MA Veteran and Family Portal! Requirements Design Process!

BYO consulting Case Study ! December 7th 2011!

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Table of Contents. !
3 BACKGROUND ! Project summary and info about BYO consulting! ! 9 PROCESS! Description of our bespoke audience centered design process! ! 13 WHAT WE LEARNED! Key learnings from the discovery and renement phases of the project! ! 26 FINAL DESIGN ! Description of the nal design concept for the portal ! !

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Portal Design Project: Background!

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Project Goal: design the requirements for a portal that improves the online lives of veterans and their families. Project Sponsors: Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), MA Department of Veterans Services, and the Homebase Program Design Timeline: January August 2011!

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Why they chose BYO. !

! We solve public problems through digital innovation. !
BYO was chosen to lead this project because of our strong background in government technology and our focus on solving public problems through human-centered digital strategy and design. !
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We focus on the user. !

Working across the government and non-prot sectors, we help our clients leverage social technology for the greater good by understanding their audiences and crafting impactful digital strategies, products and services that meet their needs. !
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We understand government and social change. !

We have deep expertise in government and social sectors, and our clients span a variety of sectors; from arts administration to aerospace, the media to the military, and architectural design to education reform we speak our clients language. We understand their motivations. We feel their challenges. And we take great delight in crafting innovative solutions that solve their problems in meaningful and engaging ways.!

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What we do.!
We design strategies and products!

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Digital Technology Product Requirements ! Public Services ! Social Media Engagement! Online Communications // Marketing // Engagement! Community Building! Organizational Development! Training and Curriculum!

using human-centered research and design techniques: !

Interviews ! Field Observations! Focus Groups ! Surveys ! Design Charrettes ! Ideation Sessions and Workshops ! Desktop Studies ! Literature Reviews! Quantitative // Qualitative Data Analysis! #$%&'$%(")*"+,-"./0123405"667"89!!""

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Im Yasmin. I founded and run BYO.!

Areas of Expertise
!General Government and Public Policy; Veterans Services; Education; Libraries; !Technology + Governance; Press and Politics; Community Building and Organizing; !Civic Engagement! !

Capabilities
!Research and Strategy Development; User Analysis; Conceptual Product Design; !Social Innovation + Entrepreneurship; Business Development; Process Improvement; !Services Design !

Education!
M.A, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, MA, 2010, Public Policy! B.A, Cornell University, 2005, Government !

! Contact! !!Yasmin@BYOconsulting.com

// 818 419 1651 // http://wethegoverati.com !

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We have some awesome clients and partners:!

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Veterans Portal Design Process!

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We use an audience-centered model ! to design products and services!

! We believe that the most effective products and services are those that tap into the needs, desires, behaviors, and motivations of their intended audience.!
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However, in the government / social sector, the funding, policy and political ecosystem, organizational constraints, and project capacities are all important factors to include in the analysis. ! "

How can we leverage the expertise and resources from the organization to support this project? ! What are our funding and sustainability constraints?!

Eco-System! Organizations!

Who are the stakeholders that we should involve in this project? How can we help them, and what do we need from them?!

Products // Services!
What veterans and their families care about? What are their motivations? How can we engage them while meeting their needs?!

Audience!

How can we ensure that the product meets our intended policy goals while engaging our audience?!

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Our design process started with participatory ideation and ended with focused user input!
HOW IT WORKS - We start by collecting data and running ideation sessions with stakeholders to develop a large solution set. Then we test those potential solutions with our core users through design charrettes, site visits, and focus groups to rene and select the most meaningful solution. !
Project Kick-off!

Discovery!

Discovery: desktop studies, user surveys, and expert interviews" Renement: design charrettes, site visits, focus groups "

Renement!

Design Sign-off!
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Most meaningful solution"

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VA Portal Design Tasks and Timeline: !

