Step 1- Brainstorming and identification
The definition of a new service usually starts with gathering ideas by screening research products and best practice technologies that might be interesting for out-scaling, such as scalable technologies or training courses. rvice such as scalable technologies and training material and best practice examples that might be he initial stage when experts
Step 2 - General description of service
Rationale: Information that justifies the investment. It describes the problem that the service addresses in the context of the goal of the action.
Objective / Purpose: Explaining how the service will contribute to the solution of the problem and what effect it will have on the performance of the action.
Target group: List of primary and secondary beneficiaries.
Primary beneficiary: The individual to whom the service will be delivered and who is entitled to make request for service. Selection criteria must be indicated.
Outputs: List of measurable and tangible results (e.g. products & services) and to whom they are delivered (see target group).
Expected Outcomes: List of expected outcomes for the various stakeholders that are considered in the action (e.g. all actors in the innovation system) and secondary effects.
Performance indicators: List of indicators for assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the service in quantitative and qualitative terms.
Budget: Total budget available
Step 3 - Define a workflow
Services consist of a set of subsequent tasks that are organised in a work-flow towards a specific output. It is recommended to start at the end to assure a clear focus on the result. To make sure From experience it is best to start from the end They require the involvement of various agents with complementary skills. Each task includes one or several activities that are carried out by a single agent without having to interact with another agent. All services must comprise four basic tasks: 1. the publication of the request, 2. the publication of the response and 3. the publication of the results of the evaluation by the primary beneficiary and 4. controlling. Controlling includes monitoring of progress, up-dating of the accounting and payment of agents. To ensure the quality of the information and fairness, it is advisable to entrust these basic tasks to people who take no other tasks in the work process.
Step 4 - Definition of tasks
All tasks are defined according to the following structure:
- Activities: Description of the activities that have to be carried out by a task manager.
- Deliverable: It is the description of the result of a task that is handed over to the next task manager within a work flow. The description must specify the results / products in quantitative and qualitative terms.
- Proof: The evidence that the result was delivered indication the source of verification. This is usually a link to a information system on the internet.
- Agent: The person or organization that carries out the task. For each agent the required professional and social skills must be defined.
- Expenses: Detailed quantification of resources that are required on average to carry out the task (e.g. working hours, material, consumables, transport, …).
- Duration: Time during which the task must be completed.
Step 5 - Elaborate instructions
This is description of the methodology, rules and regulation according to which the activities have to be carried out in order to accomplish the various tasks and to get a desired result.
Step 6 - Forms
A minimum of three forms are required for work flow management:
- Request form: The form that needs to be filled with for the formulation of a service request.
- Answer form: The form that needs to be filled for the communication of the response.
- Evaluation form: The form that captures feedback of the person to whom the answer was delivered.
Further forms might be required for the gathering of additional data and information.
Step 7 - Costing of services
Costing of voucher services is a strategic exercise. A reasonable cost-benefit ratio and transparency of costing that justifies investments is of critical importance for sustainability and up-scaling. The services must be affordable for actors in the local economy. Costing of services should result in a good balance between motivation of the involved service providers on the one hand and affordability of services for the beneficiaries on the other hand.
Costing of services is carried out in four steps:
1. Determine prices: It is a list of the prices of all cost items that need to be considered that are gathered in the country or region where the project operates. It is an open list that is extended according to need.
2. Costing of tasks: This is done in a three step negotiation with concerned service providers. First the required the resources are estimated by indicating the number of units for each cost item. Theirafter the cost are determined by a simple multiplication of the number of units with the prices for each line item. Considering that many of the various cost items. The cost of a task is then In a second step the that are required by specifying the number of Together with service providers In a first step the number of units that are required The cost of a is done in two steps services: Calculation of the cost of the various tasks by a simple multiplication of prices and expenses, which were quantified in step 2. The cost of a service is equal to the sum of the costs of tasks of a specific service.
The costs for the different tasks and services that are defined during this process will be valid throughout the project period.
Step 6 - Optimisation
Workflows are optimised in an iterative process with the aim to improve the effectiveness and to lower the cost, while considering the principles of the RUN business model.
