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Why it matters
Why it matters
Taking time to think about all viable solutions to a data challenge can prevent teams from developing a solution that ultimately won’t be suitable. Many ambitious projects have been thwarted by muddled goals, mismatched solutions, or knowledge gaps from missing team members. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Bring the full team to the table — especially during the ideation phase — and you will be better positioned to take stock of what’s possible and set a course to achieve your goals.
Checklist
Checklist
Convene team members with different roles and responsibilities. A diversity of voices and experiences is key to tackling any challenge.
Brainstorm with the team to generate a comprehensive list of potential solutions and the constraints within which they will need to be designed. A helpful tool is an opportunity-solution tree.
Draw on the outputs of your research and stakeholder interviews to inform your brainstorm.
Evaluate the ideas from your brainstorming sessions using a tool like an impact/feasibility matrix. Such tools can help facilitate discussion around what needs to be true for each idea to work, and what would prevent it from happening.
Select the top solution to pursue, focusing on solutions that are high impact and high feasibility.
Set goals for your project using the S.M.A.R.T. framework to ensure they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound.
Share your project goals with team members, leadership, partners, and anyone who can help keep your project on track and maintain accountability.
Key Questions
Key Questions
What solution are you trying to build? Is it a piece of technology, a framework, or a program?
How does this solution address the problem you defined earlier? Will it be scalable and flexible enough to meet the needs of different populations?
Does the solution meet the needs and constraints you identified through your research and stakeholder interviews? Keep in mind peoples’ digital literacy, technology access, language barriers, and disabilities.
What are the risks and barriers associated with your project?
Whose perspectives are you missing in the ideation process and how will you gain consensus around a particular solution?
What are your goals and expected outcomes for the project?
What does success look like for your team and how will you measure your progress?
Tools + Resources
Tools + Resources
Opportunity-Solution Tree Framework (Innovate US)
Impact / Effort Matrix (Government of Ontario)
Foundation of a Successful Data Project: Creating Space for Solution Mapping (Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation)
About the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation
About the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation
The Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University seeks to improve people’s daily lives by helping governments utilize data, design, technology, and policy to better meet the needs of their residents. An anchor of Georgetown University’s Tech and Society Initiative, the Beeck Center works alongside public, private, and non-profit organizations to identify and establish human-centered solutions that help government services work better for everyone, especially the most vulnerable and underserved populations.
About the national governors association
About the national governors association
The National Governors Association is the voice of the leaders of 55 states, territories, and commonwealths and supports governors in their work to develop innovative solutions to today’s problems. Through the NGA Center for Best Practices, Governors work with policy teams to identify priority issues and deal with matters of public policy and governance at the state, national and global levels.
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