1. Project Kick-off (Jan)! 1.1. Project Management Structure! 1.2. Conrm Methodology! 1.3. Organizational/Stakeholder Analysis ! 2. Discovery (Feb March) ! 2.1. Inventory of Veterans Websites! 2.2. Desktop Study! 2.3. Expert Interviews (veterans community + gov/tech community)! 2.4 User Surveys! 3. Renement (March June) ! 3.1. Design Charrette! 3.2. Needs Assessment (focus group) ! 4. Design Sign-off (June July)! 4.1. Development of Final Requirements!
Project Kick-off! Discovery! Renement! Design Sign-off!

Jan!

Feb!

March!

April! 2011!

May!

June!

July!
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What We Learned about the Veteran // Family Community!

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There are many resources and supports available for veterans:!

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Food, Womens Issues, Legal Service, Healthcare + Mental Healthcare, Recreation, Housing, Financial and Tax Services, Educational Credits, Employment, Transportation, Faith, MA Dept of Veterans Services, Veterans Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, VA Hospitals, etc...!

However, the eligibility and application process can be prohibitively complicated." !

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Tell us what we need to know; dont make ! us look through complicated information that doesnt apply to us.!
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Furthermore, veterans and their family members use the web, and are used to the clarity of commercial websites. ! ! They want to be able to get everything done easily online. !

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Zappos knows what I wantwhy dont you?!

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While we can give veterans more clarity, we are unable to build a transactional system as an external organization.!

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Our organizational analysis showed us that we were limited to working at the 1st and 2nd stages of development:!
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT!
1. Presence! 2. Interaction (i.e. 2.0)! 3. Transaction (aspirational goal)!

REQUIREMENTS!
Simple posting of information ! Turning words into data ! Authority over dispensing benets !

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Many users reported that their primary method of obtaining information about resources is through other veterans.!

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We helped each other in combat, and we help ! each other at home. !

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However, our younger (OEF/OIF) veterans are part of a strong ofine // online support community and the majority of veterans in Massachusetts are elderly."

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There are 400k+ veterans in Massachusetts, the majority of whom are >50!

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Veterans Portal Final Design!

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The portal will untangle the benets and services process for veterans, creating a Turbotax for veterans benets and services, giving them easy access to the critical information they need and deserve. !
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How accessing information about benets and services online will change: !
FROM: ! TO: !

empty jargon!
a generic experience based in static text ! from pamphlets and websites ! ! point of entry = info about the benet/service!

plain english!
a personalized online experience that responds to the unique needs of individuals! ! point of entry = information about the veteran or family member!

quantity !
even though a veteran might only be eligible for a small number of benets and services, they still have to comb through the 1000s that exist !

quality!
veterans will only be presented with specic benets and services that are relevant to them and for which they are eligible !

uncertainty!
veterans are unsure if they are eligible for the benets they are interested in !

condence!
veterans will feel condent that the recommendations they receive are targeted and robust !

reliance !
veterans often rely on others to recommend services because the benets research process is exhausting ! #$%&'$%(")*"+,-"./0123405"667"89!!""

independence!
veterans will be able to quickly and simply navigate a site and help others do the same ! 8?"

The features.!
1! 2! 3!

Input Information:!

Receive Recommendations:! Rate Quality:!

! Unlike traditional search !

functions that utilize category or keyword searches, the Portal will guide users through a diagnostic process. By asking questions in simple language about their current condition, the Portal will map to all relevant benets and services for which they are eligible, leaving out those which are irrelevant for the user. !

! !As the veteran // family member

completes the diagnostic questionnaire, the user will be presented with recommended services along with concrete steps to take to access those benets. Finally, the user will be able to save, print or email the list and associated documentation. !

! Although veterans expressed an !

interest in working together, they already use a number of popular social networking sites. Accordingly, on our site veterans will be able to:! 1) leave comments on services and benets! 2) like a benet or service. These ratings will be visible to all users of the site, giving them the opportunity to help their peers without developing yet another social networking site. !

The Portal be based on a new database of Federal and Massachusetts veterans programs and benets, communicated through a simple and intuitive user interface, effortlessly guiding veterans to the specic information they need and deserve. !
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The features.!
1! 2! 3!

