Problem framing:Using human-centred design to define aPROBLEM STATEMENT and establish a TERRITORY for an INNOVATIVE INTERVENTION.

Amy DaviesKelly Payne

Ling DingZiyan Hossain

November 6, 2015

MARY*

*One of the most common names in Kenya

Mary encompasses all of the attributes of our primary stakeholder: Youth, Female, Urban and Poor.

CONTEXT

Mary lives in Nairobi

● burgeoning Tech hub● over 1200 NGOs

stationed here● 3.3 million residents,

60% of whom live in slums...on just 6% of the land

● robust education policy

Not there though...here, in the Kibera slum, one of the largest in the world

● only about 20% of Kibera has electricity

● one latrine (hole in the ground) is shared by up to 50 shacks

● unemployment rate of 50%

(Source: Kibera.org.uk; Mehrotra, 2005)

● women constitute an important constituency and often dominate the informal economy.

● lower average education levels + greater household and childcare responsibilities relative to men; constraining economic opportunities (Huchzermeyer 2008)

● AIDS- 61% of those infected with HIV/AIDS are female.

● lower income + higher risk of poverty than men

● wield sizeable influence over household, family and resources.

Women like Mary are valuable contributors

● demographic shifts have created a massive youth bulge

● urban youth 2-3x more likely than other groups to be unemployed. Unemployment rate for youth 15-24 in Nairobi slums is 46%

● youth inability to secure employment can create sentiments of disillusion and social exclusion, often leading to increased crime, conflict and violence (Gulyani et al., 2006, 35)

Mary is still a youth

Challenges for survival

time 4am 5am 6am 6:30am-5:30pm 5:30pm

doing Collect water* Prepare for day Travel to work Work at tannery133.0/hr Kes

Travel home

thinking This is unsafe. I don’t like walking in the dark. I wish there was a closer place to get my water

Must cook quickly so I can get to bus in time.

I hope the Matatu does not break down. I cannot be late

I hope the boss keeps his hands to himself today. At least I get paid.

Matatu is crowded today. I hope that man keeps his hands to himself

feeling I am scared. I hope I can hurry home and sit down for a minute. I am tired this morning

Rushed, tired, sad to not see baby again that day

Stressed. There is always someone at the gate waiting to take my job if I am late

I hate this place. My skin always stings. It is getting harder to breathe. Must rush to get medicine at breaktime

Hot, stressed, must get home to tend to baby, help neighbours .

1.Spending money and time on tending to basic needs that should be handled by access to proper infrastructure- water and transportation

2. Food and clothingessentials

3. Rent

Journey map: Mary’s Day

Money spentMoney earned

= Less than 1Ksh/day left over

1.Spending money and time on tending to basic needs that should be handled by access to proper infrastructure- water and transportation

2. Food and clothingessentials

3. Rent*= Less than $1/day left over

time 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm-11pm 11pm-12am

doing Walk home Prepare for evening Walk to work Work at hotel Walk home

thinking I need to get food for dinner and pay my rent*. I hope the landlord is sober.

I hope my baby had a good day. I must hurry to get to hotel on time. There was a roadblock last time.

I must hurry. I would like to have the chance to do a job I actually enjoyed.

I wonder what it is like to sleep on a bed like this. I want more meaningful work

About all I have to do when i get home and starting another day tomorrow that looks just the same as this.

feeling Hungry tired, overwhelmed.

Rushed, tired, sad to not see baby again that day

Stressed. There is always someone at the waiting door to take my job if I am late

Frustrated, exhausted. Tired, stressed, must get home to tend to baby, help neighbours .

Journey map: Mary’s Night

Money spentMoney earned

Mary’s RealityPAINS● poor hygiene● compromised personal security● lack of education and training ● asymmetric information ● gender based discrimination● social isolation● lack of legal power● limited access to public and private

resources

GAINS● over 50% of informal work in Nairobi

hires slum dwelling populations.● opportunities within inter-slum

economies

KEY INTERVENTION POINTS ● understanding the actors who

influence her life and have potential to support innovative change

● understanding income burdens● understanding core problem areas

Secondary persona: enterprizing youth like Eriss

● Eriss is a young entrepreneur who has many ideas for how to make money

● she is currently in school and is a member of the Entrepreneur’s Club

● right now her group is making soap to sell

● she needs a way to get the soap to the city and does not want to pay a middleman to handle the distribution

● she has limited access to ICT and how distribution works but she wants to learn

Secondary persona: Michael, a Middleman

● Michael is well known throughout the slum.

