Workshop Title
The learner is expected to develop an evaluation scheme for ideas
The learner is expected to develop an evaluation scheme for ideas.
- Duration: 4 hours
The learner is expected to develop an evaluation scheme for an idea in regard to its value and feasibility
The learner should be able to:
- Manage evaluation schemes and principles to idea evaluation and feasibility analysis
- Draft and apply evaluation schemes to identify the value and feasibility of an idea
- Indicate value opportunities on concept ideas presented
The workshop will provide the participants with different possibilities on how an idea can be evaluated and when an idea evaluation is necessary.
Further, different techniques on how an idea can be evaluated will be presented and discussed.
Practical examples where participants evaluate one of their ideas and feedback from the group will conclude the workshop.
This workshop aims at providing the participants with a general overview about how ideas can be evaluated and why ideas should be evaluated and will show them 2 different key tools on how an idea evaluation can be conducted.
First is an introduction about the learning outcomes to be covered as well as a short introduction about the project itself. This is followed by a short activity where participants will conduct a little exercise that should increase awareness about how they can change one thing in their private or professional life through something they love.
After some theoretical input through the trainer, the participants will be asked to rank two ideas that they had in the past and see whether the results of this ranking are different than the idea which they originally went for. After some more theoretical input, participants will conduct one final long exercise that combines everything.
Challenges may arise if participants do not participate or hesitate to share their opinions and inputs on the topics. To break the ice – in the beginning a small group work is provided that should lighten the mood and make the group comfortable with each other. Some of the participants might not have had ideas in the past that they could evaluate which the trainer of this workshop could solve by giving them the opportunity to take something they are passionate about, and which could be turned into a business idea.
Step by step instructions for the preparation and implementation of the workshop
Use the Power Point as an overall guideline. All theoretical inputs are covered by links to their respective origin.
INTRODUCTION
Let the participants present themselves and their background then Learning outcomes and Introduction on Power Point. (PPT)
LATERAL CONNECTIONS (Exercise 1)
Step 1: Have each person take a piece of paper. On one side, write down one thing you like to do on the weekends. On the other side, write down an issue you’d like to address – either work-related or personal.
Step 2: Have people pair up. One person will begin by stating their issue. The other person will read their weekend activity, phrasing it in the context of “My idea for you is to…”.
Step 3: Take a few minutes for the issue owner to discuss how they can use the weekend activity to think of 3 plusses or benefits about how this activity could be used to address the issue.
Step 4: Switch and do the same for the other person’s issues.
Step 5: As a larger group, feel free to share how it felt to go through this exercise and interesting connections they made (DISCUSSION 5-10min.)
Step 1: Presentation of slide “Successful ideas” and introduction to exercise and explanation for example criteria on exercise “Let’s evaluate an idea”.
Idea evaluation matrix (Attachment 0.2 for Trainer, Attachment 0.3 for Participants) EXERCISE 2
Using the PPT in presenter mode will show participants with what step to start during this exercise.
Step 1: Participants should choose 2 ideas they had in the past and enter them in the matrix
Step 2: Allow some time for finding the different criteria’s the participants would like to evaluate (the “Example criteria” in the Power Point can be used but are only examples)
Step 3: Rank each criterion (Criteria coefficient) with 5 being the most important and 1 the least important
Step 4: Rank the 2 ideas according to how well they fulfill the criteria coefficients, again with 5 being the best and 1 being the worst)
Step 5: Multiply the criteria coefficient with the score on each idea and compare the results
Step 6: Facilitate a discussion about if the participants would have chosen a different idea now than they did in the past after conducting this exercise.
THEORY (PPT)
Step 1: Presentation of slides “Typical evaluation process in a company”, “Eisenhower Matrix”, “How to assess creative ideas”, “Estimating the market for a product”
Step 2: Include participants and ask while presenting the slides if they know any examples. Facilitate questions and discussion amongst topics discussed
INNOVATIVE IDEAS (Exercise 3) (Attachment_0.4)
Participants may leave classroom for the first part of the exercise
Step 1: Individual work: (15 min.)
Hand out Attachment_0.4 as an introduction to the topic and blank sheets of paper and let the participants write down one creative innovative idea each which should not be unrealistic.
After this process is complete, participants will divide into groups of 5-7 people and will present the idea they came up with in their group. After each person had presented their idea within the groups and put them all on a flipchart, participants will use 2 sticky notes to indicate their 2 favorite ideas from the group on the flipchart (they are not allowed to choose their own idea). The 2 ideas with the most sticky notes on them are the winning ideas for this group.
Step 2: Group work: (80 min.)
Now, the groups are required to think of 5 criteria they would evaluate their 2 favorite ideas on, e.g.: How much money can we earn with it? Is it possible to implement it? Will the bank give us a loan? Is there a market for it?…
The 2 ideas will be evaluated by the group according to those 5 criteria. A ranking from 1-5 will be assigned by each group to the 2 ideas.
The group will then rank the 2 ideas according to the criteria they came up with. The goal is also that participants get familiar with their 2 ideas and develop them further.
After students have come up with evaluation criteria and have ranked their 2 ideas, a SWOT analysis of the 2 ideas will be conducted on the flipchart. Considering the ranking and the SWOT analysis, the group should come to a consensus why one idea is better than the other (without voting) and once all groups have settled on one idea which they think has the highest likelihood of becoming successful, one member of each group will present their idea to the whole class. (ex. 20 participants = 4 groups = 4 final idea presentations)
Step 3: Individual work (5 min.)
After the final presentations to the whole class, all participants should get their sticky notes again and decide for one winner by placing only one sticky note on the group flipchart with the idea they believe has the highest likelihood of success.
Step 4: Group discussion. (20 min.)
After a winner had been determined, facilitate a group discussion about what went well, what didn’t and why participants have decided in certain ways. Also go to each flipchart and facilitate a discussion between the group why they have decided in a certain way which the whole class should hear and listen to.
HANDOUTS (Attachment_0.5 & Attachment_0.6)
Step 1: Hand out attachments to participants and shortly explain what they can be used for (all information can be found on the handouts)
Resources
Training room, pens, paper, flipchart, colorful markers, Laptop with MS office, beamer, sticky notes in different colors
