1.
@sophiedennis
Adventures in Policy Land
Sophie Dennis
service design and product strategy
@sophiedennis
slides: slideshare.net/sophiedennis

2.
@sophiedennis
Read all about it on my
Week Notes
medium.com/sophiedennis
Blog
transformation.blog.nhs.uk

3.
We’re hiring
Interaction design
Content design
User research
Delivery managers
Product managers
Developers
…
jobs.nhs.uk

4.
We’re hiring
Head of Design
jobs.nhs.uk

5.
@sophiedennis

6.
@sophiedennis
Two “policy discoveries”
1. Support for pensioners on low incomes
2. How we assess whether people are
eligible for health and disability benefits

7.
@sophiedennis
Strategic discovery projects

8.
@sophiedennis
start enduser journey
pain points

9.
@sophiedennis
tactical solution
start enduser journey

10.
@sophiedennis
strategic solution
start enduser journey

11.
@sophiedennis
There is a lack of shared
understanding of how to do
discovery within Government

12.
@sophiedennis

13.
@sophiedennis
WHAT WE DID WELL
Multidisciplinary, cross-dept team –
diverse expertise, collaboration space
Policy as the product owner who
defines value and outcomes
Continuous engagement with
stakeholders and SMEs, open show ’n’
tells, no surprises
‘Voice of the user’ even if limited
Early exposure of delivery impact to
policy, and vice versa
Pre-ministerial intent/vision –
opportunity for user needs and delivery
realities to meaningfully shape policy
WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER
Start small, grow when ready
Being agile, not doing Agile
We’re not shipping working software – be
flexible, practices and metrics will change
Right mindset – uncertainty, complexity,
high-level/strategic, flexible roles, problems
not solutions
New roles, skills and training –
discovery coach, facilitation, Digital
Academy tailored to discovery, generative
user research, service mapping
Find ways to work more in the open
You have to be able to talk to users to do
user-centred policy design

14.
@sophiedennis
What is discovery?

15.
@sophiedennis
userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2015/05/27/doing-user-research-in-the-discovery-phase

16.
@sophiedennis
gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/how-the-discovery-phase-works

17.
@sophiedennis
diverge
Kick
off
diverge
BETA
problem space solution space
discover define develop deliver
peak uncertainty
converge
diverge
converge
peak uncertainty
“agile delivery”
“LeanUX”
“designthinking”
ImplementExperiment
Wildly!
Policy
Intent
Desk Research
User Research
Future
Landscape
Current
Landscape
Outputs
&
Deliverables
DISCOVERY ALPHA
Mapping
Vision
Stakeholder
Interviews
Spark
What Could
We Do?
What Should
We Do?

18.
@sophiedennis
diverge
Kick
off
diverge
problem space
discover define
peak uncertainty
converge
“designthinking”
Policy
Intent
Desk Research
User Research
Future
Landscape
Current
Landscape
Outputs
&
Deliverables
DISCOVERY
Mapping
Vision
Stakeholder
Interviews
Spark
1. Insight
2. Vision
3. Scoping

19.
@sophiedennis
diverge
Kick
off
diverge
problem space
discover define
peak uncertainty
converge
“designthinking”
Policy
Intent
Desk Research
User Research
Future
Landscape
Current
Landscape
Outputs
&
Deliverables
DISCOVERY
Mapping
Vision
Stakeholder
Interviews
Spark
Defining the problem space
User needs
The organisation’s
goals and objectives
Constraints

20.
@sophiedennis
diverge
Kick
off
diverge
problem space
discover define
peak uncertainty
converge
“designthinking”
Policy
Intent
Desk Research
User Research
Future
Landscape
Current
Landscape
Outputs
&
Deliverables
DISCOVERY
Mapping
Vision
Stakeholder
Interviews
Spark
1. Insight
2. Vision
3. Scoping

21.
@sophiedennis
Insight
Scoping
Scoping
Vision
gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/how-the-discovery-phase-works
Insight
Insight
Vision
Vision
Insight
Insight
+

22.
@sophiedennis
Who should do it and
how long should it
take?