● he is a connector and can get people and goods where they need to be.

● Michael’s livelihood depends on people using him to gain access to things that might otherwise be out of reach

● he is always on the lookout for new ways of making money

● every time he makes money he re-invests it so he is never carrying enough to be a target for robbery

1st re-framing of PROBLEM STATEMENTYoung urban women need to be better connected, have more information and better access to the informal economies in order to become more prosperous.

stakeholders micro-macro

Water Kiosk

630 of the 650 water kiosks in operation are run by private agents, many of who are also landlords (Mehrotra, 2005, 5)

Political Patronage

Land for new Development

Properties

Reducing Costs

Rent Collection (via Intermediary)

Quashing Rebellion

Ancillary Income

Source: Kenya Confidential

Design Tensions:

● Compensation vs Community● Regulation vs Profit● Traditional vs Modernization● Finances vs Time

Hierarchy of needs: Landlord

Job Security

Recovering Initial/Op Cost

Cartels and route ownership

Vehicle Maintenance

Police Bribes

Government Regulations

Commuter

Design Tensions:

● Safety vs Compensation● Safety vs puntuality● Quality vs Effectiveness● Morality vs Compensation● Finances vs Time

Hierarchy of needs: Mutatu driver

Profitability

New Markets

Import/Export Tariffs

Government Regulations

Infrastructure

Skilled Workers

Worker Safety

Design Tensions:

● Safety vs Finances● Regulation vs Profit● Corruption vs

Progress● Time vs Improvement

Hierarchy of needs: Employer- tannery

Design Tensions:

● Regulation vs Profit● Time vs Improvement

Satisfy shareholder needs

Manage Suppliers + Costs

Competition

Infrastructure

Environmental Opportunities and

Threats incl taxationEngaged + Skilled

Workforce

Hierarchy of needs: Employer- hotel

Design Tensions:

● Safety vs Finances● Education vs Income

Food/Water

Nurturing

Education

Stability

Hope

Hierarchy of needs: Children

Design Tensions:

● Ambition vs Opportunity Cost● Corruption vs Progress● Time vs Improvement

Income/Money

Resources

Support

Community

Georgraphy

Hierarchy of needs: Educators

Shelter

Food/Water

Jobs

Education

Mentorship

fill in

Hierarchy of needs: Local males

Design Tensions:

● Ambition vs Opportunity Cost● Corruption vs Progress● Time vs Improvement

URBAN FEMALES EMPLOYERS DRIVERS

OPPORTUNITYLEGEND

URBAN MALES GOVERNMENT

Hierarchy of Collective Needs - Micro

LANDLORDS

MARKET ACCESS PATRONAGE

RENT

SKILLED WORKERS

PROFITABILITY

LAND

EXPORT

REGULATIONS

MAINTENANCE

COST REDUCTIONS

INFRASTRUCTURE

WORKER SAFETY

ANCILLARY INCOME

REBELLION

JOB SECURITY

COST RECOVERY

MONEY (BRIBES)

GOVT REGULATIONS

FUNDING

INTERNAL ECONOMY

POWER/ALLIANCE

INFRASTRUCTURE

SHELTER

FOOD/WATER

EDUCATION

HEALTH CARE

JOBS/INCOME JOBS/INCOME

SUPPORT

SHELTER

EDUCATION

FOOD/WATER

COMMUTER

BOP/TRADE

LABOUR MKT

EnhancesEnsuresGenerates

Influences

UNMET NEEDS

Finances

Resources

Divisions

Communication

Linkages

Alliances

Hierarchy of needs: Academia

FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Design Tensions:

● Profile/prestige vs Educational needs

● Corruption vs Progress● Resources vs Finances

Financial Incentives & Mechanisms

Governance

Competition

Security & Safety

Education & Training

Human Capital

Public Perceptions

Infrastructure

Hierarchy of needs: Private Sector/MNCs

Design Tensions:

● Profit vs Social Responsibility ● Opportunity vs Incentive● Time vs Improvement● Workers vs Skills

Fundraising

Allegiances (private/media)

