I believe that project experience will be very useful in the future.

Rasmus Rantanen, engineering student, Turku University of Applied Sciences

(1) In the current development activities, the emphasis is on network-based work. This can also be called a tripartite working model (Nurminen et al. 2015). The model combines working life-oriented teaching, cooperation between higher education institutions and cross-sectoral, interprofessional work. The model has been developed especially in the Health and Welfare Division of Turku University of Applied Sciences. In development activities, the financier can also be seen as a fourth party. In this case, the tripartite system expands into a quadrilateral model.

The RDI activities of universities of applied sciences require connections to working life, cooperation and the identification of the development needs of working life (Figure 1). RDI activities must also be integrated into courses and/or modules. This contributes to the wider recognition and recognition of degrees and education. In addition to the elements highlighted in Figure 1, the financier’s perspective is important in RDI activities when the development project is funded by an external party.

The RDI activities of universities of applied sciences are increasingly linked to various professional cooperation networks with a lot of expertise. These networks can be regional, national and international. Professional know-how and experience can be found in abundance outside higher education institutions, in workplaces and from their partners, as well as from customers and other actors. This expertise is increasingly utilised in development activities.

In innovative development activities, the relationship between formal and informal skills is changing. The aim of the education is both formal and informal learning (Palonen et al., 2013). In this case, the nature of education is innovative rather than repetitive. Structural and pedagogical changes that support the combination of formal and practical education have been proposed as a solution. At its best, development is just that (Penttilä et al., 2009, 10–14).

The role of a university of applied sciences student emphasises responsibility, independence and research and development skills. The task of teachers and working life partners (e.g. mentors, or project groups) is to integrate learning into RDI activities. This is based on the needs of working life, the subject matter of the degree, as well as personal competences and working life qualifications. In projects, the roles of customers (end users) and other participants may vary, but their input may be decisive for the result.

The customer perspective and expertise through experience play an increasingly important role in development activities, regardless of the industry. Organisations need methodological expertise and tools, the use of which is based on understanding the customer’s living environment, needs and views. This is also referred to as design thinking (e.g. Chase, 2017), which combines the above-mentioned aspects with experimentation and testing. This also sums up one of the core of development activities. (2)

In conclusion, the overall understanding and management of development activities are an important part of professional qualifications and personal competence competences, regardless of the industry. In higher education studies, development skills are strengthened when the studies are carried out in accordance with innovation pedagogy in genuine cooperation with working life as part of regional knowledge and innovation networks.

2 Participation and leadership in development

There are a few things that stand out above all others when starting development activities: an identified need for development, a jointly formulated goal, participation and leadership. Without these, we cannot really talk about development, as practical work in work communities is largely built on them, regardless of the industry.

In this chapter, we focus on participation and leadership as part of innovative development activities in work communities. We complement the perspective with the characteristics of an innovative work community and emphasise the importance of customer understanding. From the perspective of student learning, we want to emphasise leadership skills, project or development leadership, as part of innovative development activities.

Image 3. Combining recorded ideas in groups.

2.1 Customer involvement

Organisations and work communities exist for their customers, who are the source of their purpose and reason for being. In the 2000s, many organisations have developed their operations in a more customer-oriented direction to better meet people’s different and changing needs.

A customer orientation or customer proximity has many definitions. It can be approached from the perspective of both the interests of the organisation and the customer. From the organisation’s point of view, a customer orientation is about goal-oriented operations in accordance with the organisation’s basic mission. From the customer’s point of view, it is about responding to an individual need. A customer orientation also emphasises people’s ability to participate in their own service and the assessment of service needs, as well as to influence decision-making concerning their own situation. The customer orientation has increasingly extended to include customer involvement in the development of operations (Virtanen et al., 2011; Virtanen & Stenvall, 2012).

Many organisations have long collected customer feedback to support the development of operations. The obligation to listen to the customer’s views is enshrined in legislation (e.g. the Health Care Act 2010 and the Social Welfare Act 2014) and quality systems in companies. The opportunity to give feedback is one form of customer participation in development (Lundgrén-Laine et al., 2015). In addition to giving feedback, customers are also increasingly seen as development partners. For example, a the 2016 report “Smart experimentation and development in municipalities” found that Finnish municipalities had seen good results in customer participation in development work. Management plays a key role in strengthening customer understanding and implementing customer-oriented operations (Larjovuori et al., 2012).

