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OUTPUT
The focus of this section is on designing an authentic output for a research sprint. It dives into the objectives & importance of output, planning framework, and participants' engagement strategies.
Note Outputs vary depending on the identified topic and research sprint planning team. There is not one way to develop output project guidance, but we included some of our previously used best practices and examples. We acknowledge that the resources provided are US and government-centric. In our planning, we use other resources and subject matter experts to develop a relevant and appropriate output.
Why Outputs?
In addition to the regularly scheduled educational sessions with experts speakers, a central pedagogical component of a research sprint is an output(s) produced by participants over the course of the sprint. Outputs can take many different forms (e.g., policy papers, interactive web tools, works of speculative fiction, data visualizations, etc.), are typically designed for an external audience/publication, and are accomplished in close consultation with relevant experts or stakeholders. Outputs serve two core purposes:
a) Pedagogical:
Producing the output provides an opportunity for participants to apply their existing expertise as well as the knowledge they are gaining through the sprint. It is also an opportunity to learn from their fellow participants and from external experts who may be serving in mentor roles or otherwise providing assistance. Outputs should be designed to cultivate growth in both general professional skills such as working in a team, robust desk research, interviewing stakeholders etc. as well as deepening subject matter expertise in the relevant topics.
b) Practical:
Outputs should advance real-world public interest objectives. A research sprint is not a purely theoretical exercise - it is an opportunity to direct several weeks of effort towards a product that can assist a particular audience, grow public understanding of an issue, or otherwise advance a particular objective. This benefits the participants, who complete the program with a tangible work product as well as the sprint organizers or partners whose objectives are advanced by the output.
Planning the Outputs
Achieving the pedagogical and practical objectives described above requires highly purposeful planning by sprint organizers and partners. Broadly, the first planning phase is heavily outward looking and discovery oriented. Research Sprint organizers must establish a strong baseline understanding of the needs and objectives being met by the Sprint. This is particularly true if you are engaged with a partner organization(s). During this phase organizers should also develop an early roadmap (in conjunction with any partners) for aligning these discovered needs and priorities with the constraints of the Sprint (consider the amount of time, level of expertise by participants etc.). Finally, organizers should establish expectations for any completed outputs, for example agreeing on issues regarding ownership/licensing of any outputs or maintenance/hosting of a web product.
The second phase concerns translating the preliminary work accomplished in the first phase into tangible plans of action as well as resources that are scaled to the realities and constraints of a Research Sprint. During this phase, organizers should create documentation for participants that detail the objectives, methods, and minimum viable product requirements of the output; a document detailing any expectations and roles for any mentors or external advisors; and any other supporting resources.
A. Phase One: Objective Mapping and Discovery
As a research sprint organizer, you should spend significant time *before the sprint begins* on stakeholder interviews and objective mapping. Naturally, the most important stakeholder(s) is any partner organization assisting with the Sprint as well as participating experts. 18F, the digital services agency within the General Services Administration of the United States Government, has extensive best practice resources/guides on conducting this discovery phase with stakeholders (here) as well as brief summary on this process (here). Some key considerations related to this process are listed below, but please consult the resources above for more thorough guidance:
a) Discover the Current State: understand the needs of your partners as well as who their current users or audience is. Know exactly who you are solving a problem for!
Example of stakeholder interview conducted with Lumen Team
b) Define the Future State: Work with your partners to ensure that the envisioned output solves the problems identified in Step 1.
c) Create Engagement and Handoff Strategies
Stakeholders/partner organizations should remain engaged with RS participants throughout the development of the output. This iterative approach helps ensure that the end results are satisfactory to the partner and is also beneficial to the Sprint participants.
Determine where the output will be hosted, how it will be maintained if it is a web or technical project, etc. One should not assume any continued engagement by RS participants after the end of the Sprint.
i) Reach a formal agreement on matters concerning ownership, copyright etc. At BKC Sprint participants commit to the outputs of their work as being shared under a Creative Commons 4.0 Sharealike License. This allows partners and anyone else the right to share the outputs (“copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format”) and to adapt them (“remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.”) The only requirements are proper attribution and commitment to maintain the license.
B. Phase Two: Developing a Methodology and Guides
How will participants actually go about accomplishing the objectives defined in phase one? Organizers will need to translate their goals into a concrete methodology for producing an output that research sprint participants can depend on. In practice this means creating written guidelines, a schedule, examples, and various other resources to assist participants; establishing practices to enable participants to access mentors and relevant stakeholders; and creating mechanisms for organizers to keep tabs on progress, troubleshoot any issues, and provide support.
a) Examples of Output Descriptions provided to Sprint participants:
i. Digital Identity Research Sprint (September 2022)
ii. Lumen Research Sprint (March 2022)
iii. City of Helsinki Research Sprint (May 2021)
b) Organizers can take a number of steps to ensure that Research Sprint teams are progressing on outputs and effectively handling challenges.
Establish weekly meetings with output mentors if applicable.
Setup Slack channels that organizers are a part of for each output team
Conduct a midpoint survey
Schedule team or individual check-ins
D. Output Presentations and Final Products
Output presentations or final products are the acknowledgement of a participant’s work in the research sprint and highlights their backgrounds and experiences.
a) Examples include:
i. Cohort Report - This report required additional staff time to provide guidance, feedback, and design expertise. This is a great option if you have the staffing to support it.
ii. Other cohort collaborations have included Wikiversity pages (e.g., Digital Self Determination and Alternative Data Futures), group papers, statements of best practices, and presentations.
b) About a third of the way (~week 3-4) of the research sprint, the planning team will discuss the progress of the output project and determine how the final session or research sprint products will be highlighted based on the participant cohort and their work.
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