Tasks and Duties
Objective: The aim of this task is to immerse yourself in the problem space by identifying key stakeholders, understanding their needs, and mapping their roles in the ecosystem of e-Governance and digital services. You are required to explore publicly available information to create a comprehensive perspective on the challenges faced by citizens and public servants within digital government frameworks.
Expected Deliverables: A DOC file presenting your analysis in a structured format. The document should include an introduction to the problem space, detailed stakeholder mapping, empathy interviews or insights (gathered from publicly available sources), and your reflections on how these insights can inform design strategies for digital services.
Key Steps:
- Conduct research using reputable online sources to identify key stakeholders in e-Governance.
- Create empathy maps for at least three different stakeholder groups.
- Outline any common pain points, needs, and opportunities for improvement based on your research.
- Document your findings and analysis in a well-structured DOC file.
Evaluation Criteria: Your submission will be evaluated on the accuracy and depth of stakeholder analysis, clarity of empathy maps, and how well you link insights to potential areas of intervention. The DOC file should be clearly formatted, with each section logically organized and reflective of design thinking principles. This task should take approximately 30 to 35 hours of work, enabling you to gain a deep understanding of the human-centered approach in digital service design.
Objective: For this task, you will transition from understanding the problem to generating innovative solutions. Your goal is to organize an ideation session that draws from design thinking methodologies, and to document a range of ideas for improving e-Governance digital services. This process should encourage diverse approaches and creative problem-solving techniques.
Expected Deliverables: A detailed DOC file that captures the entire ideation process. The document should include a summary of brainstorming techniques used, a list of potential ideas, concept sketches or diagrams, and a reflective analysis explaining the merits and feasibility of each idea.
Key Steps:
- Review the insights obtained from Week 1 to set the context for brainstorming.
- Select appropriate ideation methods (such as mind mapping, SCAMPER, or brainstorming sessions) and outline these techniques in your document.
- Create and describe at least five innovative ideas aimed at addressing key pain points in digital government services.
- Support your ideas with preliminary sketches, flowcharts, or concept diagrams created using available tools.
Evaluation Criteria: Your submission will be assessed based on the comprehensiveness of the ideation process, creativity and relevance of the concepts generated, and the clarity of documentation in your DOC file. Ensure that your analysis demonstrates a thorough understanding of design thinking principles and their application in crafting solutions for complex e-Governance challenges. This task is expected to require approximately 30 to 35 hours of dedicated effort.
Objective: This week, you will focus on transforming ideas into tangible prototypes and mapping out how digital services in e-Governance could operate from end-to-end. Emphasize the creation of service blueprints that illustrate both front-end and back-end processes. The goal is to prototype a minimum viable solution while using design thinking tools to ensure the model addresses the earlier identified needs.
Expected Deliverables: Submit a DOC file that details your prototyping process. The document should contain sketches, flow diagrams, or digital wireframes that represent the user journey and the service process. It should also include an explanation of the service blueprint, highlighting key touchpoints, back-end processes, and potential integration challenges.
Key Steps:
- Review concepts from Week 2 and select one of the ideas to further develop as a prototype.
- Develop a service blueprint that clearly outlines interactions between users and the system.
- Create visualizations or wireframes using publicly available design tools or hand-drawn sketches scanned into your document.
- Analyze potential bottlenecks, user interactions, and technical challenges in your blueprint.
Evaluation Criteria: The DOC file will be evaluated on the clarity and detail of the service blueprint, the practicality of the prototype, and the depth of analysis regarding user interactions and system processes. The blueprint should comprehensively map the digital service flow and indicate how the solution addresses key user needs. This task should demand an estimated 30 to 35 hours of work and reflects critical design thinking methodologies applied in a digital services context.
Objective: The final task of the internship is dedicated to testing the prototype developed in Week 3, collecting feedback, and formulating an iterative improvement plan. This phase is crucial to validate the assumptions made during the design process and to refine the solution based on real-world usability perspectives. Even though you are working virtually, you must simulate user testing scenarios using available online research and feedback analysis methods.
Expected Deliverables: Your deliverable is a DOC file that includes the testing plan, a summary of simulated or secondary feedback, and a revised design blueprint based on your findings. Document each step of the testing process, the specific methods used to gather feedback, and your iterative changes to the service model.
Key Steps:
- Develop a clear test plan detailing the objective, test cases, and criteria for evaluating the prototype.
- Conduct simulated user testing using online surveys, case studies, or any publicly available feedback data.
- Document the findings and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the current prototype.
- Create an iterative refinement plan that details how you will address key issues identified during testing.
Evaluation Criteria: Submissions will be judged on the thoroughness of the test plan, the quality of the feedback collection process, the insightfulness of the analysis, and the practicality of the iterative improvements proposed. Your DOC file should convincingly present a cycle of continuous improvement and demonstrate your ability to apply design thinking iteratively in an e-Governance and digital services context. Allocate approximately 30 to 35 hours for this task to ensure a well-rounded final submission that reflects all phases of the design thinking process.