01 Idea Development

Do you have a great idea that you are developing? Maybe you are at the point of talking to potential team members and putting together a proposal. Where ever you are sitting in this phase, there are some important things you may need to consider:

• What is going on in the wider system (supply chain, industry, society) that will influence my project?
• What exactly is the problem or need that my idea addresses?
• Who are the people and groups that may need to be involved in defining my problem, conducting my research, and making use of my solutions or outputs?
• How will I know if my research is effective?

Some resources that you can consider at this stage include tools for:

• Clarifying who to involve (stakeholder analysis)
• Understanding what is happening in the wider system and context (contextual awareness)
• Defining your problem and questions - some useful activities are available in the Visual Toolkit for System Innovation
• Clarifying desired outcomes and activities and inputs that could contribute to these (programme logic).