Input Information:!

Receive Recommendations:! Rate Quality:!

! Unlike traditional search !

functions that utilize category or keyword searches, the Portal will guide users through a diagnostic process. By asking questions in simple language about their current condition, the Portal will map to all relevant benets and services for which they are eligible, leaving out those which are irrelevant for the user. !

! !As the veteran // family member

completes the diagnostic questionnaire, the user will be presented with recommended services along with concrete steps to take to access those benets. Finally, the user will be able to save, print or email the list and associated documentation. !

! Although veterans expressed an !

interest in working together, they already use a number of popular social networking sites. Accordingly, on our site veterans will be able to:! 1) leave comments on services and benets! 2) like a benet or service. These ratings will be visible to all users of the site, giving them the opportunity to help their peers without developing yet another social networking site. !

The Portal be based on a new database of Federal and Massachusetts veterans programs and benets, communicated through a simple and intuitive user interface, effortlessly guiding veterans to the specic information they need and deserve. !
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The features.!
1! 2! 3!

Input Information:!

Receive Recommendations:! Rate Quality:!

! Unlike traditional search !

functions that utilize category or keyword searches, the Portal will guide users through a diagnostic process. By asking questions in simple language about their current condition, the Portal will map to all relevant benets and services for which they are eligible, leaving out those which are irrelevant for the user. !

! !As the veteran // family member

completes the diagnostic questionnaire, the user will be presented with recommended services along with concrete steps to take to access those benets. Finally, the user will be able to save, print or email the list and associated documentation. !

! Although veterans expressed an !

interest in working together, they already use a number of popular social networking sites. Accordingly, on our site veterans will be able to:! 1) leave comments on services and benets! 2) like a benet or service. These ratings will be visible to all users of the site, giving them the opportunity to help their peers without developing yet another social networking site. !

The Portal be based on a new database of Federal and Massachusetts veterans programs and benets, communicated through a simple and intuitive user interface, effortlessly guiding veterans to the specic information they need and deserve. !
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The features.!
1! 2! 3!

Input Information:!

Receive Recommendations:! Rate Quality:!

! Unlike traditional search !

functions that utilize category or keyword searches, the Portal will guide users through a diagnostic process. By asking questions in simple language about their current condition, the Portal will map to all relevant benets and services for which they are eligible, leaving out those which are irrelevant for the user. !

! !As the veteran // family member

completes the diagnostic questionnaire, the user will be presented with recommended services along with concrete steps to take to access those benets. Finally, the user will be able to save, print or email the list and associated documentation. !

! Although veterans expressed an !

interest in working together, they already use a number of popular social networking sites. Accordingly, on our site veterans will be able to:! 1) leave comments on services and benets! 2) like a benet or service. These ratings will be visible to all users of the site, giving them the opportunity to help their peers without developing yet another social networking site. !

The Portal be based on a new database of Federal and Massachusetts veterans programs and benets, communicated through a simple and intuitive user interface, effortlessly guiding veterans to the specic information they need and deserve. !
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What we got rid of.!

Users can manage and store information online. ! Include social elements, including but not limited to photo and video sharing, social networking, commenting, rating, tagging, forums, etc. ! Calendar functions. ! Community announcements. ! Connect with external social networking sites (facebook, twitter, etc). !

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Implementation notes.!
! ! ! ! 7 vendors responded to the RFP ! Gopi Bala // MNET building the portal (to be launched Spring 2012) ! MBI hiring a community manager ! BYO developing an outreach plan for the MA veterans community ! BYO developing a basic digital literacy curriculum for VSOs and Veterans Services Organizations to use with veterans (train-the-trainer program) !

! BYO developing an advanced digital literacy curriculum for VSOs (re: the portal + other low-cost online tools that can be used to manage cases such as dropbox, google docs, evernote, basecamp, etc) !
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Questions? email: yasmin@byoconsulting.com!

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