Pita Tonga's Portfolio

Here are two projects where I applied Service Design Thinking.

Project 1

Emergency Housing Communications

Project 2

Housing End to End Mapping Exhibition Portfolio

Project 1

Emergency Housing Communications Tools

Creative Fields Service Design / Graphic Design

Project overview The project focuses on how the Ministry of Social Development can effectively communicate to clients their rights and obligations post-emergency housing process. Clients are vulnerable during the process due to high levels of stress, affecting their ability to retain information. When clients are in emergency housing, they may not be aware of their rights, obligations, available support or how to access that information, leading to poor outcomes.

This project aims to: (1) Consolidate important information that clients can access post-emergency housing process. (2) Explore communication solution(s) that meet user needs of clients, ThirdParty, Contact Centre and Sevice Centre staff and that fit into the existing emergency housing systems.

© Pita Tonga 2020

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Initial Inquiry

Staff emergency housing communications

S11 Form – ADV/RAP/ SNG:

Hire

Colleagues Emergency Housing Templates

Housing Privacy consent form

MSD National Office

What are the current communications MSD uses to inform clients of their emergency housing rights & obligations?

Emergency Housing Letter

Regional Directors

The loop

EH SNG Application form

MSD Website

MSD Communications MSD frontline staff are exposed to multiple channels of information via the loop, Third-Party, new products, colleagues, regional practice, regional directors etc., which can cause communication issues when relaying information to a client.

Information is also influenced by emergency housing's integration into New Zealand's housing services, best displayed by the ecosystem map.

© Pita Tonga 2020

Regional Practice

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Secondary Research

IN DI VI DU AL

EH Clients

Clients from the Rainbow Community

RS DE L HO KE A ST Senior Clients

Ministry of Youth Development

Red Cross, Salvation Army

Social Wellbeing Board

Social Service Providers Aotearoa

Ministry of Justice

District Health Boards

Pacific Focus Housing Providers

Third Party

Development)

Ora

Transitional T Housing Providers

Housing Reference Group Housing First Providers

Service Centre

Customer Service Representative ISCM

Contact Centres

Regional Services

Centralised Services

Youth Services

Council Housing

Community Housing Providers

Peak Bodies

Strategy & Insights

Housing Team

Regional Contract Teams

Public Housing Providerss

Emerge Aotearoa

A communications solution needs to intergrate into New Zealands housing services.

© Pita Tonga 2020

MSD Housing Leadership

Case Manager

The Salvation Army

Penina Health Trust & Grace Foundation

BPM

Planning & Change

MSD STAFF / TEAMS

Te Matapihi he te iwi Trust

Project Team

Housing capability

(Ministry of Disability Support Services

Policy & Op Pol

Legal

MSD HOUSING CLIENTS

HOUSING PARTNERS & PROVIDERS

CCS Disability Action

National Contracts Team

Systems & Channels

WIDER SERVICES

Oranga Tamariki

Pacific Reference Group

MCP Team

Clients with Mental Health Challenges

UPS RO RG E LD

Department of Corrections

Social Support Services

Local Governments

COR ES TA KE HO

Ministry of Health

Pacific Communitiess

Reference Group

Community Law Centres Citizens Advice

Ethnic Minority Groups

Groups

Working Age Clients

NBACG

Grey power Age Concern

Clients with disabilities

Sole Parents

Youth Clients

Refugee Communities

Community Housing Aotearoa

MSD Staff

Ecosystem Map of NZ housing services The ecosystem map displays the complexity of New Zealand's housing services. Research into the interconnection of housing services revealed three avenues into emergency housing (Contact Centres , Service Centres and Third-Parties). These avenues have strategic value. If communication solutions can focus on the needs of their frontline staff (including clients), it can ensure successful integration into New Zealand's housing service ecosystem.

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Secondary Research

Information needs There are information needs of clients, ThirdParty frontline staff and MSD frontline staff that a successful communication solution must adhere to. When clients' needs emerge in EH, clients must know information on how EH works and what housing support products (HSP) are available. Third-Party frontline staff want the information to help clients navigate HSP systems to support clients. And service and contact centre frontline staff want information consistency across all information channels to provide clients with accurate EH information.

© Pita Tonga 2020

There are user needs that communication solution(s) must respect to make positive changes.

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Analysis

Refined Breif The refined brief accommodates the needs of clients, MSD frontline staff and third-party frontline staff. Set parameters set ensures successful integration into New Zealand's housing service ecosystem.

