Talk with People
Taking time to talk one-on-one or in groups with the people who use, deliver, and administer your service is possibly the most crucial step you can take towards improvement. Engaging with stakeholders can happen at any point in the service delivery process: before a request for proposals is released, after a new service begins, or during a service for continued feedback and iteration on what already exists.
You’re talking with people to find out not just what’s working and what isn’t, but to better understand their fears, aspirations, and goals — things you’ll never fully unearth in a survey. You can choose to lead focus groups to speak to more people at once, or individual interviews that allow you to gain deeper insights. The number of people participating will adjust the number of questions and how specific you can get in your conversation.
Start by:
Mapping out the stakeholders
Creating a field research agenda
Talking with people one-on-one
Talking with people in groups
Seeing a service in action
This post is part of Civic Service Design Tools + Tactics, a resource for introducing public servants to service design, published by the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity Service Design Studio.
We thank our Founding Partner Citi Community Development for generous support. We are grateful for the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City’s partnership.
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