Two case studies of service design influencing policy development. Presented at the APHA Health Symposium,: Better Practice, Better Placed - August 2018

1. 1AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
INFLUENCING POLICY
THROUGH CO-DESIGN
TWO CASE STUDIES
AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed
24 August 2018

2. 2AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
ABOUT DESIGN MANAGERS AUSTRALIA (DMA)
– WHY WE CO-DESIGN
Co-design
makes it possible
to change the
system through
(sticky) steps
Co-design
allows us to
navigate and
understand complex
service systems
Co-design
delivers on social
outcomes

3. 3AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
DEFINING CO-DESIGN WITHIN A CONTINUUM OF ENGAGEMENT
Communicate Consult Coordinate Collaborate
Informing the
public and
deliverers of
service about what
is going to happen.
Engaging with
multiple people to
indirectly influence
outcomes.
The bringing together
of different and multiple
working elements for
consolidation towards a
shared outcome.
Multiple people working
together in
a mutually beneficial and
well-defined relationship
to achieve a
common goal.
Co-design is the process of deliberately
engaging users of the system, deliverers
of services and other experts, being led
by experts such as designers, to actively
understand, explore and ultimately
change a system together.
Design Thinking
(approach)
Co-Design
(technique)
Service Design
(discipline)
Co-design works within a framework that all policy professionals will recognise.

4. 4AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
CO-DESIGN AS AN APPROACH
Design process as a methodology
Why?
What?
Who?
Why?
How?
How might we…?
What if?
We will!
What We Do
What We Ask
We force ourselves through this methodology to eschew the ‘desk
bound perfectionism’ that was so key in our experiences of
traditional policy development in favour of creating agency through
facilitating the voices of INTENT and EXPERIENCE.

5. 5AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
WE DESIGN THE SERVICE SYSTEMS THAT DRIVE POLICY INTENT
• Policy Intent forms the
driving principles of all
public and government
services or interactions.
• The test of a service and
its worth is the value it
brings within people’s
existing complex world.
• Done well, co-design
determines what you are
designing and why and
how the policy intent will
be experienced.
And these service systems are increasingly complex

6. 6AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
JUSTICE REINVESTMENT
ACT GOVERNMENT
AUGUST 2015 – TO CURRENT

7. 7AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
THE POLICY QUESTION
Is justice reinvestment a policy lever
that is worth pursuing in the ACT and
what would it look like?

8. 8AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
THE CO-DESIGN OPPORTUNITY
To understand, based on the insights of those within the justice system,
how funds might be spent differently (through reinvestment) from now to
improve outcomes in terms of life chances to those who interact with the
justice system.
THE APPROACH
Two workshops over 6 weeks, with combined 100+ participants representing:
Lived Experience of and in the justice system, Community Organisations,
Public Sector (incl. execs, policy, prison staff, admin), Academic Reflectors.
Workshop 1
• Drawing on the combined knowledge, ideas and insights of people who
work directly with people in the justice system and people who have lived
experience of the justice system, to start to design and shape a justice
reinvestment trial.
Workshop 2
• Utilising a rapid co-design process to draw on the combined knowledge of
the justice policy and service delivery sectors, as well as the lived
experience of those within the justice system, to develop a proposal for a
Justice Reinvestment Trial.

9. 9AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
THE HOW
FIRST Clarify > Explore
Intent and scope is understood. Themes emerge. Threshold questions are
clarified. Relationships are built. Process/Approach is set.
Through: Listen – Share – Ask – Question - Empathise
THEN BUILD ON THAT Clarify > Explore > Synthesise > Refine
• Develop potential trials by theme
• Build potential trials in collaborative groups
• Refine potential trials from feedback
• Present potential trials for detailing and using criteria, vote on
potential trials worth pursuing.
• Detail potential trials and Identify ‘Concept Brief’ Précis
representative.
Through: Pre-theme – Brainstorm – Prototype –
Concept development – Capture – Share – Iterate - Refine
Trial Name
Focus
Outcomes
Measures
Risks
Who’s Involved
Who’s Involved
Unintended Consequences
Critical Conditions Required
Likely costs
Trial Concept Owner
People/Groups Required for Trial Validation

10. 10AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
THE RESULT
• Policy developers compelled to
collaborate with lived
experience during the design.
• Ownership of the trials across
the sector – by the policy
developers and recipients.
• Sustainability of delivery
through experienced-based
evaluation and measurement
development.
• Localised, relevant delivery
supporting the policy intent.

11. 11AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE
SPECIALIST HOMELESSNESS
SERVICE
NOVEMBER 2015 – TO CURRENT

12. 12AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
THE POLICY QUESTION
With a limited and reducing real
budget what policy drivers should be
focused on to reach our goals?

13. 13AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
THE CO-DESIGN OPPORTUNITY
To begin a co-design process of the ACT specialist homelessness service
sector based on an ACT Government commissioned independent evaluation
of reforms to the ACT Specialist Homelessness Service System.
• What is the vision and purpose of the specialist homelessness sector?
• What is the service journey of the cohorts of people transitioning through the system?
• What is the structure we need to sustain service delivery into the future?
• What is the interface of the specialist homelessness sector with mainstream services?
THE APPROACH
Two workshops over 2 months, with combined 70+ participants representing:
Community Organisations who deliver specialist services.
Workshop 1
• Explore the sector’s current position using the Discussion Paper (September
2015) and collectively explored challenges and opportunities for improved
service delivery for SHS service users in a sustainable Specialist
Homelessness Sector in the ACT.
Workshop 2
• Use Workshop 1 content and discussion to collaboratively identify (not
agree) elements a sustainable Specialist Homelessness Sector in the ACT.

14. 14AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
THE HOW
Clarify > Explore > Synthesise > Refine
• What government said – what do we say
• How do we agree we’re doing – collective and
sector.
• What are our experiences and challenges
from our direct experiences with people and
with delivery
• What are the ways we might address the
challenges
• What might be our Sector goals
• Sector outcomes for service users , us as
providers, the community
Through: Concept development
- brainstorm – capture – service
prototyping - visualisation

15. 15AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
THE RESULT
• Definition and agreement of a
specialist sector.
• Recognition that
communication and
information was as important
as funding structures.
• Enhanced funding to match
agreed goals.

16. 16AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
CONDITIONS
REQUIRED FOR
CO-DESIGN TO
WORK OPTIMALLY
IN A POLICY
SETTING
Four principals to ensure co-design is applied in the right context

17. 17AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
There is a tendency for designers and organisations to put an
emphasis on the solution or the physical outcome when what is
needed is the forming of new relationships or the development of
existing policy. That’s because co-design doesn’t just lead to
‘solutions’, it develops experience-based thinking and strategic
frameworks that support policy development.
This means:
Setting up the correct conditions before bringing design into any
development process or organisation. Ideally designers should not
work in a vacuum but with complimentary disciplines and as part of
a wider programme for the development taking place.
1. Apply design consciously.
2. Recognise that the public sector is in the service business.
3. Ensure the public sector has the capacity for design.
4. DON’T LET SOLUTIONS OVERTAKE POLITICS AND POLICY

18. 18AHPA Health Promotion Symposium 2018: Better Practice • Better Placed – Influencing Policy Through Co-design
Thanks!
Mel EdwardsJustin Barrie
@DMA_Canberra
designmanagers.com.au