Access/Proximity

Political Environment/Stability

Effective Communications

Data Pool

Education

Skilled Talent

Design Tensions:

● Good Intensions vs Finances● Corruption vs Progress● Resources vs Improvement

Hierarchy of needs: NGO

Funding

Power

Allegiances

Resources

Export

Populace

Skilled Talent

Hierarchy of needs: Government

Design Tensions:

● Prestige vs Care ● Corruption vs Progress● Time vs Improvement

SKILLED TALENT

SHELTER

URBAN DWELLERS GOVERNMENT PRIVATE SECTOR ACADEMIA

OPPORTUNITY

GOVERNANCE

FUNDRAISING

FOOD/WATER

RESOURCES

COMMUNICATION

SKILLED TALENT

EXPORT MARKET

INFRASTRUCTURE

HEALTH CARE

COMPETITION

LINKAGES

POWER

SECURITY

ALLEGIANCES

POPULACE

ALLIANCES

COMPETITION

FINANCESEXCHANGE RATE

ALLEGIANCES

Hierarchy of Collective Needs - Macro

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS

LEGEND

NGOs

RESOURCES ACCESS

POLITICAL

COMMUNICATION DIVISIONS

INFRASTRUCTURE

GENERATES

ENSURES

SUPPORT

DATA POOLS

UNMET NEEDS

FUNDING

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

GENDER EQUALITY

JOBS/INCOME

EDUCATION/ TRAINING

HUMAN CAPITAL

Stakeholder Conflicts

problem areas &opportunities

By examining the conflicts between various stakeholders we recognize the following problem areas:

Barriers to optimal use of

Technology/Resources

Presence of Middlemen

Knowledge Infrastructure

Education & Skills

Transport/ Access

Personal Protection

Armchair Ethnography

Community Advocacy,

Elevation & Participation

Resistant Mindsets

Taxed Time

Upon further discussion, research and reflection:

Presence of Middlemen

Asymmetry of

Information

Education, Literacy &

Skills

are the three areas we’ll expand on...

ASYMMETRY OF INFORMATION

Mary and Eriss can see the opportunities in the city, but they doesn’t know how to tap into them. They are willing, ambitious, entrepreneurial and filled with ideas.

The private sector and capital markets seem so far away with no bridge in between.

Problem areas & Opportunities

Problem areas for further explorations

MIDDLEMEN

Poor information, transparency and lack of physical addresses mean Mary has to rely on middlemen like Michael to help her find goods and customers.

Eriss can expect these middlemen to receive as much as 60% of her club’s profits. She wishes she didn’t have to pay out her group’s hard earned money.

Problem areas & OpportunitiesEDUCATION, LITERACY AND SKILLS

Mary longs to have a skilled job, but she left school at 8 and has limited options for education or skills based training.

Eriss has had the opportunity to stay in school a lot longer than Mary. Because of that her chance to access further training is much higher

The nearest training centre is miles from their homes, costly and difficult to get to.

Improving connectivity and creating an infrastructure to allow information sharing and better mobility could enable young urban women to manage transactional relations and shared resources themselves thus saving enough money to effectively double their income.

2nd re-framing of PROBLEM STATEMENT

innovation criteria

Criteria

DESIRABILITY & USABILITY

(HUMAN)

INNOVATION

HULT =

$ SAVES

$ DOUBLES

MEASURABLE KPIS

CULTURAL ACCEPTANCE &

INCLUSION ABILITY TO CONNECT EN

MASSE

SCALABLE & RESILIENT

LEVERAGES EXISTING

TECHNOLOGY(VIABLE)

INTERFACEOPTIMIZED TO WORK WITH

FEATURE PHONES

DISRUPTS HIERARCHICAL/PATRIARCHAL

POWER STRUCTURES

SOUND FINANCIAL

MODEL

● Future Facing to Ensure Agile Response

Barriers to success

Gradient of Barriers: Most Able to Overcome vs. Most Challenging

Swimming in a Sea of Good Intentions

‘Ego vs. Altruism’

Political Environment

Cultural Acceptance & Diffusion

Trust

Access to Capital

Education

Larger Complex Systems

Most Able to Effect Change

Corruption

Discrimination

Regulations/Licenses

Informal Economy & Measurability

It All Started Here....

Thank You!