Customers, residents, users and other actors can be taken into account even before new projects are implemented. On its website, the National Institute for Health and Welfare presents the tools for human impact assessment (IVA, ihmisiin kohdistuvien vaikutusten arviointi) and child impact assessment (LAVA, lapsivaikutusten arviointi). It is a process of assessing the effects of a decision on the health and well-being of children, families with children and other groups of people in advance. The focus of the assessment can be on a project, a plan or any decision. The aim of the evaluation is to provide information for municipal decision-makers, for instance (THL, 2017). (3)

Organisations look different when viewed from the outside. Clients usually have different knowledge than professionals. Therefore, exchanging experiences and views together with customers helps to deliver services that better meet their needs. It is important to ask customers for their opinions, actively involve them in development activities and, above all, develop structures and operating methods that enable customer participation. It is essential to consider what kind of customer involvement would best suit the development of the organisation’s operations. They should also be boldly tested to strengthen customer insight.

Over the past decade, more attention has been paid to taking customer data—i.e. their experiences and views—into account in the planning and implementation of services. In the public sector, this type of thinking is still largely budding and experimental, but the situation is likely to change in the 2020s. Hyysalo (2006: 8-10) aptly described companies already ten years ago by stating that the greatest strength in refining and developing services is to combine user, customer and market information. He also saw collaboration with customers and users as the greatest underutilised potential.

Another perspective in service development takes a more holistic view than just the user. It considers customers’ entire life situations, their service usage, and the expertise they have gained from these experiences. According to Kostiainen et al. (2014), experiential expertise includes many dimensions, such as personal empowerment and positive impacts. From the perspective of service production and organisation, the promotion of needs-based and productive services and the importance of peer support alongside professional activities are emphasised. For this reason, expertise through experience will play a key role in the development of the service system and in the planning, implementation and evaluation of service content in the near future. By listening to experts through experience, employees can better understand expectations regarding customer relationships, service content, interaction and the functionality of the system, and thus identify areas for development (Hietala & Rissanen, 2015).

2.2 Competence of the work community in development activities

Over the past twenty years, globalisation, information and communication technology, the growth of knowledge and know-how, and competition have led to more attention being paid to the activities of individuals, the innovativeness of networks and the new kind of leadership described above. Without these, there can be no innovative development activities (Ståhle et al., 2004, 9; Punta-Saastamoinen, 2015).

Innovativeness is now understood as a practical activity in work communities that starts from a need and new ideas, includes output and creates new value. Value is not necessarily material. Innovations are always social in nature, based on cognitive and creative thinking, which is transformed into innovation only through cooperation between individuals. This cooperation, in turn, is based on organisational learning and proactive and self-directed activities (Senge, 1997, 298–300; Ståhle et al., 2004, 11–13; Moisanen, 2015, 4-7).

Management takes place in innovation environments at different levels. These environments include the level of structures and institutions, the level of organisations, and the level of individuals. In addition to these, from the management point of view, the network level can also be distinguished (e.g. Sydänmaalakka, 2012). Innovation environments include an innovation system, which guarantees the production of useful knowledge within the structures for use in development activities. In addition, the innovation system includes actors (e.g. managers, supervisors, employees, customers) and the interactions between these actors (Ståhle et al., 2004, 14). In other words, innovation and development do not rely solely on structural levels. That is why the innovation system is referred to as the “living backbone” of the organisation.

Based on what has been described, an innovative work community can be seen in development activities as a force that holds innovation environments and systems together, a primus engine, without which development cannot be achieved. Development also does not progress from creative ideas to value-adding activities without leadership. This requires sharing, discussing, engaging and listening. It is about the responsiveness of a learning organisation at all levels. It is a visionary, knowledge- and experience-based activity in which all employees work together to create a framework and processes that support the set goals. In other words, there has been a shift from management and government management to leadership of people and processes (e.g. Sistare et al., 2009). From the perspective of leadership activities, the leader’s own self-knowledge, vision of the future, communication skills and a strong relationship of trust between different actors are important (e.g. Sydänmaalakka, 2012).

In development activities, the management of work communities and networks does not rely on strict control, formal authority, rigid roles, individual expertise, or one-way communication. (e.g. Isoherranen, 2012, 60–63). One might ask, how a leader uses enough influence to achieve the vision. There is no single answer to this question. However, this can be viewed from different angles.

From an innovation perspective, effective network collaboration requires core work groups to have the means to exert influence. It is about enabling action, not slowing it down. Ståhle et al. (2004: 32–50) divide enabling innovation in work communities into four areas: structures, knowledge and interpretation, energisation and competence development (also Tahvanainen, 2010).

