Auckland Co-design Lab programme update
Evidence & earning in complex settings
A core Lab focus has been the development and sharing of resources and materials to support social innovation in complex and sensitive settings. There has been a particular focus on how we use evidence to inform policy advice in complex contexts. As part of this The Lab has partnered with other council teams to deliver a programme on evidence to council staff exploring the value of drawing on different forms of evidence. This has included developing a ‘Landscape of Evidence’ tool to support teams in considering what kinds of evidence are needed to inform quality advice. Key findings about the kinds of skills and practices needed for working in complex and sensitive settings have also been published via the Lab’s first Innovation Brief. The Lab has also been sharing practice reflections about topics such as the role of prototyping in building evidence in an Innovate for Impact blog series written in collaboration with evaluators Kate McKegg, Jamie Gamble and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. The Lab is also partnering with TSI to develop an evaluative practice framework that supports teams working in dynamic and diverse innovation settings and these tools will be made available soon on the Lab website.
DPMC public participation in policy workshops
As part of NZ’s Open Government commitment, the Policy Project is developing guidance to enabling public participation in policy making. The Lab team supported two workshops on 9 and 10 August at the Beehive for 35 policymakers from across government. This built on the Lab’s wider Policy by Design strand of work.
MoE Attendance project
Funded by Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Education approached TSI and the Lab to partner on taking a co-design approach to working with schools, pupils and whānau in Manurewa to develop live prototypes that could be scaled, adopted and adapted in other locations in NZ. This eight month project is deepening our understanding of innovating in complex settings with a focus on attendance, engagement and wellbeing. It is also elevating the voice and role of young people and providing a capability building experience for MoE and school staff.
This partnership also emphasises the Lab and TSI’s role as an innovation partner for government.
Ethics and Design project
The Lab has continued its focusing on strengthening capability with a focus on design ethics. In May the lab facilitated a round-table with representatives from local and central government teams to share and collate resources and tools to support ethical practice. Key tools and examples of best practice will be shared online. The Lab’s Dr Penny Hagen has joined the MSD's Ethics Panel to help develop the capability of the committee to support prototyping and design work.
The Lab also supported Ngā Aho and Tuakana Teina Evaluation Collective, to co-host a Māori-led hui, attended by Māori practitioners and representatives from government agencies to explore what good co-design with, by and for Māori communities looks like and what is needed to promote and support good practice in government. Further hui to support a community of practice are anticipated.