23.
@sophiedennis
Keep the team small

24.
@sophiedennis
2 people 3 people 4 people
5 people 6 people 7 people

25.
@sophiedennis
Use workshops to engage
wider stakeholders

26.
@sophiedennis
Roles

27.
@sophiedennis
1. Someone to keep things moving along
2. People with real insight and
experience
3. The people who will be delivering the
solution
Sarah Prag, Discovering Discovery
makeitquotidian.co.uk/2015/06/16/discovering-discovery

28.
@sophiedennis
“Working software is the primary
measure of progress”
The Agile Manifesto
agilemanifesto.org/principles.html You’re not
doing this sort
of “Agile”

29.
@sophiedennis
Peak Uncertainty

30.
@sophiedennis

31.
@sophiedennis
Fog

32.
@sophiedennis
How long should it
take?

33.
@sophiedennis
“Your discovery should usually
take between 4 and 8 weeks”
GOV.UK Service Manual
gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/
how-the-discovery-phase-works

34.
@sophiedennis
“Your discovery should usually
take between 4 and 8 weeks”
it depends GOV.UK Service Manual
gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/
how-the-discovery-phase-works

35.
@sophiedennis
gds.blog.gov.uk/2015/08/18/mapping-new-ideas-for-the-digital-justice-system-2

36.
@sophiedennis
Map the end-to-end
big picture

37.
@sophiedennis
strategic solution
start enduser journey

38.
@sophiedennis

39.
@sophiedennis

40.
@sophiedennis

41.
@sophiedennis
Making the map is as valuable
as having the map

42.
@sophiedennis
Outcomes and
outputs

43.
@sophiedennis
1. problem
2. opportunity/objective
3. situation/constraints/context
4. recommendation: Big Idea
5. recommendation: smaller ideas/releasing
early value
6. design principles ? Alpha

44.
@sophiedennis
Problem statement (What’s the problem?)
This should be made up of:
• the specific problem the team is addressing
• the result of the problem
• the change of situation which means the
problem becomes a higher risk
• the risk that’s a result of the problem and change of
situation
Melanie Cannon, Lead Content Designer, DWP
Helping teams define their focus
dwpdigital.blog.gov.uk/2017/02/28/helping-teams-define-their-focus

45.
@sophiedennis
Short form creative brief
articles.uie.com/short_form_creative_brief

46.
@sophiedennis
Design Principles
cxpartners.co.uk/our-thinking/design-principles

47.
@sophiedennis
Dan Brown
Documenting Design Discovery
medium.com/eightshapes-llc/documenting-design-discovery-db14da1b0627#.24ud09pj0
Discovery Alpha

48.
@sophiedennis
What I learnt
about policy

49.
@sophiedennis
What do we mean
by “policy”?

50.
@sophiedennis
Laws of the land
1. Acts of Parliament
2. Rules and regulations
Things Government has said it will do
1. Principles and priorities
2. Initiatives
The way things are done around here
1. Contractual obligations
2. Processes

51.
@sophiedennis
What’s the
relationship between
policy and service
design?

52.
@sophiedennis
Users’ experience of
government services
affects the impact of policy

53.
What is the impact
on users of how policy
is delivered?
Citizen
Users
Policy
Service
Delivery
people who access and benefit
from the policy or service
Intent
a desired outcome for citizens or society
Policy Design
the detail of how it will be implemented
- legislation, regulations etc
Vision
a Big Idea for how to achieve it
What services are provided to citizens?
How are they delivered?
By which organisations?
Does that have a positive or
negative impact on whether
policy is effective?
Policy is intended to make an
impact on citizens and society
Citizens experience
policy through services
Policy is delivered
through services
What is it supposed to do to
address the needs of citizens
or society?
Users’ experience of
government services
affects the impact of policy
people • processes • tech •
data • estates • budget
Get re-elected
Look good in
the papers
realm of actual Politics
! ! ! ! ! !
their support network
wider society
How effectively does it
actually do that?