Problem Statement:

Affects:

The impact of which is:

A successful solution would:

A successful housing resource should...

© Pita Tonga 2020

People are not aware of their rights and obligations when entering and living in emergency housing, leading to poor outcomes and mistrust in the system.

•

Whānau (clients)

•

Other providers in the housing space (Third-Party)

•

Frontline staff (service centre and all contact centre employees)

•

MSD does not clearly communicate what they expect from whānau and what their rights are, leading to frustration and mistrust in the system and poor outcomes for whānau.

•

Third parties are misinformed and can pass misinformation onto Whānau, resulting in poor outcomes for whānau.

•

Frontline staff give inconsistent advice based on an incomplete understanding due to missing/unclear resources, which is stressful for staff and results in backlash when poor outcomes result. There is also more stress on the system from whānau making inquires, which could otherwise be answered by whānau themselves if better resources were available.

•

Increase staff, client and housing providers’ knowledge of the services offered and how to access them.

•

Result in better outcomes for whānau – reduced housing stress, ensuring they have access to relevant products.

•

Be a simple resource guide to emergency housing that users can interact with, understanding their circumstances (rights and obligations) to find support which will work best for their situation.

•

Have online and print options (print options operating like a handbook).

•

Be part of a campaign advertised to the public and partners to clarify existing misunderstandings and encourage engagement with the new materials.

•

Have heavy emphasis on access – making the resource as accessible as possible, both in terms of user experience, and physical access. Solution to be further developed with the input of service design.

•

Be simple enough to adapt and not conflict with regional staff practice.

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Journey Map

Third-Party

Start

1 The Three avenues of EH

Avenue 1 Client enters EH via service centre

Contact Centre

Service Centre

Here is a high-level client journey map with proposed intervention responding to issues in the current client EH experience.

2 Avenue 2

Client is stressed

Intervention Point 1

EH process

Client enters EH via contact centre

Client needs EH.

EH Best practice model is introduced at this point for frontline MSD staff.

Client is taken through the EH process.

3 Avenue 3 Client enters EH via third-party

EH Assessment

Client is place in EH

Intervention point 2

The client is taken through the EH process. (different to MSD process)

Client has been allocated emergency housing.

Client is given a physical document detailing their rights and obligations.

Client is stressed

Intervention Point 3

Briefing of EH rules

Client settles in EH

Client needs EH.

EH Best practice model is introduced at this point for Third-Party frontline staff.

The EH provider explains their rules.

Client is still stressed and is struggling to adapt to their new environment

Intervention point 3

Client searches for info

Client feels empowered

Information gathering cycle

Client searches for information via Marketing strategies to inform clients of EH resources. (applicable handbook, web, Third-Party etc. to Third-Party frontline staff)

Needs emerge Client faces a situation. (e.g. Needs more support)

Client finds info needed

Client uses info

Need fufilled

Client has found the information that they where looking for.

Client uses the information to aleviate their stess.

Client is able to fufill their need.

Client journey map Here is a proposed client journey map with intervention points marking where successful communication solution(s) can make a positive impact on the user experiences.

© Pita Tonga 2020

Client Journey

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Prototype

Design feel

Client/staff advice quotes

“Lets work on this together” "Remeber this is not forever" My Rights

Subject colors

Touch point

Accomodation Cost

My Support Emergency Housing Rules

My Rights

Client communications style guide Client and staff workshop insights have informed the communication style guide. The style embodies the emotional feeling of "warm wraparound support" clients would like to feel when receiving housing support opposed to the "cold" feelings some may feel when asking for help but feel judged.

Clients want warm wrap around support from housing support services.

Subject colour coordination aims to make learning intuitive and will span across all mediums to create constancy across Third-Party, Contact Centre and Service Centre staff. The client information needs and MSD business needs informed the selected subjects to categorise information. © Pita Tonga 2020

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Prototype

FAQ information format The communications medium is subject to change, depending on user needs, however, the information structure of communications will remain consistent.

The information structure follows a frequently asked question (FAQ) format, providing accessible information accompanied by enabling steps. E.g.

Client need – "I want to know what my rights are in emergency housing but more importantly, what to do when those rights have been breached.

© Pita Tonga 2020

"People want to know their rights, but more importantly, what to do when their rights have been breached."

– Community law advocate 2021

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Next Steps

Explore multiple intervention points to access the correct information is the next step in the project

© Pita Tonga 2020

Next steps The next steps in this work are to; Hold workshops to validate findings and consolidate information clients should know into an accessible format post-emergency housing process.