Structures are enablers of development activities, which can include legislation, management and decision-making systems, the way operations are organised, the innovation system and the people and parties operating in it, as well as the relationships between these actors. The focus is on leaders and core groups, which can be supplemented in an appropriate way, for example, from the perspectives of competence or working in networks. Structures should be clear, although this is rarely the case in the real world. In practice, structures contain complex and invisible “subsystems”, so it can be difficult to get an overall picture. In addition, multidirectional interests (political, economic, confidential, product-specific, vested, etc.) have been “baked in” into the structures, which act as glass ceilings for development. However, these types of organisations do not meet the characteristics of an innovative work community in the 2020s.

Information and interpretations are important in development activities and innovation environments. According to this, the actors form numerous interpretations (language, meaning) of reality based on experience and other knowledge, which is slightly different for each participant. According to Ståhle et al. (2004, 35–36), what matters is how knowledge is transferred between actors and how it is transferred from the individual level to the collective level and vice versa.

Knowledge, interpretation, meanings and experience create a common language in an innovation system. This can be seen as a framework for understanding what, why and how operations should be developed. Reconciling interpretations and understanding is challenging in the management of development activities, because this requires an open attitude towards ideas, and a vision for the future. We should therefore be sufficiently open at the same time, but at the same time decisive. Leadership speech and the positioning of the leader play a central role in innovation environments and cooperation networks (e.g. Salminen, 2014; Nissinen et al., 2015).

The driving force of development activities, energisation, refers to activities that activate actors and strengthen their ability to respond to the challenges of a changing operating environment (Ståhle et al., 2004, 45). This is largely a question of respecting the competence of the actors, personal performance, encouragement, opportunities to advance in their careers, challenges and mutual trust. The situation resembles a kind of flow state in work communities (e.g. Järvilehto, 2012).

Development activities also include competence-based knowhow (e.g. Hätönen, 2011). According to Räsänen et al. (2014, 5-7), this can include, motives, character traits, self-concepts, attitudes, values, knowledge, and practical and cognitive skills. These can be evaluated at the individual, work community and organisational levels. Competencies usually need to be seen in relation to the environment in which individuals operate, so they are also context-specific. From the point of view of innovations, creative problem-solving skills, a holistic way of thinking and orientation to things, goal-orientation, the ability to cooperate in case and interpersonal networks are important (Sorsa et al., 2015).

Competencies can be core competencies or other competencies, depending on how they are defined in different organisations. However, it is important to identify competencies in development networks. These provide development activities with capabilities that they alone cannot produce or do not exist at all in the organisation. In addition to the above, institutional (structure, systems, relatively permanent operating models), procedural (action, management, competence, learning) and substantive competencies (knowledge, experience, specific expertise) can be distinguished in innovation environments and development networks (Ståhle et al., 2004, 53; Isoherranen, 2012, 65–66).

2.3 Characteristics of an inclusive and participatory work community

The literature on development and management emphasises the inclusive and participatory approach of work communities (e.g. Punta-Saastamoinen, 2015). Looking at it more broadly, it is a change in the management paradigm. The direction is clearly towards communal, deliberative and democratic dialogue (e.g. Uusitalo, 2012). In addition, managerial roles are shifting from formal and hierarchical positions towards collaborative leadership. This is particularly evident in organisations and work communities where development is vital for the continuation of operations in competitive situations and rapidly changing operating environments.

Another aspect of change is that even good managers need competent personnel for development activities (e.g. Hannonen & Leinonen, 2015). Increasingly, development competencies are not directly linked to a specific position or job description in organisations, but development activities concern all employees in work communities. The third aspect relates to knowledge, which is a critical part of the intellectual capital of organisations. According to this, knowledge of development is not the property of a few, but must be shared communally. In this way, new kinds of leadership, participation and cumulative knowledge together form an important functional infrastructure in development activities.

From the perspectives of participation and cohesion, development activities can emphasise common interest (interest), uniqueness and excellence (identity), belonging to a group (communality), confidential and open discussion (reciprocity), purposeful and goal-oriented work (goal-orientation) and the place or space (encounter) where practical work takes place (e.g. Seppänen, 2016).

The characteristics presented apply to all innovative organisations and work communities. Virtanen et al. (2011, 45–48) see a new kind of organisational culture based on a customer-oriented way of working as a solution for service organisations. All employees play a key role in this change and in developing the culture. However, special emphasis is placed on leadership and leaders. Leadership roles and the room for manoeuvre included in the position must focus on increasing equal interaction, encouragement, encouragement, enabling renewal and utilising new ways of working. All of these are also emphasised in innovative development activities.

