Creative Canada: Factry Tastes Its Own Medicine

ArticleFactry

The Client Company

As the recipient of a major contract from the federal government, Factry is, in this case study, its own client! We are the school of creative sciences: our wide range of training programs are designed for all professionals who wish to transform their industry, whatever it may be. Our courses are complementary to the programs offered in traditional institutions.

The issue

Attached to the federal department of Employment and Social Development Canada (EDSC), the Skills for Success program funds initiatives that enable Canadians to acquire the skills they need to succeed in rapidly changing workplaces.

In response to a call for proposals, Factry is proposing to develop Creative Canada, a free online and in-person training program for French-speaking newcomers aimed at developing the “skills of the future”: communication, collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability, creativity and innovation. In the summer of 2022, EDSC accepts the proposal, and the first cohort should be able to begin their journey six months later.

While it has all the expertise to create an interesting and relevant training pathway, to fulfill this titanic mandate, Factry must equip itself to fully understand the reality of people new to Canada.

Between the time the project was submitted for the call for tenders and the time work began, the team realized that the reality of the typical target user was quite different from what they had originally envisioned,” explains Patricia Grzesiak, a project manager at Factry recruited specifically for this mandate. For example, since most of our target users have already joined the workforce, we had to re-evaluate the relevance of the collaborative networks we thought we should establish.”

La Factry is therefore seeking to better understand and define the needs of the individuals for whom the program is intended, to develop training adapted to their reality, and to understand what would make them enroll.

The proposal

To complete this project, which was taking it partially out of its comfort zone, the Factry will taste its own medicine and engage in a design sprint, an intensive process drawn from design thinking.

“A sprint is used to “de-risk” the fuzzy part of a project, the part that is new to the company, summarizes Cédric Martineau, a design thinking specialist, leader of the Innovation Management program at the Factry and consultant at Carverinno Conseil. The quality of the training courses created by La Factry is not an issue: that’s its specialty. The question was rather why people would decide to enroll. We had to come up with a proposal that had a good level of desirability.”

The work

In August, Factry started the design sprint, led by Cédric Martineau. During the scoping phase, a first team defines the typical user, whom they name Ryad. A multidisciplinary team of eight people is then put together and guided through the various stages of the design sprint over a period of four weeks. “It’s not four weeks full time. It’s a breathing space, and the presence of all members is not required at each step,” says Cédric Martineau.

The first sprint takes place over two days. Around the table, Factry brings together two coaches and workshop leaders, two executives and a manager from the usual team, as well as an institutional partner outside Quebec and a university professor. “At first, I didn’t see how we could steer such a diverse team towards one solution. But I felt that we were well guided in our progression, that we were getting somewhere,” recalls Patricia Grzesiak.

After lively and stimulating discussions, the team decided to develop a mobile application where participants could access the training content and network.

A storyboard was then prepared for a presentation of the interface to five immigrants at the end of the week. “Research shows that, for this kind of panel, you get 80% of the feedback you would have gotten with more people,” explains Cédric Martineau.

At this stage, the team knows that its solution is far from perfect. “Since the solution was developed very quickly, in three short days, we don’t have time to get attached to it, and we’re not devastated if our panel demolishes it the next day,” he says.

That’s the reality check. Interviewing the panel helps identify the strengths, but more importantly, the weaknesses, of the proposed solution. “In this case, we had a good general reception, but one of the important points was that people did not necessarily see the advantage of having the skills targeted by our training, and therefore might not consider it useful to enroll,” says Cédric Martineau. For its part, the Factry team is aware that it is not realistic to think of developing a mobile application in a few months, and will try to format a solution that can be inserted into its existing website.

The second sprint-known as the “iteration sprint” because it builds on the previous one-aims to address the concerns expressed by the panelists and come up with a prototype that is easier to implement. For one day, the multidisciplinary group is guided by Cédric Martineau through the various stages of the discussion and design process to make the necessary adjustments.

There were times when the group was not going in a direction that I personally would have chosen,” says Patricia Grzesiak. At the very beginning, when I wasn’t aligned with the rest of the group, I thought, ‘Is something going to bring me back eventually? But by the end of the sprint, I knew I was going to rally to a next step: I had had enough examples over the days. The process is very well done, in that sense.”

During the sprint, each person’s ideas are anonymous, which has the effect of freeing up speech and short-circuiting hierarchies within the group. “Sometimes the idea that was selected came from someone who we wouldn’t have seen as the most ‘creative,’ for example. It deconstructs preconceptions,” notes the project manager.

At the end of the second sprint, a smaller team builds a prototype of the refined solution, which then passes through the hands of a new panel, providing a final assessment of its strengths and weaknesses.

“You come out of the experience not only with a concrete solution to work on, but you also know which person will be able to work on which aspect of the project,” emphasizes Patricia Grzesiak.

These are valuable advantages for the person in charge of steering the project.

The Result

On February 16, the first cohort of the Creative Canada program began its workshops. Thirty people have committed to the training process. The microsite has been online since January. Even before the trainings began, the Factry realized it had hit the mark. “Newcomer professionals feel challenged. Registrations were in within three weeks. The formats envisioned in the design sprint made the process efficient. Even the essay questions on the registration form are all filled out!” says Patricia Grzesiak.

The Factry is aware that her new program will need improvements, but thanks to the exercise’s results, she now has a wealth of ideas to draw on as issues arise.

“Having the process documented also allows me, when a new person joins the site and has doubts about one of the selected avenues, to explain the path that got us there,” adds the project manager. That’s valuable.”

“The design sprint is the method I will choose in my new large-scale projects, when the deadlines are this tight,” she concludes. I had never experienced it before, I did it with a team I barely knew, and I saw how effective the process was.”

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Factry

Team Factry