Explore communication solutions that meet user needs and fit into the existing emergency housing systems. The current mockup of client communications is the emergency housing handbook.

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Marketing Strategy

“Lets work on this together” Downloadable PDF Versions

Client Appointment Cards

Online Information

Project 2

Housing End to End Mapping Exhibition Tools

Creative Fields Service Design / Graphic Design / Spatial Design / Exhibition Design

© Pita Tonga 2020

Project overview The purpose of the exhibition was to inform the housing portfolio leadership team about the current housing issues that our MSD staff and whānau endure across New Zealand, allowing them to make meaningful changes to MSD’s housing support products/systems. This was achieved by presenting stories we had collected from around the country into an interactive format for internal staff to see.

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Exhibition Users

Third-Party

Leadership Team

Contact Centre

Service Centre

Internal Staff

About Leadership team member

About the Internal Staff Visitor

Housing leadership team members are the primary audience that we designed for. We want to tell the story of people who are affected and the insights that we gathered to support the solutions that we believe will alleviate stress on the housing system.

The internal staff visitor are those who wander into the exhibition out of interest, however, may find housing information that may help them with their projects.

Successful outcomes of the exhibition

Successful outcomes of the exhibition

Understand the stories of people in the housing system, but more importantly, the next steps on how to solve the issues.

understand the history of housing and what has shaped todays system. This will give context to the insights/stories.

Clarify staff misunderstandings of service design and its importance to service delivery.

Staff are keen to collaborate on their projects that have housing components.

Exhibition Users The exhibition was designed for the housing portfolios leadership team and internal staff. The service design team made sure to take into account their needs to develop the exhibition experience.

© Pita Tonga 2020

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Information Design

Housing insights were translated into easy to understand infographics.

Housing insights were translated into easy to understand infographics. Section 1 of the exhibition educates you on service design and how we work as a team. Section 2 gives historical context to the current state of housing. Section 3 of the exhibition shows the insights we have gathered from around Aotearoa.

Section 3

Section 2

Inforgraphic (A0)

© Pita Tonga 2020

Section 1

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Client & Staff Stories Harawera — Case Manager

She’s got no friends there. Her only aunty had been admitted to a psyche ward and she had nowhere to go. She was aloud to stay in the motel that they were living in for one more night and then she had nowhere, and no whānau or anything like that. And I was seriously worried for her so I added her to the queue and I checked back the next day cause I was so worried and someone had said (on a note in her file) she is a single client and needs to look at alternative options.

Tuati — Case Manager

So more training around work and Income?

Harawera — Case Manager

Yeah and that’s what I think we need cause the ministry is saying one thing to the public under that OIA that you cannot be denied, but yet

I still remember an young woman on the phone in the middle of Auckland crying her eyes out cause she had nowhere to go.

we, we as a generalization, are saying another thing and that hurts our clients cause that’s like saying if you get pregnant, we’ll help you that is a harsh thing to say but you are more likely to get housing If you are a single mother with a child then you are if you are single. And that’s a fair point cause kids need housing but they basically are kids!

We gathered insights from staff and clients from emergency and public housing.

© Pita Tonga 2020

We used transcribed conversations with clients and staff for users to make an emotional connection and imagine themselves in their shoes.

Portfolio | Project — Lance Project

Journey Map

Room 2

Third-Party

Read staff stories Read stories that we have selected to represent themes.

Section 3 of the exhibition shows the insights we have gathered from around Aotearoa.

Move to room 2

Room 1

Read client stories Read stories that we have selected to represent themes.

Contact Centre

Start

Feedback Kete

Next Steps

System Maps

Add feedback of your experience.

Here are the solutions that will alleviate system stress.

This map illustrates the complex themes of housing.

Framework

What is Service D.

Affects of Covid

Learn about how our work fits into the MSD framework.

Learn about the value of the service design process.

How did has the team adapted to covid changes.

Section 1 educates you on service design and how we work as a team.

Section 2 gives historical context to the current state of housing

Understand 1 & 2

Housing Statistics

Housing Timeline

User now has housing context and is ready for room 2.

Lean about the housing stats that illustrates today's system.

Historical events contributing to the current state of housing.

Exhibition journey map Here is the high-level user journey through the exhibition from start to finish.

© Pita Tonga 2020

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Service Centre

Exhibition Design Contract

Version 1.0

Page 20 of 8

Exhibition Design Contract

© Pita Tonga 2020

Version 1.0

Portfolio | Project — Housing Exhibition

Page 21 of 8