking clients to map their journeys.

Purpose: Service Design

How to Use the Tool

Estimated Time Needed: 30 minutes

Target Participants or Users: Change Managers, Service Designers

Steps

1. Identify client actions and agency actions. Write the steps you have undertaken when engaging with the service provider (ex., office, apps, kiosk, or service desk). In the ‘Agency’s Action’ column, write the activity or response of the agency in guiding you throughout the process.
2. Classify each step as one of the following types:
   Operation: Actions where there are changes made to the products
   Transportation: Products are transferred from one location and/or to another
   Inspection: Products are checked for quality and quantity
   Storage: Products are kept, held, and stored
   Delay: The process is temporarily stopped, or steps that do not add value to the product
3. Identify the channel where the interaction takes place.
4. Write the distance in terms of steps, meters, or kilometers.
5. Write the time it takes for clients and agencies to complete a step in terms of minutes or hours. The time for clients includes waiting time.
6. Identify the cost of completing each step. Include Primary Transaction Costs/Fees and Other Transaction Costs/Fees. These transaction costs are expenses a client incurred during the stage of interaction with the service or product.
7. Identify the emotion the client feels at each step.
8. Identify pain points clients may experience at each step. Pain points are problems or issues clients and prospective clients experience while undergoing the service or process.
9. Count and write the number of steps that fall under Operation, Transportation, Inspection, Delay, and Storage. Add these to get the Total Steps of the entire process. Then, compute the total Time, Distance, and Cost.

Sample Expanded Client Journey Map

Reference:

1. Design Sprints (n.d.). Crazy 8’s. https://designsprintkit.withgoogle.com/methodology/phase3-sketch/crazy-8s

About the Tool

Purpose:  Productivity Management

The problem tree diagram is a planning tool that helps identify the root causes of a problem. It creates a tree-shaped diagram that provides a logical hierarchy of their relationships. By breaking broad categories into more specific details, it moves concepts from generalities to specifics.

A problem tree analysis aids decision-making, identifies the root causes of defects, and facilitates idea generation and risk assessment by visualizing risk factors, probabilities, and potential impacts. This approach allows organizations to have a better understanding of the problem, offering various angles for intervention.

How to Use the Tool

Estimated Time Needed:  1 hour

Target Participants or Users: Change Managers, Project Managers, Planning Officers, Process Planners

Steps

1. Define the problem statement.
2. Write the problem statement in a square or circle at the top (for a vertical tree diagram) or far left (for a horizontal tree diagram).
3. Identify immediate causes contributing to the central problem.
4. Organize the diagram from broad to specific details.
5. Create new tiers of statements and use arrows to indicate how each statement relates to the ideas in the previous tiers. This helps illustrate the connections between statements.
6. Ask the “Why” questions to drill down to the next level of detail. Identify deeper causes, breaking them down into more detailed sub-branches.
7. Continue until all the details for the outcomes are exhaustively mapped out

Sample Tree Diagram

About the Tool

Purpose: Productivity Measurement

The cause-and-effect diagram developed by Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa is a simple graphical method of showing the causes of any given problem. Sometimes referred to as an Ishikawa diagram or fishbone diagram, it resembles a fish’s skeleton with a fish head. The branches representing the fishbones extending to the left and right are the reasons behind its popular fishbone name. It is one of the most effective tools for problem-solving and quality improvement. All brainstormed causes are grouped according to rational categories and subcategories. These show the relationship of the data in each category and its subcategories. A good cause-and-effect diagram has many ‘bones.’

The cause-and-effect diagram can be used in product design, quality defect prevention, and other situations requiring a deeper understanding of the root cause. This organized approach enables a comprehensive understanding of the detailed factors affecting a specific performance or outcome, making it a valuable asset in various industries and applications. The obtained information is used to prioritize areas that need improvement. 

How to Use the Tool

Estimated Time Needed: 1 hr

Target Participants or Users: Process Owners, Planning Officers, Quality Control Inspectors, Project Managers

Steps

1. Identify the problem. Write it at the head of the fish.
2. Identify the factors that may be part of the problem: people, materials, methods, measurement, environmental factors, and policies and procedures.
3. Brainstorm further possible causes for each of the factors using the 5 Whys.
4. Analyze the root cause of each factor.

Sample Cause and Effect Diagram

About the Tool

Purpose: Productivity Measurement

A control chart, or the Shewhart chart, can be used to understand and manage process changes. It uses line graphs to plot sample data at certain time intervals. A center line represents the average of the data points, including lower and upper limit lines, to show if there are significant changes. These changes or variations can be of common cause or special cause. Common cause variations are predictable and cause no process change, while special cause variations require understanding and prevention to prevent future disruptions.

