Impact Climate Solution Generation Event Toolkit FOR PLANNERS

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1 Impact Climate Solution Generation Event Toolkit FOR PLANNERS Table of Contents Introduction page 1 What is a Solution Generation event? page 2 Why hold a Climate Solution Generation event? page 2 What is Design Thinking and why use it? page 3 Roles page 4 High-Level Agenda page 4 Sample Topics page 5 Appendix 1: Basic Steps for Planning the Event page 6 Appendix 2: Detailed Agenda page 7 Appendix 3: Pre P re-event Checklist page 8 Appendix 4: Post-Event Checklist page 10 Appendix 5: FAQs for Participants page 11 Introduction Net Impact challenges our community to get involved in specific social and environmental issues in ways that have tangible impact. Aligned with the new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we are focusing on: food systems, climate change, racial equity, and mobility. Specifically, our Impact Climate initiative supports SDG #13: Climate Action. Net Impact will galvanize our next generation leaders to advance actions that address the causes and effects of climate change. Impact Climate programming will take place at the Net Impact Conference and through our professional and student chapters. In order to leverage the power of the Net Impact network and beyond, we have created this toolkit so that all our chapters, members and other interested parties can contribute to the Impact Climate initiative through their own local events. This self-contained guide is targeted to support anyone who wants to plan and execute an in-person, 3.5-hour event that generates solutions to local climate change issues or challenges. We have designed the guide so that anyone with some initiative can hold a successful event but we know we can always improve and welcome your feedback on how to continue iterating! Version 1.0 ( ) Page 1 of 11

2 What is a Solution Generation event? The key activities of the Solution Generation event are below: Participants work in teams to develop and propose solutions to a local climate change issue. Each team shares its idea and receive feedback from other teams and coaching / mentoring from climate change experts and business leaders. The event will conclude with all participants debriefing and discussing themes. After the event, some participants might choose to advance one of the solutions to a relevant local organization for potential implementation, enter them in competitions or continue the conversation in other forums. Participants will have practiced user-centered design, learned more about the complexity of climate change and how their actions connect to climate change, and helped build a community of impact makers! Why hold a Climate Solution Generation event? Many of our network members are interested in addressing climate change, but may not know how to channel their interest into impact. This guide provides that structure. Identifying effective ways to address a climate change locally is the first step towards organizing follow-up action that directly impacts the issue. This guide employs a design thinking format (more on that below), so participants will learn how to engage in user-centered design, the ability to focus on user needs when designing solutions. Net Impact is offering a campaign in spring 2016 to incentivize participate to raise money for proposals to complete local action projects related to reducing contributions to climate change. There will be an invaluable opportunity to discuss and share learnings with other colleagues across the global Net Impact network, creating a stronger community across chapters and creating huge cumulative impact. Holding an Impact Climate Solution Generation event counts towards Core and Gold chapter status. By participating in this pilot, you ll be helping create a new vision for Net Impact! Version 1.0 ( ) Page 2 of 11

3 What is Design Thinking and why use it? Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a process and a set of techniques used to create new solutions for the world. The process centers on understanding user needs, creating quick prototypes, and getting feedback on prototypes from users and experts. What types of solutions are we looking for? It could be a product, service, experience, organization, or mode of interacting with others or something else entirely! As part of the challenge, everyone participating will assume the role of a designer. The first step is empathy good innovators focus on people and experiences whenever possible. Version 1.0 ( ) Page 3 of 11

4 NUTS-AND AND-BOLTS Roles Here are the key roles needed for a successful event: Planner: The person who plans and organizes the event. It could be a member of the Net Impact chapter leadership team, but doesn t need to be. Anyone with initiative, organization, and passion can be a planner what about you? Facilitator: This could be the director, or someone else. The facilitator is responsible for walking all participants through the event and ensuring everyone is on track to meet the goals for each phase. This person should be comfortable speaking in public, observant and attentive, and energetic. Someone with knowledge of design thinking is ideal, but not necessary. Participants: This is a team-based event. We recommend teams of 4 to 6 people, with 4 being ideal. To gather a diversity of ideas, we recommend at least 3 teams, so 12 total participants would be the minimum. The only upper limits on participant numbers are venue space, time for teams to report out, availability of food and drink, and your imagination the event could scale to 50 people or beyond! We recommend creating teams so that those with the most background in the topic are not on the same team, and recommend creating teams with the greatest diversity of expertise (whether from work or study) as possible. Note that we ve created one toolkit for each of these three specific roles. High-Level Agenda To give you a general idea of what the event looks like, please see the high-level overview below. You can find a detailed agenda in the appendices. Time required Activity 60 minutes Preparation (planning committee only) 15 minutes Check-in/Registration 15 minutes Welcome & Opening 30 minutes Step 1: Understand Audience 20 minutes Step 2: Frame the Problem 30 minutes Step 3: Brainstorm 15 minutes *Snack Break* 25 minutes Step 4: Prototype 60 minutes Report-out & Closing Version 1.0 ( ) Page 4 of 11

