ThePublicOffice

Participants then move into a facilitated workshop session where the focus on co-creation and collective problem-solving, with participants working in small groups alongside their peers, service designers and expert contributors/provocateurs, to develop ideas for new kinds of public services which respond to the issues/problems highlighted through one or more of the personal testimonies. The workshop element can be tailored to focus on any of the following, or similar, questions:

• Capturing public insight is one thing, but how does this translate into new services?
• So, how do we design public services which work for users?
• How do we wind down old services and wind up new ones?
• Why do the current systems not deliver for the the families in the videos?
• What system changes are required to improve the experiences of the families in the videos?
• What is the role of different stakeholders in bringing about citizen-centred transformation?

To ensure there is real clarity over the ideas generated through the workshop and momentum for future action, the experience ends with a plenary session where small groups present their work and display it within ThePublicOffice space. If ThePublicOffice is taking place over more than one day, future visitors can view and comment upon the outputs generated by previous groups.

Following the experience, ThePublicOffice participants receive a book containing key material and ideas generated through the session(s).

• Using video ethnography to illuminate the users’ perspective
• Exploring how public services could be different

“Best bit was trying to devise solutions”

Permanent Secretary