The emergence of a new, participatory culture in development activities requires an innovation process that takes place both “top-down” and “bottom-up” and strengthens customer proximity (e.g. Punta-Saastamoinen, 2015). This applies to public, private and third sector operators alike. The driving force is proactive and contextual work, where the view of the future transcends the individual organisation. This type of innovative work often involves small-scale, problem-solving and gradual development (incrementalism). However, this does not preclude more holistic (holism; ecosystems) and fast-paced development, as the two approaches can be present simultaneously interleaved and nested (e.g. Senge, 1997, 12–16). What is crucial are changes in operating environments and the development requirements that come from them, to which the different actors in the organisations respond through cooperation.

In a summary on the future of work, Kurki et al. (2014, 126–127) illustrate the roles of employees, work communities and supervisors, as well as the mechanisms for creating innovations (Figure 2).

Figure 2. The mechanisms of innovation and their characteristics (Kurki et al. 2014, 126 I paraphrase Fuglsang and Sörenssen 2011).

Rarely, in a development project do you get to choose the people with whom the development work will be carried out. This is where cooperation and interaction skills come into focus. You need to be able to understand individuals from different backgrounds, temperaments and personalities in order to promote smooth, goal-oriented and inspiring work through your own interaction. This requires good self-knowledge and understanding of interpersonal activities. Success largely depends on how successful you are in leading the success of others.

Päivi Kaisti, Master’s degree student in Social Services, Turku University of Applied Sciences

2.4 Organisational management and innovation

The management of organisations, whether public, private or third-sector, has become a challenging area of professional competence, especially in the 2000s, from the perspectives of globalisation, ownership, changing operating environments, politics, economic space and competition, as well as personnel competence. At the core of management is the development of organisations in competitive situations. It also seems that development activities cannot be seen as just another side effect of management as part of planning, decision-making or finances, as before, but as an essential part of the overall operations of organisations. Self-management has become a key issue—whether it concerns leadership competence that takes place in organisations or is created in education (Sydänmaalakka, 2012). (4)

Following the development stages of various organisations, Laitinen et al. (2014, 90–91) state that current innovation theories emphasise the need for continuous renewal. The existence and success of organisations depend on their ability to develop new services, products and ways of working, often with other organisations. What is important here is the experience and knowledge gained through development activities and the utilisation of these in the work.

This also means a change in the characteristics of organisations. Permanent structures, processes and operating methods have been replaced by interactive and change-responsive functions. Guided by innovation qualifications, the organisation itself may also require competencies from the management that are not tied to time, place, or task (e.g. Trias de Bes & Kotler, 2015). This change includes surprising operating environments, motivating and encouraging employees, creating conditions that enable renewal, acknowledging the limitations of rational action, and non-linear development of organisations (Heikkilä et al., 2015; Pauleen & Gorman, 2016).

The above puts the management of organisations in situations where only reflective, creative, listening, participatory, sharing, encouraging, engaging and systematic leadership can lead to sustainable development activities. However, this does not mean that management should include all the elements mentioned, but their complete absence will eventually lead to the withering or disappearance of the organisation, especially in competitive situations. As a rule, the main thing is not the manager’s organisational position, power or formal education, but his personal competence (capability), motivation, experience and desire to lead development activities.

The most important message of the current management literature and research to organisations and work communities is that leadership is an integral part of creating and maintaining a culture that supports development activities. Juuti (2005, 20–21) stated already a decade ago that the creativity and innovativeness of organisations must be placed at the centre of management analysis. By creativity he means creating new concepts, thinking and operating methods, while innovation management aims at their introduction and implementation in work communities.

Innovativeness is built in strangeness, distortion and unpredictability. It does not always respect organisational positions, power relations or the skills written in job descriptions. In expert organisations where creativity and innovation are built on interpersonal networks, well-functioning personnel chemistry and an atmosphere conducive to creativity, leadership is largely based on visionary leadership. In this case, the organisational culture is permissive, supportive, learning and reflective (e.g. Senge, 1997). From the perspective of development activities, management activities are both horizontally and vertically networked. According to this, key cooperation relationships and environments play an important role in management.