5 Sample Topics T As part of Net Impact s network-wide Impact Climate initiative, this event should focus on how to address an issue related to climate change. From our experience, the best way to frame the issue is through a How Might We question a format common in design thinking. You ll want to choose a question that allows for many solutions, but is specific enough that people can quickly focus on a narrower challenge. Examples are below. You should choose whichever topic is most interesting, exciting, or relevant to your chapter or community make this as valuable as it can be for your context! The topics that follow are merely suggestions; feel free to choose anything related to climate change. Category: Reducing Carbon Emissions How might we help people, institutions, and communities better track carbon emissions so they can take steps to lower them? How might we reduce the carbon emissions that result from personal travel? How might we reduce the carbon emissions that result from food production and consumption? How might we reduce the carbon emissions that result from our built home environment (including structures, furniture, energy sources)? How might we better quantify the carbon emissions that our lifestyles produce? How might we use that knowledge to encourage reduction in our carbon footprints at a mass scale? How might we reduce the carbon emissions that result from our personal electronics (including mobile phone, tablets, desktops, printers, and other accessories)? How might we encourage local businesses to reduce their overall carbon emissions? How might we make climate emissions more transparent to the consumer? Category: Adapting to Climate Change How might we help communities better prepare for extreme weather events caused by climate change? How might we encourage farmers to become more climate resilient? How might we help coastal cities adapt to rising sea levels in the face of climate change? Version 1.0 ( ) Page 5 of 11

6 APPENDIX 1: Basic Steps for Planning ng the Event Here are the steps we recommend to plan your event: Ideal Timing weeks before the event weeks before the event 8-12 weeks before Step(s) Read through this guide and familiarize yourself with the three documents for planner, for facilitator, for participant Choose co-planners and a facilitator for the event. Ask leaders of your local Net Impact chapter if they would be interested in planning this, or could point you to someone who would be. Once your planning committee is set, meet to agree on the following a. objective and specific challenge you want to address b. date and time c. ideal venue 8 weeks before Reserve the venue 6-8 weeks before Invite any key local leaders who may be able to act as coaches or mentors and share their expertise. These could be leaders of local businesses or NGOs, or professors. 6 weeks before Choose event facilitator(s) and send them the for facilitators PDF 6 weeks before Plan for food and drink (especially if you anticipate catering) 4-6 weeks Start promoting your event and capturing who has committed to before join 2 weeks before Hold a briefing with all planners and facilitators to ensure they are prepared to lead the event One week Use our pre-event checklist to do a final check that everything before is in place DAY OF THE Game day! EVENT 2-3 days after Send a thank-you to any local leaders who attended the event One week after Send a follow-up to all attendees thanking them and highlighting any follow-up actions or opportunities to continue the conversation Two weeks after (Net Impact chapters) Upload a short report and photos to our Chapter Leader Portal Version 1.0 ( ) Page 6 of 11

7 APPENDIX 2: 2 : Detailed Agenda The agenda provides more detail on how your event might proceed. We recommend the durations listed below; exact times are only provided as examples you should adjust based upon the best start and end times for your particular event. Impact Climate Solution Generation AGENDA Tasks and Activities Start End Duration Check-in/Registration & Opening Check-in/Registration opens 1:00pm 1:15pm 00:15 Official start time 1:15 15pm 1:30pm 00:15 Welcome (planner) 1:30pm 1:35pm 00:05 Introduce event format and challenge question (facilitator) 1:35pm 1:40pm 00:05 Icebreaker: find commonalities in your group (facilitator) 1:40pm 1:45pm 00:05 Step 1: Understand Audience Introduce Step 1: Understand Audience (facilitator) 1:45pm 1:55pm 00:10 Teams work on Step 1: Understand 1:55pm 2:15pm 00:20 Audience Step 2: Frame the Problem Introduce Step 2: Frame the Problem (facilitator) 2:15pm 2:20pm 00:05 Teams work on Step 2: Frame the Problem 2:20pm 2:35pm 00:15 Step 3: Brainstorm Introduce Step 3: Brainstorm (facilitator) 2:35pm 2:40pm 00:05 Teams work on Step 3: Brainstorm 2:40pm 3:00pm 00:20 Teams choose top solution 3:00pm 3:05pm 00:05 * Snack Break * 3:05pm 3:20pm 00:15 Step 4: Prototype Introduce Step 4: Prototype 3:20pm 3:25pm 00:05 Teams work on Step 4: Prototype 3:25pm 3:40pm 00:15 Teams prepare to report 3:40pm 3:45pm 00:05 Report-out out & Closing Report-outs (by one representative from each team) 3:45pm 4:15pm 00:30 Discussion of themes in presentations (facilitator) 4:15pm 4:30pm 00:15 Next steps (planner or facilitator) 4:30pm 4:40pm 00:10 Closing and adjourn (planner) 4:40pm 4:45pm 00:05 Version 1.0 ( ) Page 7 of 11