54.
@sophiedennis
Policy and service design
are loosely coupled

55.
@sophiedennis
Flu vaccinations

56.
@sophiedennis
Policy
Service
design

57.
@sophiedennis
Is it
a policy problem
a service design problem
or a bit of both
?

58.
@sophiedennis
Policy
How do we reduce pressure
on NHS services?
Who qualifies for a free flu jab
on the NHS?
People who qualify for a free
flu jab can get one at a high-
street pharmacy
Service design
Give certain groups of people
free flu-jabs on the NHS
How do we increase take up?
What happens when
someone goes for their flu jab
at Boots?

59.
@sophiedennis
What is Policy’s role?
User needs
Business goals and objectives
Constraints

60.
@sophiedennis
User need
How could Government address a problem
that exists in the world?

61.
@sophiedennis
User need
How do we reduce pressure on health services
from cases of severe flu?

62.
@sophiedennis
Business goals and objectives
How can we best meet the policy intent or
deliver the vision?

63.
@sophiedennis
Business goals and objectives
Increase take-up of the flu jab

64.
@sophiedennis
Constraint
What policies govern our service?
What rules does it need to comply with?
How might policy prevent us delivering a good
service to our users?

65.
@sophiedennis
Constraint
Who qualifies for a free flu jab on the NHS?
What evidence do we need to claim back the
cost from the NHS?
Who counts as “front-line staff” for meeting our
75% target?

66.
@sophiedennis
What is Policy’s role?
User needs
Business goals and objectives
Constraints

67.
@sophiedennis
beware
Problem Definition Escalation

68.
@sophiedennis
The client asks you to design a business card
You respond that the problem is really the
client’s logo
The client asks you to design a logo
You say the problem is the
entire identity system
The client asks you to design the identity
You say that the problem is the
client’s business plan
Michael Beirut, ‘You’re So Intelligent’, Design Observer, 9 May 2007
designobserver.com/feature/youre-so-intelligent/5917/

69.
@sophiedennis
The problem isn’t making something look
pretty, you fool, it’s world hunger!
Michael Beirut, ‘You’re So Intelligent’, Design Observer, 9 May 2007
designobserver.com/feature/youre-so-intelligent/5917/

70.
@sophiedennis
What are you doing?
Making it easier to book an appointment for a flu jab
Why?
So more people get their flu jabs
Why?
So fewer people end up in hospital with severe, life-
threatening flu
Why?
To reduce pressure on the health service
Why?
ONLY WE CAN SAVE THE NHS!

71.
@sophiedennis
“the nature of these challenges are
emblematic of deeply entrenched flaws in our
institutional structures, our underlying theories,
definitions of success, and ultimately
how we have constructed our
civilization.”
Christian Bason
The frontiers of design for policy

72.
@sophiedennis
People still don’t have their flu jabs

73.
@sophiedennis
It’s not that policy people don’t “get it”

74.
@sophiedennis
Ultimate Stakeholder Management
Andrew Persons / i-images

75.
@sophiedennis
The problem isn’t that user-centred
design isn’t in the room

76.
@sophiedennis

77.
@sophiedennis
these challenges are emblematic of deeply entrenched flaws
in our institutional structures, our underlying theories,
definitions of success, and ultimately how we have
constructed our civilization.”
Christian Bason
The frontiers of design for policy

78.
@sophiedennis
“I’ve spent hours at that table,” she
whispered to me. “It’s not that great, you
know.”
Michael Beirut, ‘You’re So Intelligent’, Design Observer, 9 May 2007
designobserver.com/feature/youre-so-intelligent/5917/

79.
@sophiedennis
Own the problem together

80.
@sophiedennis
We’re hiring!
jobs.nhs.uk
Adventures in Policy Land
Sophie Dennis
service design and product strategy
@sophiedennis
slides: slideshare.net/sophiedennis