However, it is not enough to examine management alone in development activities; it is a complex and multi-level phenomenon. Aalto (2005, 82–84) lists several elements that support innovation, with which an organisation demonstrates its own capabilities. These include participatory leadership, a clear and interactive communication system, allocation and availability of available material and intellectual resources, functional physical environments, reduction of hierarchy and bureaucracy, a reward system that supports development activities and innovation, and the organisation’s own goals (e.g. Naaranoja & Heikkilä, 2015). Understood in this way, almost all other work community activities, development and innovation can logically be derived from the management of organisations. Leadership competence is about a high level of professionalism, encouragement, commitment and the reconciliation of values both in written strategies and in everyday work (Sorsa et al., 2015).

Leadership in development activities also gives rise to a number of different roles (e.g. Ristikangas et al., 2015; Sankelo & Heikkilä, 2015, 188–190). Leadership roles have been studied for decades, although in the last twenty years their most visible feature has been concentrated not only in self-leadership but also in pedagogical leadership. (5) According to Salmi et al. (2010, 82–84), leadership that supports groups creates independence, faith, strength, commitment, community and collaboration, as well as positive things related to group culture. Leadership roles include those of mentor, supporter, encourager, coach and listener, as Quinn (1988) once put it. These are still topical in organisational development activities. They are also very different from professional roles that strengthen organisational hierarchy and bureaucracy. This is described aptly by a student below:

Before working as a project manager in a development project, I had no management experience. Adapting to a completely new position was therefore reasonably challenging. However, I am more than happy that I had to step out of my comfort zone, which management itself was. However, I got over the initial uncertainty very quickly and I think that working as a project manager gave me a huge number of tools for possible future managerial work or, for example, project work. Above all, I learned to take responsibility for a fairly large process and to complete it in accordance with the objectives.

Kaisa Lamminen, Master’s Student in Development and Management, Turku University of Applied Sciences

3 On the methodology of development activities

The chapter discusses the background and starting points of the overall understanding of development activities. Our idea is that without mastering these issues, there can be no comprehensive understanding of development activities. This, in turn, has a direct impact on practical development activities.

We start with the justifications for development activities. After that, we will briefly present the roles of a few research traditions in the context of development. Finally, we distinguish between research, development and project development (project work). In practical work, however, these overlap, so the distinction is partly theoretical.

Image 4. Written output of the workshop.

3.1 Background, perspectives and arguments

Figure 3. The linking of a few methodological traditions in development activities.

Figure 4. Cyclicality of development activities (Linturi 2003; Virtual University of Applied Sciences 2017).

3.2 Differences and similarities between development, research and project activities

Based on the above, a development approach can be defined as a working orientation that combines the philosophical premises of science (ontology, epistemology)(6), concepts, data collection methods, data analysis methods, interpretations and results or outputs, as well as systematic work carried out together with the participants. Development activities proceed cyclically as a process-like chain of actions, events and information (e.g. Räsänen, 2007, 44–47; Kananen, 2012, 25–28; Pohjola &; Koivisto, 2013, 90–92; Salonen, 2013).

It is important to note that research and development activities involve different starting points. First of all, one of the basic premises of research is the pursuit of the production of new knowledge through scientific research methods. Research activities include classic, even centuries-old traditions and rules. The researcher produces something new in accordance with research ethical norms and scientific research methods (Figure 5). In addition, research and development activities can both be long-term or continuous activities in organisations.

In the case of development activities, the primary goal is typically to change a concrete state of affairs or activities. Development activities are context-specific activities that take place in time and place. In other words, they have their own limited, planned, phased and results-based task in a given environment. In addition, the work is guided by jointly agreed rules, procedures, language and concepts. From the perspective of learning and reworking, many features of innovation can be seen in development activities. They can utilise research-based methods, such as surveys, interviews or observation of data collection methods. The aim of these is to produce information relevant to the development project at hand. In addition to this, previous research data is also utilised in development activities. In action research approaches, there is an interface between research and development, which means that the same activity can be both research and development at the same time.

Figure 5 ideally attempts to distinguish between research activities and development activities from the perspective of development approaches to development by project.

Figure 5. Elements and levels of development activity.

Project development is practical development, renewal and improvement work clearly contextualised at time and place. Thus, it involves project work and activities. The organisation of project work is usually structured hierarchically in the same way as line organisations (so-called project management; e.g. Vaskimo, 2016), although other perspectives have also been presented especially in the management of complex projects (e.g. Alotaibi, 2016). The management of the starting points and entities of development can be considered “thinner” in development activities and research activities and more practice-oriented, performance-oriented, task- and/or result-oriented. It should be emphasised, however, that differences in practical development work may be minor.