8 APPENDIX 3:Pre 3 :Pre-Event Checklist Venue 1. How much space do we need given how many people we think will attend? 2. What is the process for reserving the space? Is there a cost involved? If so, how can we pay this cost? 3. How early can we get into the space the day of the event? Will we have enough time to clean up after the event? 4. How many tables/chairs are at our disposal? 5. Will we be able to set up the room in rounds (optimal set-up for the solution generation event)? 6. Do we want a podium or microphone? Are these at our disposal? 7. Where can we put food and drinks? Are we allowed to bring these into the room? 8. Who is the contact for room set up? 9. Who will be our on-site contact at the event for room set up? 10. Are there any rules about sticking things to the walls? 11. Are there power outlets for people to charge their computers/devices? How many? 12. How close are water fountains? Restrooms? Audio/Video (A/V) 1. Who is the contact for this? 2. Who will be our on-site contact for this during the event? 3. Do we want or need a microphone? How many? Is this wired or wireless? 4. How many projectors do we need? Are they available? 5. When do we need to communicate final A/V needs? 6. Who will take photographs? Wifi 1. Is wifi available? What is the wifi password? 2. Is the wifi password conveniently displayed throughout the room for participants use? 3. Who is the on-site contact for this should it not work? Supplies & Materials 1. Are flip charts and easels available? Do we need to bring our own? 2. Will pens and Sharpies be supplied, or do we need to bring our own? General questions 1. Will there be any issues with the event time and length? Will doors lock at a certain time, will lights go out, will there be support for wifi, etc.? 2. Is security necessary? Is it provided? 3. What is the protocol for emergencies? 4. Is there anything going on at the venue during the day of the event we should know about (renovations, other events etc.)? 5. How close is parking? Do people have to pay? If so, can we get parking validated for everyone? 6. Is this a tricky building to navigate? How much signage do we need to get people to the right location? Start drafting signage (bring blank paper) 7. Where are we going to be telling people to enter the building? 8. Is there a nearby copy shop or business center for last minute printing? 9. Is there an on-site printer available to us? Version 1.0 ( ) Page 8 of 11

9 Food and Drink 1. Can we put power snacks (candy and nuts) on tables during the event? 2. Is there in house catering? 3. What is the water availability like? Drinking fountains? Bubblers? Can we use them? 4. What is waste disposal like? Are there compost bins? Can there be? 5. Where can outside catering companies enter the building to drop off food? Version 1.0 ( ) Page 9 of 11

10 APPENDIX 4:Post 4 :Post-event checklist Logistics 1. Did we clean up the venue to the standards requested? 2. (If relevant) Did we return all keys to the venue representative? 3. (If relevant) Did we follow-up to get our deposit returned? 4. Did we donate or save any leftover food or drink? Follow-up and Reporting 1. Did all attendees receive a thank-you with a list of any follow-up opportunities mentioned? 2. Did you upload photos and a short report on the event to Net Impact s Chapter Leader Portal (for Net Impact chapters only)? 3. Did you send ideas on how to improve the event to info@netimpact.org? Other 1. Did you debrief with your organizing team and capture successes and lessons learned? 2. Did you connect with the most enthusiastic attendees to discuss how to continue the momentum in the future? Version 1.0 ( ) Page 10 of 11

11 APPENDIX 5: 5 : FAQs for Participants We recommend that you send the following FAQs to participants before the event in whatever form is most convenient ( , PDF, etc.). What is the purpose of this event? This Climate Solution Generation Event is designed to help guide teams of people to quickly in developing and proposing solutions to address climate change. Participants will use design-thinking principles to work in teams and explore potential new solutions to the chosen issue. Everyone will leave with a greater appreciation of their contribution to climate change and how to minimize it; practice in centering on user needs to develop solutions, and connections with other people who want to impact this issue! And, while we don t expect this, you may even come up with a solution that you want to keep working on and bring to life. What do I need to bring? Simply your ideas and a fresh mind to tackle this topic! Okay, maybe a few other things: a water bottle, favorite snacks, and a physical notebook (or laptop/tablet if you prefer that for taking notes). That should be it! What will happen to our proposed solutions? That depends on you! If you re interested, you can continue to refine your solutions and bring them to potential partners, your Net Impact chapter, or other relevant organizations. There are also several competitions for reducing contributions to climate change that you could enter. Finally, check our Impact Climate site for suggestions on how to convert your solutions into action projects. We hope that this event is just the first step toward helping solve the issue you discuss! Who will be at the event? Other people interested in addressing this topic. We will form teams the day of the event, with the goal of getting diverse viewpoints on every team. Version 1.0 ( ) Page 11 of 11