Design Thinking for Public Collaboration Training

The role of government is fundamentally changing. Societal issues are becoming increasingly complex and can no longer be solved by municipalities alone. Almost every municipality is experimenting with various ways of involving residents and stakeholders. Terms like participation, co-creation, citizen initiatives, etc., have become standard vocabulary. But what does this really mean? How do you develop something new for a diverse group of stakeholders, and how do you engage them constructively in the process? And what does this mean for the internal organization of municipalities?

For the municipality of Amsterdam, we developed a 5-day training program that educates civil servants in the principles of Design Thinking—a way of thinking that connects various perspectives (trends, behavior, interests) and brings them together with concrete solutions. Participants learn to pause and reflect on challenges (instead of just going along with the status quo) and to be curious about the obvious. They learn about visual thinking, user research, organizing creative sessions, and prototyping. And, of course, how this can be implemented within the municipality. In short, every hour is an adventure!

Insight and experience to solve complex challenges in your own work practice through Design Thinking.

• Introduction, insight, and experience in applying Design Thinking within the public sector.
• Improvement of your role in change processes.
• Network of Design Thinkers.