If you cannot find solutions that closely meet your design criteria, and you're struggling in your search for ideas, you might want to look for potential collaborators who can help solve your problem. At this point it can be tempting to turn inward, to dismiss outside possibilities and to retreat within your organisation to develop a solution. But when faced with complex, multi-faceted problems, new perspectives and new ways of thinking are often needed.
To develop the most appropriate solution for your problem, and to have the best chance of success, you will need to ensure you involve the right people and organisations. It is likely they will not already be in your immediate network of contacts. Therefore, before you move into the Invent stage, make sure that you research and make contact with a diversity of people and organisations who might help, including affected communities themselves and experts across all sectors. We suggest three approaches to help you in your search for collaborators.
This activity will guide you in finding those individuals who are most impacted by the problem, and have the most to gain from a solution, in order to work with them on developing a solution.
This activity will help you find partner organisations with the right mix of capabilities, experience and skills, as well as aligned incentives and a shared clarity of purpose.