Bureaucratic Dysfunction & Innovative Public Problem Solving Presentation 23rd February 2012,

1. Bureaucratic Dysfunction & Innovative Public Problem Solving Presentation 23rd February 2012, Cardiff Co-Production Event, City Hall Megan Mathias, Director, Kafka Brigade UK & Ireland

2. KAFKABRIGADE

3. KAFKABRIGADE What is the Kafka Brigade? • 1. A Non Profit Action Research Team • Founded in 2005 • 15+ Researchers • 50+ Projects Completed • Working in Holland and the UK • Research, training & advocacy • 2. A process to engage people in identifying, • diagnosing and remedying bureaucratic • dysfunction • Involving citizens and front line staff • informed by various theoretical frameworks • Built on clinical, experimental research • Focused on mobilizing adaptive responses • Without imposing generic solutions

4. KAFKABRIGADE

5. KAFKABRIGADE

6. KAFKA BRIGADE Action planning (deliver) Checkpoint meetings & reflection Checkpoint meetings & reflection The Kafka Field Lab Checkpoint meetings & reflection Collective Performance Review Expert (counter-factual) critique Case research & preliminary reports Explorative research & case selection Cycle is repeated

7. KAFKA BRIGADE Step 1: Exploratory research: What do we know? • Domestic Violence in RCT • 86% of reported incidents are against women; • Majority are unemployed; between 20-29 years old; • 55% have children; 71% of victims children had witnessed abuse; • 70.6% of incidents occur in the home; • 67% of abuse is between intimate partners. • 81% of victims were pregnant; • (Safety Unit data, 2008) • Immigrant Entrepreneurs • 3 x more likely to become unemployed • more likely to have language deficiencies, low level of education • 2 x more likely to become an catering entrepreneur in neglected urban areas • 3 x more likely not to seek help from the government • more likely not to be eligible for small credits, go bankrupt within 5 years • more likely to enter informal • economy • Dutch National and City Government Data 2007)

8. KAFKA BRIGADE Step 1: Exploratory research: What do we know? • Initial stocktake of ‘the problem’ • What is ‘known’? How is it known? • What data is available (however limited)? • Population • Performance • Financial • Research • Shift from problem to people

9. KAFKA BRIGADE Step 2: Case research: the representative citizen’s story • Domestic Violence • Single mother, 30 years of age • 2 children aged 5 & 6; • Very supportive and caring mother; • 2 abusive relationships. • When abuse started, living in Council housing; • Abuse started 4 years ago; • Abuse occurred during pregnancy and lost baby; • Poorly served by services • Well spoken and analytic; Eager to Help • Immigrant Entrepreneurship • Young Dutch / Turkish male • Sandwich shop start-up • School dropout • Living in bad neighborhood • Financial problems in the past • Unemployed • Entrepreneur by necessity • Almost bankrupt • Poorly served by services • Red Tape Competent; Eager to Comply

10. Mapping the Process • Lease Required for Permits • Bank Statement Required for Lease • Permits Required for Bank Statement • Mismatch Assumptions and Reality Entrepreneurship • Misconception of the One-Stop-Shop Idea • Misalignment with Network Partners • Sequential Licensing Processes • Contradictory Regulation • Focus on Deterring Entrepreneurs

11. KAFKA BRIGADE Step 3: Expert critique: Validating the preliminary analysis • Usually 10-25 (units of) organizations • Gathering more insight and evidence • Engaging insight of frontline workforce • Generating initial hypotheses • Building a coalition of the willing around the population in hand

12. KAFKABRIGADE Step 4: Collective Performance Review Policy Makers • PART I • Is There a Problem? • What Is the Problem? • What Causes the Problem? • What Keeps you from Solving the Problem? Managers Front Line Staff • PART I • What could you do to make a small improvement? • Who or what do you need for that? Sponsor Citizen

13. KAFKA BRIGADE Step 5 & 6: Action Plan & Follow Up: Multiple Incremental Changes

14. KAFKA BRIGADE Moderated collaborative enquiry Creative problem solving Action planning (deliver) Checkpoint meetings & reflection Checkpoint meetings & reflection The Kafka Field Lab Checkpoint meetings & reflection Managed “holding environment” Collective Performance Review Semi-struct’d interviews Business process analysis Counterfactuals Generating propositions Case, category & capacity commitments Expert (counter-factual) critique Evidencing improvement Scaling up where poss Id ‘new’ problems Evaluating the process Case research & preliminary reports Narrative Description Process Mapping Fact Checking Statistical Analysis Policy Review Preliminary Interviews Explorative research & case selection Cycle is repeated

15. Bureaucratic Dysfunction & Innovative Public Problem Solving Presentation 23rd February 2012, Cardiff Co-Production Event, City Hall Megan Mathias, Director, Kafka Brigade UK & Ireland