Innovation needs space, creativity and collaboration​

smart/consult & smart/bench case studies

When a major government agency approached smart/tasking, explaining they needed to find a way of working more collaboratively, we stepped up to the challenge. The agency, which was working in partnership with several other government departments, selected industry partners and members of Academia, needed a more innovative, creative and outcomes-focussed environment in which detailed solutions to public problems could be addressed, and potential solutions scoped out and even road-tested. ​

It seemed natural for us to scope out a neutral collaboration space where all of these stakeholders to come together and innovate. But we needed to be mindful of creating this space in what was (and still is) a high-security, high-scrutiny environment.

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Our first step was to delve right into the issues. ‘Collaboration’ can mean different things to different people, but the desired outcomes almost always feature innovation, originality, and brave, blue-sky thinking. We created a blueprint for a collaboration zone, drawing on best practices from the Institute of Collaborative Working. After road-testing the zone in our client’s London office, we branded it to give a sense of belonging to anyone using the space. We stocked with a full suite of tools to enhance employees’ and guests’ ability to innovate. The approach and tools included a core IT system and practical processes, all based on Agile methodologies to foster genuinely collaborative working and innovative thinking. Light touch facilitation techniques from the on-site team were developed to foster even more effective cross-departmental working.

Using the new collaboration zone, participants said they felt freed from legacy ways of working, enabling them to think and act in new, fresh ways. Ideas were concepted and trialled more quickly, and were progressed to delivery far more smoothly than before. Importantly, the new collaboration zone enabled more businesses – especially SMEs – to meet and engage with government departments and academics, giving them a platform to showcase their own skills and expertise.​

Importantly, as smart/tasking commits to leaving a legacy on each of our engagements, our intervention has created a highly transferable service and a set of collaborative values which can be quickly spun up elsewhere, as needed!