Reflection – Visualisation    Challenge: Describe your challenge, including all relevant information.    As Government of India decided to launch a campaign that will benefit the most backward districts of  the society and make a significant attempt to improve their socio-economic welfare, our client, NITI  Aayog, which is the Government’s apex think tank, was mandated to envision a robust strategy  which will not only ensure gradual progress in the selected districts but also make them hub for  development.     Our challenge, as a communications agency was to ensure right messaging and gradually,  showcasing the development story and best practices being followed in these districts, for the world  to stand up and take notice.     Selection: In your own words, briefly describe the tool you selected (e.g., what it is and why  you selected it for your challenge → including any appropriate video lecture references).    We believe that before achieving success, it is important to visualize its journey. Possible roadblocks  and pain points can be identified to ensure there is a backup course of action, just in case. We had  to imagine possibilities that we had never encountered. Situations like, how will the citizens react to  their hometown being labelled as backward? Will Civil servants be willing to take postings in these  districts? Can we convince the private sector to invest here?     Application: Describe how you applied the tool you selected to your challenge (e.g., what you  did and how the tool was applied effectively or ineffectively).    To kick start the campaign, we made sure that communicating the right messaging was of the  utmost importance. So, the first task was to make sure the word ‘Backward’ gets replaced by the  word ‘Aspirational.’. The name of the campaign thus was – Transformation of Aspirational Districts  Programme. By choosing an alternate, yet progressive name for the campaign, a deliberate attempt  was made to ensure citizens view this a key step in their development.       PM of India, Shri Narendra Modi launched this campaign and used simple yet though evoking words  to give a clarion call to the nation.     As India continues to re-write its success story, it is imperative to ensure the rural parts of the  country progress as well. The Districts Collectors and administration were thus labeled as  Champions of Change.     The first success story of the campaign was when the administration & citizen were excited and  eager to be a part of their district’s growth story. The wheels were set in motion!      Insight: Describe the insight you gained from applying the tool you selected to your  challenge (e.g., how an insight affected your thinking about the challenge and about design  thinking more broadly).    Understanding the psyche was indeed helpful & the power of communication further strengthened our  belief that words can indeed create magic. The use of the word – ‘backward’ slowly started to diminish  & got replaced by ‘aspirational’ in people’s vocabulary.     Social Media proved to be an effective medium for communicating. Through the social media platforms  of our client – NITI Aayog, we launched different hashtags to highlight how these districts are bringing

about a paradigm shift in critical social sectors like health and education. #VoicesOfChange &  #EducationForChange highlighted several best practices from across India.     From a child that goes to school to an elderly citizen that has witnessed decades of hardship, these  citizens now proudly own the success of their Aspirational District!    These districts are now not just making steady progress but also emerging as role models for their  country. For Instance, as India grapples with the coronavirus, Aspirational Districts are setting the  standard for rest of the country.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/less-than-one-third-of-indias-aspirational-districts-hit- by-covid/articleshow/75367747.cms  ----    Approach: Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you  selected or a different one -- and the reason(s) why.    As the programme is now in its third year, a plethora of best practices and success stories have  emerged from the grassroots. These are stories determination, courage & inspiration. To ensure this  initiative take the shape of a mass movement, Storytelling as a tool will be crucial in creating an  effective emotional connect and narrating it to a larger section of the audience through traditional  and modern communication platforms.