Thus, project development (project work) is the work that designated project workers do in an organisation that has set the project as a one-time and deadline with goals, resources, and schedules. Project types include delivery and investment projects, development projects, and government projects. Synonyms for a project include: development project, development work, programme, pilot, experiment, reform,  contract, etc. (e.g. Paasivaara et al., 2011).

Common characteristics of a project include:

• A project is always unique.
• It is limited in time and subject matter.
• Its objective is defined.
• It is designed.
• Designated workers complete the project.
• Work is a group activity.
• A new thing is developed during the project.
  (Paasivaara et al., 2011).

The list can be supplemented with the characteristics of the project activities of welfare services, although similar features can be found in other projects as well. This can include the length of the time span, resourcing, planning, goal-orientation and timeliness of operations. From the perspective of competence, project management, teamwork, good interaction skills, content competence and experience in project work are emphasised. User-orientation, customer orientation or customer-centricity will also emerge as competitive advantages in the near future. The role of political guidance is also strong. This may include political decision-making, values, funding, burden-sharing issues and scrutiny (Paasivaara et al., 2011).

The development approaches described above can also be supplemented with the concept of renewal. This can be defined purely as an activity that improves and changes practices, where time and place are clearly defined (e.g. Bricolage method). Renewal does not require an overall conceptual understanding or mastery of the workers, knowledge of traditions, a participatory approach to work or step-by-step overall planning of operations. Instead, it can be localised into individual actions that bring limited but valuable benefits and improvements. However, it must be emphasised that even if the reform is only a single act or action, it can play an important role in the work community, for example. Therefore, not all development needs to be based on a broad and in-depth methodological understanding of the work.

Figure 6. Characteristics of research, development and project (paraphrased by Salonen, 2013).

4 Research-oriented development work

In this chapter, we briefly introduce research-oriented development activities. Understanding the tradition of research-based development work is important in activities where the working approaches of development and research are close to each other. These also concretise a holistic understanding of research work, but in such a way that working methods and approaches are development-oriented.

The guiding principles of research-oriented development activities include the benefits and functionality obtained, not just the information obtained through research. It emphasises pragmatism. We want to emphasise that all development approaches have a place in working life, whether it is pure research, research-based development or project-based development.

We present three approaches to research and development strategies: action research, developmental work research, and practice research. We will supplement these with practical examples.

Image 5. Analysis and recording of competence on the board.

 

4.1 Background to work development

4.2 Action research

Example of action research development

Figure 7. Research progress (Hautala, 2009).

4.3 Developmental work research

Figure 8. General model of an operating system (Engeström, 1995).

Figure 9. The Circle of Expansive Learning (Engeström, 1995).

5 Stages and methods of development

This chapter describes the stages of the development process and the methods used in them. Methods and tools are an essential part of development activities carried out by work communities. However, their use requires competence and knowledge of which methods and tools are best suited for each work phase. There are major differences in the naming of the methods and tools in the literature.

Development methods and tools can be structured in many ways, for example into methods that promote discussion, participatory methods and performing methods. Many methods can serve several purposes at different stages of development.

Practical work proceeds as a cyclical process, from identifying the need for development to disseminating results. The work consists of the following phases: (1) identification of development needs for current practice, (2) ideation phase (3) design phase, (4) implementation phase, (5) result and/or output, (6) evaluation phase and (7) decision, implementation and dissemination of results. In practice, the different phases of development are often intertwined.

Image 6. Preparing for a development day in small groups.

5.1 Development phases and constructivist model

Figure 11. Linear progression of development activities.

Figure 12. The cyclicality and reflectivity of development activities as a continuum.

Figure 13. Constructivist model of development (paraphrased by Salonen, 2013).

5.2 Development methods and tools

Figure 14. Examples of methods and tools for development activities. (7)

5.3 Development phases 1–7

We were able to fire the actual starting shot for the development project in April 2015. Before that, however, we progressed slowly from the start-up phase to planning and even a little bit to implementation, specifying the development tasks of the development project. The development project was launched by the Development Day of the Expert Group on Elderly Care on 12.12.2014, during which we specified the project’s justifications and development needs.

To support my introduction, I had prepared a PowerPoint presentation. The purpose of the presentation was to introduce the members of the expert group to the topic of the development day and to provoke critical evaluation and discussion of our current way of working when preparing the needs analysis. The introduction served as a kind of reflective wake-up call. We worked on the question of needs analysis of problem areas and development needs in service need assessment using the MeWeUs method. The method is participatory and allowed even the quietest members of the group to make their opinions heard.

