Walk
About
Introduction
Center for Working Families in 2007
Vision
& Obstacles
Generic Models
Physical (Architectural) Design
Assignment: Your group consists of architects and designers who have been hired to develop several conceptual designs for The Centers for Working Families. You have all the experience and talent you need in your group to accomplish this task. Please develop several different possible approaches of the architectural design for The Centers for Working Families.
Consider the following questions as you develop your models:
- What are the key design principles guiding your work?
- What are the key architectural elements that distinguish a Center?
- How can the Center be designed to feel like a comfortable "home base," a place owned by the community and reflecting its values and traditions?
- How big is a Center? Why?
- What information is needed to evaluate and decide where to develop a Center? What criteria do you use to determine the location of a Center? What is the ideal site? What are the criteria for evaluating a site?
- What are the alternative facility models (e.g. a single site, a hub with multiple satellites, multiple satellites co-located in existing program sites, an RV that can travel anywhere in the target area, virtual networks, etc.) and what criteria do you use to determine which one(s) to use in any given city?
Develop several schematic drawings showing the layout of a Center and what activities take place in each area.
Keep a list of design issues / challenges that should be considered when designing a new Center.
Create a generic timeline with key milestones and events for building a Center.<
Take the next 90 minutes to brainstorm with your group and develop your models. Use the white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past year. You will present the results of your work to the other groups.
Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Do your scratch work on the large marker boards, and then prepare your presentation on the smaller marker board. You may also use the foam core or poster boards provided. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas to the rest of the group. You will have 10 minutes to present your models.
Neighborhood Organizing and Outreach
Assignment:
Your group is responsible for developing an overall model of neighborhood organization and outreach for a typical Center.
Consider the following questions as you develop your models:
- What are the key guiding principles underlying your work?
- In broad terms, who are the customers, constituents, beneficiaries of your center?
- Select at least three different specific types of customers, and then describe the path that each of these customers might take through their interaction with a Center.
- How do you attract them into a relationship with the Center?
- How do you keep them engaged?
- What are the alternative facility models (e.g. a single site, a hub with multiple satellites, multiple satellites co-located in existing program sites, an RV that can travel anywhere in the target area, virtual networks, etc.) and what criteria do you use to determine which one(s) to use in any given city?
- How do you assess the needs of individual customers?
- How do you customize your offerings for them?
- What services or programs do you offer?
Please keep a list of design issues / challenges that should be considered when designing a new Center.
Take the next 90 minutes to brainstorm with your group and develop your models. Use the white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past year. You will present the results of your work to the other groups.
Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Do your scratch work on the large marker boards, and then prepare your presentation on the smaller marker board. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas to the rest of the group. You will have 10 minutes to present your models.
Services
Assignment:
Please design the entire Services offering for a Center, including both core services that should be offered in any Center, and optional services that may or may not be offered.
Consider the following questions as you develop your design:
- What are the key guiding principles underlying your work?
- In broad terms, who are the customers, constituents, beneficiaries of your center?
- Design the services menu for a Center.
- Which services are absolutely necessary? Which services are optional?
- Which must be provided at the Center, and which can be provided by linkages with partners and through referrals?
- What are the alternative facility models (e.g. a single site, a hub with multiple satellites, multiple satellites co-located in existing program sites, an RV that can travel anywhere in the target area, virtual networks, etc.) and what criteria do you use to determine which one(s) to use in any given city?
- What specific information needs to be collected on workforce development services, consumer financial services, etc. to decide which services are needed?
- What is the most efficient way to gather that information?
- Given the service mix, what staffing structure will be needed?
- How is feedback gathered to enable appropriate changes to specific services to be made?
- How are services scaled up to address larger numbers of people?
Please keep a list of design issues / challenges that should be considered when designing a new Center.
Take the next 90 minutes to brainstorm with your group and develop your models. Use the white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past year. You will present the results of your work to the other groups.
Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Do your scratch work on the large marker boards, and then prepare your presentation on the smaller marker board. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas to the rest of the group. You will have 10 minutes to present your models.
Results Tracking
Assignment:
Please design the system for tracking results for a Center.
Consider the following questions as you develop your design:
- What are the key guiding principles underlying your work?
- In broad terms, who are the customers, constituents, and beneficiaries of your center?
- What measures will a Center use to assess its own performance?
- What specific information needs to be collected at the outset on your constituents, workforce, financial services, etc. to determine a performance baseline for the community?
- What specific information needs to be collected on an ongoing basis on your constituents, workforce, financial services, etc.
- How will measurements be made?
- How are measurements translated into changes to specific services?
- How should measured results be communicated to the community?
Take the next 90 minutes to brainstorm with your group and develop your models. Use the white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts. You will present the results of your work to the other groups.
Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Do your scratch work on the large marker boards, and then prepare your presentation on the smaller marker board. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas to the rest of the group. You will have 10 minutes to present your models.
Business Model
Assignment:
Please design the Business Model for a Center.
Consider the following questions as you develop your design:
- What are the alternative facility models (e.g. a single site, a hub with multiple satellites, multiple satellites co-located in existing program sites, an RV that can travel anywhere in the target area, virtual networks, etc.) and what criteria do you use to determine which one(s) to use in any given city?
- How will a Center run as a sustainable business?
- Define the revenue model for a typical Center (or, define alternative revenue models for alternative facility models).
- Define the operating budget and expenses of a typical Center.
- Develop a timeline for rolling out a Center.
- How does a Center manage its growth and the expansion of the number of people it serves?
- What measures will a Center use to assess its own performance?
Take the next 90 minutes to brainstorm with your group and develop your models. Use the white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts. You will present the results of your work to the other groups.
Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Do your scratch work on the large marker boards, and then prepare your presentation on the smaller marker board. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas to the rest of the group. You will have 10 minutes to present your models.
Organization & Governance Design
Assignment:
Please design the organizational model of a typical Center.
Consider the following questions as you develop your design:
- What does the organization look like?
- How is it structured?
- What are the staffing requirements?
- What are the core capabilities and processes?
- How is training and development managed?
- Develop a timeline for staff development of a new Center.
- How does a Center manage its growth and the expansion of the number of people it serves?
- Define the Governance of a Center. Specifically, how will community residents and other stakeholders be ensured a voice in the design, implementation and ownership of the Center?
Take the next 90 minutes to brainstorm with your group and develop your models. Use the white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts. You will present the results of your work to the other groups.
Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Do your scratch work on the large marker boards, and then prepare your presentation on the smaller marker board. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas to the rest of the group. You will have 10 minutes to present your models.
Community & Partnership Model
Assignment:
Please design the Partnership model of a typical Center.
Consider the following questions as you develop your design:
- Design the 'ecosystem' of a Center in terms of the local, state, and national levels, including governmental entities, non-profit, and for-profit organizations. Please prepare a diagram that shows these relationships.
- Who's involved and how?
- What partnerships does a Center have?
- Which partnerships are critical to the success of the Center?
- What does the organization look like?
- How are partnerships managed?
Take the next 90 minutes to brainstorm with your group and develop your models. Use the white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts. You will present the results of your work to the other groups.
Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Do your scratch work on the large marker boards, and then prepare your presentation on the smaller marker board. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas to the rest of the group. You will have 10 minutes to present your models.
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