QuBì Impasta
Boosting QuBì Network Resilience via Service Design
Imbalanced stakeholder participation led to a loss of Cariplo Foundation support for the QuBì third-sector network. Our strategy evolved from merely proposing solutions to facilitating self-assessment for QuBì. This helps pinpoint their bottlenecks within the redesigned CoP's 5 dimensions. The alignment strategies encourage collaborative, tailored, and proactive problem-solving, rather than imposing ready-made solutions.
Timeline
September to December 2023 (14 weeks)
team
Chiara Rignanese, Haoyu Li, Linda Perrotta, Rafael Fernandez, Zhiben Zheng
client
– QuBì (third sector network)
My Roles & Responsibilities
– Value proposition
– Cool hunter/hacker
– Boundary object and toolkit design
– Ecosystem and business canvas
/who is QUBì niguarda
QuBì is a non-profit network in Milan dedicated to combating child poverty via participatory governance.
QuBì Nigurda, 1 of the 9 QuBì networks in Milan formed by public institutions and the third sector, is highly valued by the municipality for its strong neighborhood ties, which help identify "ghost families" not reached by social services.
In a district where 36% of residents are seniors and minors, the network offers services like work support, food aid, recreational activities, study aid, and social engagement. 'Recipe' is metaphorically used to describe these initiatives.
/problem
Imbalanced participation led to reduced Cariplo Foundation funding for QuBì.
The uneven engagement among participants led to instability and dependency on key members. In response, QuBì is transitioning towards a more self-sufficient model.
They are collaborating with the Municipality of Milan to redefine their approach, aiming for a sustainable future that's less dependent on foundation grants. Our aim is to align awareness and enable independence.
/solution
Impasta toolkit: enhancing QuBì networks resilience and adaptability with Communities of Practice (CoP).
Communities of Practice (CoPs) are informal groups that thrive by leveraging participants' know-how, enabling them to evolve and persist by adapting to the changing dynamics of their operational environment.
The main services include 2 major parts: Self-assessment and Action Plan, linked by a guide called "Cookbook." Alongside 5 supporting services, these help QuBì network stakeholders elevate their implicit capabilities and manifest their hidden issues, promoting a focused and proactive method for addressing challenges as outlined in the action plan.
/Process
No detour is useless🧠
Despite changing our design direction after the midterm review, each decision was strongly evidence-backed. We aimed to maximize the use of previous design assets for a smooth transition, enabling the delivery of a highly refined solution within a tight timeframe.
04 ·
final output
/service offerings
Here are all the service touchpoints👀
We have designed a series of phygital artifacts to support our service design strategy, linking self-assessment to action plans. These service offerings ultimately foster network independence and resilience.
Individual Self-assessment
Question Dimensions:
Tailored 15 self-assessment questions on the open-source Woolclap platform are structured around the 5 redesigned CoP dimensions. While specifically tailored for QuBì Nigurda, they are adaptable for the wider QuBì network's use.
Answer Framework:
Responses follow a Likert scale from 'no action' to 'achieved' across 5 levels, facilitating the quantitative analysis of collective responses and paving the way for navigating to suitable solutions.
Community Consensus
Collective Agreement on Each Dimension:
After their self-assessments, participants will be convened by a QuBì facilitator for self-organized consensus creation, analyzing the 5 CoP dimensions from the perspectives of 'why,' 'what,' and 'how,' to agree on a unified Likert scale index for each dimension.
Radar Chart:
This printed poster will be collaboratively hand-drawn by participants to score each dimension and signed, visually highlighting the well-performing sections and the challenges that need to be addressed together.
Cookbook as Guideline
Cookbook Structure:
The booklet starts by setting a common language to deepen readers' comprehension of collaborators' intentions. It details the operational steps and touchpoints of self-assessment and action plan sections, guiding users with visual storyboards.
Action Plan
Problem-solving Templates:
For the 5 SoP dimensions, we designed ten templates in the action plan section to facilitate targeted analysis of issues in each dimension and guide users to think loudly.
Best Practices as reference:
We offer not only a technical toolkit but also include best practices in the Cookbook for each dimension, providing users with real examples that help ground and focus their thinking.
/ecosystem map
Service thrives not just on QuBì but also on relationship management with stakeholders which can empower long-term growth.
As a non-profit in the third sector, QuBì needs to bundle interests with foundations and municipalities to survive.
Internal QuBì network
QuBì network is the main beneficiary of this service. Access to this service is enabled by the Impasta facilitator who informs the rest of the network after receiving a training session from Polimi's design and research team.
QuBì and Foundation Cariplo
QuBì and Municipality
/Business viability
Why would Foundation Cariplo after gradually reducing financial support rekindle interest in financing Impasta?
The re-funding of QuBì by Foundation Cariplo aims to empower it to independently assess its problems and find solutions, enhancing its resilience. Cariplo's new non-profit funding also aligns with the Impasta service proposal.
Moreover, QuBì will showcase the impact of Impasta services on network development in its annual "Qubì as it is" report and share achievements at the Municipality meeting, setting the stage for negotiating further support.
05 ·
evaluate
/reflection
How did we get here?
Solution to Problem Definition
Service prototyping with actors has shifted our focus from just creating solutions to also defining problems, ensuring effectiveness when network members identify issues.
Theoretical Framework for Stability
Our approach to service stability involved adapting established theoretical models, like the European Commission's Community of Practice Playbook and MITD-Lab's Co-design Toolkit.
Guided Pathway for Accessibility
We created a pathway with milestones to guide network members through the complexities, from self-assessment to the action plan, allowing for flexibility in moving back and forth as needed.
Enhancing Applicability
We improved our service's meta-structure, extending its applicability from Qubi Nigurada to all Qubi networks, facilitating the co-programming phase with the Municipality.