Kirsi Routi-Pitkänen, Master’s degree student in Social Services, Turku University of Applied Sciences

It usually takes dozens of pretty good ideas for one top-notch idea to show that the best one has been chosen.

Antti Meriö, Project Engineer, Turku University of Applied Sciences

The brainstorming method starts by roughly defining which problem you are brainstorming a solution to, and the boundary conditions in order to stay on topic. To begin with, you should write down all your ideas briefly. The important thing is to respect the ideas of others—when someone shares their idea, it is not the job of the rest of the group to shoot it down by paying attention only to the weakest aspects of the idea. A wild solution or a completely opposite approach to the traditional one can produce the best results. The method inspires others to develop ideas further. It is essential to recognise and acknowledge the potential of other ideas as well.

The question posed in the method is not an attack on the ideas developed, but an expression of interest and desire for further development. Sometimes even a shaky idea can lead to brilliant innovation when the group works on it together towards a goal. If the comparison ends up with two or three ideas that are approximately as good, it is worth developing them side by side for a while, before making the final choice. A good idea is crowned by a good, convincing presentation and clear and unambiguous documentation. It is also good to agree on how the ideas will be taken forward.

Antti Meriö, Project Engineer, Turku University of Applied Sciences

(3) Design phase

Projects are a dynamic learning environment for students, and they offer opportunities to try different methods and practice project management. Here an engineering student describes his experience of being a project manager.

Working as a student project manager was a rewarding and educational experience for me. I got to work with countless interesting people. It was also nice to see that even though the working groups consisted of different people, the team spirit still developed very strongly. The spirit of working together was high during the project.

Working as a student project manager taught me scheduling, organising, interacting and taking responsibility. Projects are characterised by a certain uncertainty about the future, and I feel that I gained valuable experience in tolerating this uncertainty. I learned to be aware of my own strengths and weaknesses. It was great to find tools that allowed me to develop my own weaknesses as the project progressed.

Rasmus Rantanen, engineering student, Turku University of Applied Sciences

The project especially taught me teamwork skills and especially working as a team leader. The project did not always proceed as planned, so it was important to step forward, take responsibility and make decisions. Decision-making skills and justifying one’s own opinion will continue to be important skills in the future. In steering group meetings, while reviewing the project, I really learned to justify decisions from the perspective of the whole group. I would like to stress once again the importance of team spirit. A good team spirit increases work motivation, motivated people motivate their colleagues, and a motivated team performs its tasks better and more efficiently.

Jesper Forsman, engineering student, Turku University of Applied Sciences

As a result of the development project, a website was completed to support the pedagogical guidance of private family day care. The website was divided into main pages: hiring a carer, family day care, group family day care, information for parents with children, private day care allowance.

Satu Leppänen, Master’s degree student in Social Services, Turku University of Applied Sciences

At times, starting work felt insurmountably difficult, probably due to the fact that I had not had to work on theoretical knowledge from literature for a long time. After surveys and training, and while the guide-preparing team got to a good start, the work eventually began to progress at a good pace. When evaluating the processes of the development project and thesis, I had to realise that my biggest challenge was to stay on schedule.

However, I am satisfied with the final result of the development work, because I believe that the guide will provide support for employees when they encounter challenging customer situations. In my opinion, leading the development project was meaningful, but there are a few things that I found challenging and still find challenging. The implementation of a common operating model requires commitment and understanding from each employee in order to be able to operate with the same instructions and practices.

Taru Kuotisaho, Master’s degree student in Social Services, Turku University of Applied Sciences

The resource-based approach to work, developed in multiprofessional cooperation, was to be utilised in the operations of all temporary care units of the City of Turku. The development project and its outputs will continue to be part of the continuous development of temporary care. I therefore believe that the objectives of the development project have been achieved to the extent that this is possible and measurable. As far as possible, the aim is to present the development project within the organisation and at industry events.

Kristiina Levonen, Master’s degree student in Social Services, Turku University of Applied Sciences

From the point of view of disseminating the results, the written material will remain at the disposal of the Employment Department and will be discussed in a working group meeting after completion. During the implementation of the development project, we have also created our own Tolitori Facebook pages on the initiative of the team responsible for marketing the team work, which serve as an exemplary channel for disseminating results. The Facebook pages are maintained by the participants in the rehabilitative work activity together with the supervisor of the unit.

Leena Westerholm, Master’s degree student in Social Services, Turku University of Applied Sciences

5.4 Overall description of development activities with student examples

Figure 15. Phasing of the development project in 2015–2016 (Vesala, 2016, 36).

