Overview of the Engagement Tool/Innovation:
The designways toolkit allows for a citizen engagement which can be used for identifying prevailing challenges, finding potential solutions, and deciding on resource mobilisation.
The toolkit would be carried out over a number of workshops, where participants will engage with different tasks and challenges which directly relate to a UGN project. The toolkit is innovative due to it being a teaching tool, as it informs participants about different ways of engaging in creative thinking, as well as the different stages projects go through. Using the toolkit in the design process will allow for a creative and engaging method to interact with communities and gather useful feedback and recommendations for park designs, as well as other projects.
Role in decision-making:
This tool kit can be used in a number of different stages in the decision-making process. The best fits for it would be for designing, planning or implementation. UGN will have a final say over any implementations, however, the toolkit will allow for extensive interaction from participants and give them the chance to participate throughout several different stages of the process.
Consulting: allows for UGN to consult participants on design ideas for the parks.
Empowering: the consultation and informing of participants will provide a means by which participants could feel empowered and take part in the design/research process of a UGN project.
Evaluation of participants: Provides UGN the chance to evaluate the wants and desires of those who use the parks.
Informing: informs those who take part about the process a project goes through, as well as the restraints which UGN face.
Hard to reach groups: UGN can set up workshops which are aimed at hard-to-reach groups, ensuring that they are getting their feedback which may normally not be attained.
Suitable for:
This toolkit would be suitable for a wide range of projects. It could be used for park design like the video game toolkit, as well as relationship building like the containers of stories. Due to the flexibility of what the designways process looks at, UGN can tailor it to their needs for any given project, whether that be designing, problem solving or implementation.
HOW TO DO IT:
Engagement:
​
Engagement with the toolkit – Participants would engage with the designways toolkit by attending workshops. At each workshop they will work on different tasks, the first will revolve around creative thinking. After this, the tasks will cover things like brainstorming ideas about the future of the park and limits and solutions. These workshops would be led by UGN staff who will be trained to teach about creative thinking and will set up the objectives of each session.
Engagement with UGN – The toolkit will allow participants to engage with UGN by offering face to face communication. It will also provide participants the opportunity to work alongside UGN in creating new areas of the parks or different projects. This is due to the workshops being geared towards working on a UGN project and each session being broken down into focusing on different aspects of the project.
​
Feedback from participants – The toolkit will provide an EASEL, which is much like a mind map, for participants to put their ideas on to. Once these are complete, UGN will have access to ideas concerning a variety of different areas, such as design, implementation or even community engagement.
Feedback from UGN – UGN could present feedback to participants regarding the action taken during the project process in a final summative workshop, where they present findings from the workshops, what they have done and what the final project would look like. Selection method:
​
Selection of participants - UGN could use this toolkit to target groups they wish to hear more from. For this reason, the selection of participants could be done through two methods.
-
Option 1 would put out a notice for participants from certain backgrounds, or age ranges.
-
Option 2 would be to contact local groups or institutions, such as scouts, university societies or schools and ask them to participate in the workshops.
​
Selection of ideas – Once the workshops are finished, UGN could analyse the ideas presented in the EASELs and look for reoccurring themes, ideas, or answers. From here they could then pick the ones they believe would be most suitable for the project.
Format:
In person – This toolkit would be carried out in person, due to the need for interactive workshops. However, these workshops could be hosted in two different ways.
-
At UGN or park facilities: this would be the case for UGN inviting groups to participate at the workshops.
-
Schools/other venues: for example, if UGN wished to incorporate younger people into the process UGN could work with schools or local groups to provide workshops in class or sessions.
Scale – The size of the project the toolkit could be used for would ideally be small scale to make them more manageable.
Groups who would benefit:
Due to the designways process being led through workshops, UGN will have the ability to target the toolkit to a varying number of communities.
ADULTS/
FAMILIES
UGN can make these workshops as flexible as they require, therefore they could hold them at convenient times for those who would typically be busy during the day, such as working adults or those with young children.
CHILDREN AND
YOUNG PEOPLE
As UGN will be hosting workshops, they have the opportunity to work with schools or local groups such as Scouts or Guides, where members of staff would go to them and have children take part in the process.
DISABILITIES
Workshops once again can be held at convenient locations for those with disabilities to make the process more accessible.
BME COMMUNITIES
Similarly with other groups, workshops could specifically target these communities to ensure their voices are heard throughout the process. However, like the containers of stories toolkit, it would be difficult to involve those with limited ability with English.
Resources which will be needed include a venue, materials for carrying out the project, such as paper, card, pens, brushes, paint, etc. Materials on creative thinking will also need to be provided to the staff and participants.
​
If the workshops are held at UGN offices or a parks facility, the costs for this will be relatively low, with only the equipment like paper and other stationary needing to be purchased.
The toolkit could be fairly time consuming, as the case studies had eight different workshops. Therefore, the process could last over a month.
Staff will be needed for the running of workshops, where they will lead the designways process.
Knowledge is important for the staff too, as In these workshops they will need to teach participants creative thinking techniques.
ADVANTAGES
-
Targeted engagement
-
Consultation from underrepresented groups
-
Easy to set up in the fact that it can be carried out internally by UGN, there is no need for external help like the games toolkit for example
-
Relatively low cost, depending on staff time
-
Teaches participants about the projects process
-
Allows participants to be hands on over a sustained period of the project
-
The toolkit is adaptable as it can be used on a varying range of projects or issues
CHALLENGES
-
Targeted engagement
-
Consultation from underrepresented groups
-
Easy to set up in the fact that it can be carried out internally by UGN, there is no need for external help like the games toolkit for example
-
Relatively low cost, depending on staff time
-
Teaches participants about the projects process
-
Allows participants to be hands on over a sustained period of the project
-
The toolkit is adaptable as it can be used on a varying range of projects or issues
