Work - Ripple Effect Group

In parallel, a review of the current technology landscape was conducted to provide a benchmark for the future development of the intranet as a step towards a digital workplace.

The key objective of the project was to review the introduction of a social communication and collaboration platform to enable the transition toward a digital workplace. The project took into consideration the complex mix of workplace contexts – including manufacturing and production – across a global footprint. 

The project used a tailored version of our HeadStart consulting methodology, underpinned by a human-centred design approach that includes design thinking techniques and agile project management.

In-depth research with employees across key locations and business functions was conducted. This included the following activities:

• Interviews with 10 participants across 7 countries
• 9 hours of workshops in Sydney with 52 participants
• 14 hours of webinars covering 105 participants across the regions.

The research outputs included a deck of 10 persona and 3 detailed persona scenarios or journey maps. The final recommendations took into account both the current state and desired future state, interwoven with the technical infrastructure plans to achieve the organisation’s objectives.

Ripple Effect Group was engaged to review and develop an eLearning strategy for the future delivery and support of post-graduate programs. The review covered three phases: research, feedback and analysis for validation, and recommendations.

Phase 1 Research: In order to develop a deep understanding of the people involved and the complexity of medical education settings, a human-centred design research approach informed the critical elements in the first phase of the project.

• A rapid ethnographic study over a 3-month period immersed the research team with trainees and supervisors in their workplace context, predominantly in hospital conditions across Australia and New Zealand. Techniques such as direct observation of ward rounds; shadowing people throughout their day; informal discussions during meal breaks; attendance of lectures or other education sessions; review of materials; and participation in briefing sessions provided a rich set of raw data and experiences.

Phase 2 Analysis and Feedback: The research team collated and debriefed the raw data using visual thinking techniques that mapped the experiences. The objective was to determine the specific nuances, constraints and challenges in a hospital training environment identifying opportunities where innovative techniques and technologies could provide a practical alternative to current methods. These visual assets, listed below, were used during consultation review sessions to engage with the broader physician community and validate research findings against the various contexts and experiences.

• Personas –  A series of authentic personas were constructed to represent characteristics of groups at different stages in their careers.
• Learning Journeys – scenarios relating to specific educational situations – were created to illustrate the understanding of contexts and to guide the development of recommendations for the future state learning programs.

Following the consultations, the feedback was synthesised into the initial analysis and updates to the visual assets were applied.

Phase 3 Recommendations: The information gathered during Phase 1 and 2 were presented as detailed reports and further supported by analysis of medical education globally.

• Current State report – detailed the research findings and analysis of the current state.
• Best in Class Medical Education – highlighted global best in class practices and initiatives.
• Organisational Analysis report – detailed the theoretical application of the learning initiatives examined and made recommendations that identified current and future roles required within The College to contribute to sustainable future changes.
• Future of Learning report – a strategy that identified the core elements and actions to enable The College to transform their offerings. The recommendations and implementation steps were presented to and accepted by the executive through the power of the visual assets to illustrate how the new initiatives would be experienced and delivered in a future state scenario.

Moral of the story – 3 key learning points:

1. Human-centred design provides insights into people that cannot be uncovered by traditional surveys, focus groups or interviews.
2. Visual assets created from the research findings enable people to understand and connect concepts that may be too abstract to grasp in traditional written documentation.
3. Engagement across all levels of The College ensure research findings are validated from more than one perspective.

Other outcomes:

The visual assets developed have become an integral communication and engagement tool across The College. Working groups, committees and educational designers are constantly reviewing new initiatives against the set of authentic persona to validate that all relevant aspects have been considered and addressed.

The key objective of the project was to develop a deep understanding of the learning environment within the Post Office Network (PON) to enable the future strategic direction for learning to be based on evidence and contextual requirements. The review included in-depth employee research that informed the development of authentic personas and how they interacted with learning and technology in their workplace.

More than 40 people contributed to interviews and workshops. The REG team visited 20 outlets of various sizes across Australia (including NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA &WA) during site visits and workplace observations. In addition, we conducted a review of technology platforms and background materials, and attended the NSW Managers conference.

The research findings informed the deliverables that included:

• • Steps for implementation from both a strategic approach and a technology perspective.
  • A set of personas and associated user stories that will provide ongoing tools to review strategic and tactical future plans.
  • An overall framework and what change is required for this to be organisationally effective.