Challenge canvas

Goal

Explore the issue quickly and thoroughly to determine whether it is worth turning into a project.

Introduction

Before starting an innovation project, it is important to know what the problem or challenge is and whether innovation is suitable to solve it. To discover this, you need to dig deeper into the existing problem, challenge or idea.

You often receive questions from the organization where the solution is already known. For example:

'How can we run Child Benefit on a Blockchain?'

The solution is already woven into this question, namely running the Child Benefit process on a blockchain. But what is the actual problem? Why does this process need to be changed? And why on a blockchain? If you were to approach this question in this way without exploring the underlying problem further, you risk that the solution will not meet the needs of end users and that the actual problem will not be solved.

That is why it is important to always clarify the actual problem. What is the question behind the question? What problem underlies it? Why is this a problem? Or do you want to learn something from blockchain technology? The underlying problem may, for example, be that citizens do not know quickly enough what they are entitled to.

'How can we let citizens know more quickly what they are entitled to?'

This question does not yet have a solution and offers room for research and innovation. The solution is not necessarily redesigning a process based on a new technology, but can be anything.

What is the Challenge canvas?

See the Challenge Canvas as a tool for a very extensive intake on an issue. Organize a session to go through the Challenge Canvas step by step together with the person who introduced the problem/issue/idea and the (potential) client. Are you going to start an innovation project from this Challenge Canvas? Then the Challenge Canvas is an ideal tool to keep track of all changes and updates during your project. Make it alive! Everything in one place, short, concise and clear in one canvas. You go through 8 steps to finally get a clear picture of the problem/issue/idea.

When do you use the Challenge canvas?

You use the Challenge canvas at the beginning of your innovative project and the canvas stays with you throughout the project. The canvas ensures that you can always show what challenge you are working on and that everyone understands it.

Why a Challenge Canvas?

The Challenge Canvas helps you ask the right questions and clearly formulate the challenges of a project. A lot of information and insight is often hidden behind an initial question. This is useful for both people who want to solve problems and for people who want to come up with innovations. Together you can explore the problem, understand the context, research existing resources, and see what previous solutions have yielded. You also describe the target group that is affected by the problem and the partners you need to further investigate and solve the problem together.

Ultimately, completing the Challenge Canvas allows you to think about the roles and behaviors of the people you need to solve the problem and devise an appropriate approach. Once you have mapped all this out, you can determine whether the issue is suitable for an innovation project and whether the Novum way of working, design thinking and the lean start-up method are useful.

After completing the Challenge Canvas, you may notice that a different approach is needed to tackle the issue. The insights you have gained are still valuable and you can share them with the organization.

How do you use the Challenge canvas?

You can fill in the canvas in any way you want. Start by filling in the boxes for which you already have information and then fill in the remaining boxes.

How does the Challenge Canvas work?

The Challenge Canvas is a tool to discuss a problem/idea in detail. You start by organizing a meeting with the person who has the problem/idea and the (potential) client to go through the Challenge Canvas step by step together. If you start an innovation project from this Challenge Canvas, it is a useful tool to keep track of all changes and updates. Keep it alive! All important information is briefly, concisely and clearly summarized in one place in one canvas. Go through the steps to ultimately clarify the problem/idea.

Idea/Problem

Start with the idea or problem that needs further investigation. What is going on? What is the problem and why is this a problem? How big is the problem? Gather as much data as possible about the problem.

Target audience

Describe who you are doing it for. Who has the problem? How do you know that? What makes this group of people unique? What do you already know about them and what are just assumptions? How big is the group? Consider creating subgroups if the target group is very large. Describing the target group is important for a people-oriented approach.

Desired effect

Look to the future: what happens when the problem is solved? What change will be noticeable? Make an assessment of the desired situation. A desired effect is not the same as a desired outcome. An outcome is the direct consequence of a change, while a desired effect is the indirect consequence. The desired effect can be qualitative (such as increased trust) or quantitative (such as a higher customer satisfaction score).

0-Scenario

What happens if nothing is done? What will the problem look like in the future? What trends will emerge? Take into account other factors that could influence the counterfactual. Sketching the counterfactual scenario shows the value of a solution.

Partners

Who will you work with to solve the problem? Who do you need? Think broader than just chain partners and ministries, for example organizations such as NIBUD, elderly associations and healthcare institutions.

Stakeholders

These are stakeholders, people or organizations who have an interest in or are influenced by a project, decision or organization. They can include employees, customers, investors, suppliers and the community.

Existing sources and lessons

Gather information about existing research on the problem and the target group. What are the most important insights? Which solutions have already been tried and what has been learned from them? Avoid duplication of work and identify the added value of the innovation process.

Roles and behavior

We believe that the success of an innovation project depends on the team working on it. It is important to clearly define the roles in the team to make the project a success. It is also essential that the team has a shared vision about the desired behavior and communication for success.

Assumptions and learning objectives

Make the assumptions and learning objectives explicit. What are the assumptions about the problem, the target group and existing solutions? Focus on the five riskiest assumptions and determine what you want to learn.

Next steps

Get started! What should be explored further based on the information on the Challenge Canvas? Is the problem clear enough to find a client? If so, what do you need to clarify the assignment? Be specific about what needs to be done, who will do it, and when it needs to be completed.

Pitch

Formulate a short, powerful sentence for the completed Challenge Canvas. Use the following sentence: “How can we…?”