Control charts are essential tools for monitoring and learning about processes. They help identify natural changes, potential issues, and patterns, predict future functionality, and analyze information for improvement. Despite limited use in the public sector, control charts are widely used in organizations.

How to Use the Tool

Estimated Time Needed: 1 hr

Target Participants or Users: Process Owners, Planning Officers, Quality Control Inspectors, Project Managers

Steps

1. Organize the data
2. Label the columns and input data accordingly.
3. Draw the horizontal (x) and vertical (y) axes.
4. Label the axes.
5. Plot the data on the chart.
6. Compute the mean or average. This will be the control line.
   Average = n1+n2+n3+n4…/ Number of data
7. Compute the standard deviation of the dataset. This is used to compute the upper and lower control limits.
   Standard deviation = √[ Σ (Individual value – Average)² / Total no. of data points ]
8. Compute the control limits to define the boundaries of the dataset.
   Upper Control Limit = Mean + (3 X Standard Deviation)
   Lower Control Limit = Mean – (3 X Standard Deviation)
9. Draw the upper and lower control limits.
10. Write the title of the chart.

Sample Control Chart

Quezon City, August 30, 2024 — The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) co-hosted the “Conference on Open Innovation in the Public Sector” from August 28 to 29, 2024, at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, drawing nearly 300 delegates from 17 APO-member economies. The event highlighted its international significance in advancing government innovation.

Key figures opened the conference with warm welcomes: Dr. Arsenio M. Balisacan, secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and chairperson of the DAP Board; Dr. Jose Elvinia, head of APO-Multi-Country Programs Division 2; and Dr. Majah-Leah V. Ravago, DAP president and chief executive officer.

During the two-day event, speakers presented and discussed strategies for enhancing innovation within government operations. Dr. Atreyi Kankanhalli from the National University of Singapore kicked off the sessions by exploring inside-out and outside-in innovation, emphasizing the critical role of user-driven innovations and the need for public-sector organizations to leverage the creativity and insights of citizens and external partners.

Next, Dr. Michiko Iizuka of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Japan examined the complexities of integrating open innovation through public-private partnerships. She outlined key challenges and offered strategies to foster effective collaboration.

Director Diane Gail L. Maharjan of NEDA presented frameworks and policies designed to cultivate a robust innovation ecosystem within the public sector. Her session provided essential strategies for nurturing an environment conducive to innovation.

Alexandru Oprunenco, regional innovation advisor at the United Nations Development Programme in Thailand, introduced system-based and collaboration-based approaches to innovation, advocating for a diversified approach to address the multifaceted challenges public-sector organizations face.

Angela Hanson from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development-Observatory of Public Sector Innovation concluded the presentations with insights on fostering a culture of open innovation. She stressed the importance of empowering middle managers to lead innovation efforts, highlighting the need for them to have the authority, courage, and resources to drive meaningful change.

The conference also featured panel discussions and case studies, providing practical insights into successfully applying open innovation principles.

This article is originally posted on: https://dap.edu.ph/dap-apo-host-landmark-conference-on-open-innovation-in-the-public-sector/

Tagaytay City, Philippines — The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), serving as the country’s focal organization for the Asian Productivity Organization’s (APO) Center of Excellence on Public Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), successfully conducted the “ImagineGovPH: Citizen Innovators for Better Public Service” innovation sprint contest on August 16-17, 2024. The initiative provided a dynamic platform for developing innovative ideas and practical solutions aimed at improving public service delivery by reducing transaction hours.

Ten teams, consisting of students and individuals from both the public and private sectors,  participated in a two-day workshop. The event focused on refining their proposed solutions to address real community needs. The teams included representatives from the Department of Education-Central Office, Department of Education-Schools Division Office of Antipolo City, Department of Education-Schools Division of Olongapo City, Alliance of Competent Young Movers, Pangasinan State University, Senate of the Philippines, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Local Government Unit of Cardona, Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila, and Alliance of Competent Young Movers.

Four standout finalists emerged from the workshop with the following innovative ideas:

1. DoseRx Medivance by Senior High School Students from Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila
2. Crowdpoint by Usher Technologies Inc.
3. Queuewise by PUP Pylon TBI
4. TECH-LEAP: Transforming education through capacity building and high-tech systems for digital literacy, efficiency, advancement, and proficiency by the Department of Education – Schools Division of Olongapo City

The grand winner of the ImagineGovPH contest will be announced during the culminating event scheduled for November 2024.

This article is originally posted on: https://dap.edu.ph/daps-imaginegovph-innovation-sprint-sparks-solutions-to-streamline-public-service-delivery/