1. VERHAALT
A card game that supports bottom-up projects and initiatives to clarify roles in the co-creative process.
Paula Steenstra
the Netherlands

2. Please insert a picture here related to your initiative/solution
VERHAALT
Innovation
Please insert a picture here related to your initiative/solution
Bottom-up projects and initiatives work with a diverse range of stakeholders in co-creative settings. The different skills, competencies, interests, and levels of involvement and among stakeholders challenge an inclusive process of collaboration. In other words such projects do not always allow participants to contribute their potential. This requires expectation setting for the different roles in the process.
Verhaalt is a game that use the metaphor of a story (Verhaal in Dutch) to provide an inclusive setting in which roles can be clarified and discussed. The play of Verhaalt should enable the initiatives to be more inclusive, to identify, value and utilize the perspectives and contributions of the different participants. In a way Verhaalt aims to take over the role of facilitator in such co-creative processes.

3. VERHAALT Design approach
Verhaalt has been developed through action research in six different city making workshops. Then an iterative design process was conducted: sharpening the design goal; developing problem and design scenarios and personas to start designing for; an existing tools study; paper prototyping; and continuous user/expert evaluation cycles. Throughout the development process different kinds of city makers were involved such as designers, researchers, initiative owners, entrepreneurs and civil servants.
In the context of this feasibility study the prototype of Verhaalt will be distributed among stakeholders and a pilot session will be facilitated to test the game. Also the business model of the game will be developed in a participatory way, such as through surveys and interviews.

4. Relation to the urbanscape
VERHAALT
Relation to the urbanscape
In the Netherlands a culture of participation and citizen action is rising, a.o. because of the Omgevingsvisie (vision for urban and rural scapes), a law soon to be implemented that gives more space for initiatives and bottom-up projects. These initiatives evoke new spaces for interaction among the different urban stakeholders. In finding new ways of working citizens, civil servants, policy makers, entrepreneurs,etc. start collaborating.
Verhaalt makes space in initiatives for urban stakeholders to clarify their role within the process and the collaboration, to set expectations and to reflect upon the roles. It is a tool that aims to facilitate progress in these urban initiatives.
The organisation and business model around tools as Verhaalt is what challenges the stakeholders. These new ways of working also shift responsibilities, such as the question: ‘Who is responsible for the support of initiatives? And with that, who should offer tools as Verhaalt?’.

5. Scaling up prospects
Verhaalt will start with prototypes used by a few Dutch initiatives. The effect and usability of the game will be evaluated. A key factor for scalability of Verhaalt is finding the right business case. Another factor is to become part of a network or portfolio of supporting tools for bottom-up projects and initiatives. In this way impact of tools as such can become bigger and can gain more attention and with that, a wider audience can be reached.