Transformed by You Competition Kent Business School MBA Students Workshop

Background Kent Connects and Kent Business School set up a joint MBA Cohort Programme in Spring 2011 to enable councils and other public services to access a range of expertise from the students and provide students with invaluable practical experience of the public sector These projects are providing a collaborative approach for students to grow tangible business connections, gain a deeper understanding of the challenges public sector organisation face, as well as sharpen their leadership skills. Competition Kent Connects are organising a competition to stimulate public services, entrepreneurs and communities to develop innovative ways of using technology to improve their neighbourhoods. This builds on the Transformed by You programme conducted with entrepreneurs and students1. The competition will run as such: 1. People will be able to submit and rate ideas online on how technology could help improve their neighbourhoods 2. Groups will discuss and refine the highest rated ideas at ideas workshops 3. Digital entrepreneurs will be able to submit and rate prototypes they want to develop that build on the top ideas on specific challenges 4. Digital entrepreneurs will develop their prototypes at an event with others to try and win the competition 5. Students from KBS will advise entrepreneurs on how to take prototype products and services to market Aim Building on lessons learned from challenge-based approaches developed both by Kent Connects Partners and recommendations by NESTA2, we propose to design a workshop to provide o o o Students with real-life work experience of advising entrepreneurs on how to take prototype products and services to market Digital innovators with entrepreneurial expertise from the students so their prototypes can be developed, tested and evaluated into viable ventures Public service commissioners and researchers with a better understanding of how innovations with the potential to serve the public can be taken to market

This will provide the Kent Connects and Kent Business School partnership with another opportunity of working together to stimulate local entrepreneurs and inform the development of future Kent MBA projects. 1. How will the workshop run? The digital innovators/developers and small groups of students will work through the brief below on their prototypes.
1 2

http://www.kent.ac.uk/stms/news/stories/2010/kcc.html Vicki Purewal, Social Challenge Prize Guide, http://bit.ly/lN3Xe7, NESTA, December 2010

The questions that will form the brief for the students at the Kent Business School Kent Connects Workshop will build on both the questions that will have been asked to the prototype developers in the submission form (see Annexes) and the review by the Judges of the Competition. Stage Market Research and Business Modelling Questions What is the customer need and market opportunity? Advice to Prototype Developers Analysing market opportunities for the prototype (including customer & competitor analysis) Working through any complex decisions needed to develop the business model for the prototype Developing a strategy to take the prototype to market Identifying and appraising process and operational issues and suggesting solutions to these Financing and budgeting of the prototype (balance sheet, forecasting and investment) Identify the drivers for a potential approach to managing the supply chain for the prototype to be delivered Identifying, formalising and pitching Related Kent MBA Module Marketing Analysis and Planning

What methodologies, materials and tools will we use to conduct the research? How are we going to develop the strategy? Design and Delivery How are we going to take forward the development of the prototype?

Applied Business Modelling

Strategic Management

Managing Processes

What resources are needed to develop the prototype?

Accounting and Financial Management

How are we going to manage the supply chain?

Strategic Supply Chain Management

How are we going to appraise the options?

Entrepreneurship

entrepreneurial opportunities to further develop the prototype Project Management How are we going to set up the team? Managing a team of people to develop the prototype Identifying stakeholders and understanding how to influence them Identifying stakeholders and understanding how to influence them Determine marketing objectives and develop marketing strategies based on analysis of the market and an understanding of buyer behaviour. Develop creative solutions to marketing challenges for the prototype Managing People and Organisations

Who are the stakeholders and how are they to be engaged and what are their issues? Who would be a suitable sponsor for the project?

Managing People and Organisations

Managing People and Organisations

How are we going to plan the marketing and communications?

Marketing Analysis and Planning

Marketing & What marketing Communications and communications activities are required?

Marketing Analysis and Planning

2. What will be the different stages of the workshop? o o o o o o Each group will require a maximum of six students and the presence of the prototype developer/s of the prototype selected The students and developers will work together to complete the above brief Get key advisors to support, advise and challenge the groups on taking the prototype to market (with their own individual experiences and tips) During the workshop, facilitators will advise each group and simulate "unexpected events" that could affect the prototype as its taken to market At the end of the workshop, each group will showcase and "walk through" their innovation with opportunities for feedback from other participants The content produced for the business propositions will be edited and packaged and distributed to students and developers

Introduction of the day o Refreshments and introduction of the agenda of the day o Speed networking session to introduce students to developers Morning session o Introduction of prototypes o Group workshops o Lunch Afternoon session o Showcase by each group, feedback and next steps 3. What actions will be offered to the students for the workshop? Actions Select which type of mentor you wish to be Review brief for the workshop Review the background content for the prototype Resources provided Brief description of role of mentor Brief for the workshop agenda Submission put forward for the prototype Analysis by the Judges Prototype (including web link) Brief checklist prototype developer Start Date 25 November 6 February 30 January 30 January 6 February Finish Date

Participate in the workshop and work with the prototype developer/s to develop a business and community proposition for it

W/C 6 February

Annexes 1. Contribution to the skills developed by students relevant to the Kent MBA Programme Intellectual skills o o Analytical skills necessary for the analysis of problems and the identification of appropriate solutions. Ability to plan, work and study independently and in a group and use relevant resources in a way which reflects best current and anticipated future practice.

Subject specific skills o o o Ability to initiate and manage change by development of an awareness of threats, a perception of opportunities and a readiness to reconsider current practices rather than simply repeating past patterns. Ability to integrate academic frameworks and understanding with the practical environment of business. Ability to identify business opportunities.

Transferable skills o o o o Effective performance in a team environment. Enhance the interactive skills needed to communicate, negotiate and mobilise people in organisations. Effectively apply numeracy and quantitative skills including the use of models of business situations; qualitative research skills. Apply the ability to identify, manipulate, evaluate and communicate knowledge relevant to business and management issues to the development and management of organisations.

2. Submission Form for Prototype Developers Submission Questions What is the prototype? name of Judging Criteria your Evidence of creativity

What idea/s are you developing Evidence of prototype building on an idea put your prototype on forward in the Ideas Competition How are you going to develop it? What datasets are you using? Evidence that the prototype can be used by a member of the public Evidence of use of www.openkent.org.uk data available from

What tools and techniques are you Evidence of ability to use tools and techniques going to use to develop the in an innovative way and that are accessible to prototype? all How would you take your idea Evidence of ability to engage people to use the

forward? What stage prototyping? are you at

prototype and sponsors to fund its development Selecting the idea

in Researching market & resources needed Planning the development of the prototype Developing the prototype Testing the prototype Turning the prototype into a viable product What type (and level 1-3) of Time/Technology/Research/Investment/Training support do you need to take forward your prototype?