The Innovation & Productivity Grant (IPG) supports these pre-approved categories and scopes of work:
1. Community Resources
Helps social service organisations enhance productivity by tapping onto community resources to increase pipeline of resources and build community self-support capacity and capability (e.g. schools allowing social service organisations to conduct activities in school premises, hairdressers provide free haircuts, etc.)
Scope of Work:
Baseline Assessment
- Conduct pre-project diagnosis on current approach of harnessing community resources, identify suitability and gaps, as well as baseline assessment based on agreed indicators.
Co-creation of solutions
- Work with social service organisation to determine priorities, opportunities and feasibility of the various strategic plans, co-create solutions and draw up action plans to:
- Conduct resource-mapping exercise; and
- Develop a framework to guide the social service organisation to update the resource map on its own even after the project has been completed;
Implementation
- Test and refine the solutions together with social service organisation (within 4-8 weeks, as a guide) to:
- Work with a selected group of community partners to prove that concept/ideas are implementable, i.e. community partners are able and willing to provide resources to fulfil social service organisation’s needs;
- Develop the value proposition, messaging, collaterals and channels in order for the concept to be pitched to community partners beyond the initial group; and
- Provide training and guidance to the social service organisation on the solutions.
Evaluation
- Evaluate the project results, measure impact of project, and propose recommendations for social service organisation to sustain improvements beyond the project. These should be documented in the Consultancy Report, which should also include a step-by-step guide on the solutions (see details under Consultants’ Deliverables section).
2. Process Improvement
Helps social service organisations review current processes, identify better work practices or bottlenecks in work, and re-design processes for improvement or productivity gains so that they have more time to focus on things that truly matter - Clients’ Needs.
Scope of Work:
Baseline Assessment
- Conduct pre-project diagnosis on identified processes, ascertain suitability and gaps, and baseline assessment based on agreed indicators.
Co-creation of solutions
- Work with social service organisation to determine priorities, feasibility of strategic plans and co-create solutions to:
- Standardise and streamline processes and workflow; and
- Develop plans to implement proposed solutions
Implementation
- Work with social service organisation (within 4-8 weeks as a guide) to:
- Prove revised processes are viable; and
- Provide training and guidance to social service organisation on implemented solutions
Evaluation
- Evaluate project results, measure impact of project and propose recommendations for social service organisation to sustain improvements beyond the project. These should be documented in the Consultancy Report, which should also include revised process map(s) and step-by-step guide on the new processes (see details under Consultants’ Deliverables).
3. Ready Technology Enabler
Scope of Work:
Baseline Assessment
- Conduct pre-project diagnosis on identified processes, ascertain suitability, opportunities for improvement and baseline assessment based on agreed indicators.
Co-creation of Solutions
- Work with social service organisation to determine priorities, feasibility of strategic plans and co-create solutions to:
- Determine ideal scenario, requirements of identified work processes and selection matrix;
- Identify at least 3 ready tech solutions and recommend based on selection matrix; and
- Develop plans to implement selected ready tech solution
Implementation
- Work with social service organisation and ready tech provider (within 4-8 weeks as a guide) to:
- Smoothen implementation of selected solution and provide guidance on use of ready tech solution, especially on interface with existing systems or work processes, in addition to ready tech provider’s training resources; OR
- Build a Minimally Viable Product (MVP)** to validate To-Be processes and usability of solution
** MVP is not meant to be a fully working technology solution & can be used to communicate requirements in a more tangible manner to future technology partners.
Evaluation
- Evaluate trial results, measure impact of project and propose recommendations for social service organisation to sustain improvements beyond the project. These should be documented in the Consultancy Report, which should also include (see details under Consultants’ Deliverables):
- Revised Process Map(s) and Step-by-step Guide on use of ready tech; OR
- Minimally Viable Product and Specifications for future product
(*Notes:
- Budget for acquisition (purchase/rental/subscription) and/or customisation of ready tech solution are not provided under VCF Pre-scoped Consultancy. Consultant would need to work with social service organisation during consultancy to determine quantum and source of funding for these costs (where applicable).
- Social service organisation could put in a second VCF funding application under the “Adopting and Scaling of Innovation and Productivity Improvement” category, but projected productivity gains should be substantial in order to justify for 2nd VCF funding application.)
4. Space Utilisation
Helps social service Organisations achieve productivity enhancements through effective utilisation of space that best meets the needs of their clients and staff. Space areas that could be considered include those set up for:
a. Clients (e.g. counselling rooms, therapy spaces, spaces for client activities)
b. Staff (e.g. office space, storage space, staff lounge)
c. Both clients and staff (e.g. reception area, canteen area)
Scope of Work:
Baseline Assessment
- Conduct pre-project diagnosis on current space usage, identify suitability and gaps, and baseline assessment based on agreed indicators.
Co-creation of Solutions
- Work with social service organisation (preferably using design thinking methodology) to determine priorities, opportunities and feasibility of various strategic plans, co-create solutions to:
- Revise space management strategies, including redesigning of space, identifying space for storage purposes and placement of resources and designing new layout options;
- Develop action plan for the actual implementation of the new space usage
Implementation
- Work with social service organisation (within 4-8 weeks as a guide) to test and refine solutions, i.e. prototype and/or create new and optimised spaces, including layout and functionality that satisfy requirements of social service organisation’s programmes and activities.
Evaluation
- Evaluate project results, measure impact of project, and propose recommendations for the social service organisation to sustain efficient and effective use of the new space. These should be documented in the Consultancy Report, which should also include at least 2 proposed new premise layouts (see details under Consultants’ Deliverables section).
(*Note: Scope of work excludes renovation work and any implementation design work e.g. scaled drawings or blue prints, design visualizations or renderings.)
Project Duration
Project duration will be
6 months, with maximum extension of 3 months (i.e. up to 9 months).
For Space Utilisation Category Only - Additional Notes:
If renovation work is involved:
- This should be determined during the Baseline Assessment phase.
- An extension of three months is allowed if renovation work is part of the project plan following the Co-creation of Solutions phase. However, an element of prototyping and seeking of staff feedback is required before a final decision is made for investment in renovating the space.
- Budget for renovation is not provided by VCF.The consultant would need to work with social service organisation during the consultancy to determine and confirm the quantum and source of funding for renovations (where applicable).
Consultants’ Deliverables
- Consultant must hold at least one opening, progress update and closing meeting within the project duration.
- Consultancy Report (signed by both the consultant and SSOrg) shall include the following (but not restricted to):
- Profile of social service organisation
- Project team members, including their profiles
- Project scope and objectives
- Project methodology
- Diagnosis of social service organisation’s current state, gaps, opportunity and unmet needs
- Co-creation of solutions (including rationale for selected solutions)
- Implementation (for Community Resources, Process Improvement or Space Utilisation categories)
- Conduct of trial (for Ready Technology Enabler)
- Evaluation of Project results
- Post-Project recommendations
- Additional Documents:
- Step-by-step guide on the Solutions (For Community Resources category only)
- Revised Process Map(s) and Step-by-step Guide on new processes (For Process Improvement category only)
- Revised Process Map(s) and Step-by-step Guide on use of ready tech; or Minimally Viable Product and Specifications for future product (For Ready Technology Enabler category only)
- At least 2 proposed new premise layouts (For Space Utilisation category only)