Matters with the same content can also be presented in a simpler way (Figure 16). A development project starts with the planning phase, which includes ideation and preliminary planning. The topic arose from the need in working life to recruit and familiarise professional staff with laboratory work. In accordance with the “rules” and process of development activities, the author studied the literature on the topic before drawing up the actual project plan. At the same time, he clarified the participation and roles of different actors.

Since the example also includes a research component, a research permit had to be obtained for this purpose, which included a written research plan. In many cases, development projects include a research component, although this is not necessary in all projects. Usually, the research sections require a written plan and a permit granted by the target organisation or a review of research integrity. In addition, the implementation of the research section must comply with the rules for conducting the research, which requires the author to clearly describe the section in the report.

Figure 16. Progress of the development project (Ylijoki, 2017, 10).

The description of practical implementation is usually the longest part of development project reports because it is also the longest stage of the project. In this example, this phase lasted more than six months, although it can last longer. In the implementation phase, the author describes the activities related to conducting the research and, based on the results, makes a preliminary presentation of the output (orientation plan). The development project ends with a summary of the results, utilisation and monitoring of the output. Deciding on a phase is usually short, but it may take a long time to embed results and/or output, for example, into the activities of work communities.

Let’s develop together

In this book, we have brought up many times that development-related competence will play an increasingly central role in working life in the near future. At the moment, for example, technology is being developed at a faster pace than ever before. In addition, great strides are taking place in many fields of science and industry. Digitalisation, virtualisation and the development of artificial intelligence are some examples of rapidly developing industries. At the same time, new forms of economy and work are emerging. These, in turn, affect how innovations change our perceptions of, for example, work and livelihood (Kiiski-Kataja, 2016, 6-7).

Rapid changes require the development of new operating methods, the ability to renew and agility from the organisation and work communities (Kiiski-Kataja, 2016, 6-9). This is also a challenge for universities of applied sciences and other educational organisations. But what kind of skills will be needed in a rapidly changing society and world in the near future?

When only change is permanent, competence related to change management and its management becomes even more important. In this book, we have emphasised the importance of a process-like overall understanding of development. The process begins with identifying and understanding development needs, then moves through management and collaborative work, culminating in the application of practical methods. Learning new things and creating added value are central to the process.

We hope that this book will contribute to opening up and concretising development for all readers from higher education students and higher education staff to any individual in the working life. Hopefully, especially higher education students will find support in the book for their own, working life-oriented development projects. The positive experiences gained during the training—such as serving in a responsible project management role and developing methodological skills—are certain to bear fruit in one’s professional life as well.

The outlook for future working life is open in many ways, especially in terms of the predictability and speed of change. But what is independent of change and, on the other hand, accelerates and guides it is human learning. Without learning, there will be no development. Learning, experimentation, interest and self-competition are important. They prepare us all to face change. Learning through development and innovation pedagogy in higher education is essential for change and it creates new opportunities for the future.

Image 8. Presentation of group outputs in summary form.

An interesting perspective from 70 years ago is offered by Arvo Pukkila (1948) in the book Tietomies (“Knowledge man”) from the School of Correspondence. He states that “there is a need for systematic gathering of information, which is mastered by specialists for their part, and working together within the framework of appropriate organisations can achieve much more together than each individually.” In other words, are many things “new” in working life-oriented development?

Sources

Attachments

Annex1. Development methods and practical tools

There is a wealth of information on many development methods and tools available from various online sources (see for example: Toolkits for Co-creation by Aalto Design factory). One recommended Finnish site that compiles these is innokyla.fi, also used as a resource in this publication.

Brainstorming is a method of creative problem solving aimed at developing a large number of creative ideas in a safe environment with the participation of all team members. The principle is that quantity produces quality. The more ideas there are, the more likely it is that there will also be good viable ideas. The strength of the method lies in the abundance of ideas and the fact that new ideas can emerge from the ideas of others and new ways of approaching the matter under consideration are learned.

The ideal group size is 5-11 people. The principles of brainstorming are explained to them, and together the current problem is defined and delineated. After this, everyone brainstorms a solution to the problem on their own. Ideas can also be lively and wild. The ideas are presented to the whole group without evaluation or comment. Ideas can be written down on a flipchart or on post it notes. Brainstorming will continue on the basis of the ideas presented together. The group then reviews the ideas and tries to choose the best one or ideas to implement.

An assessment aquarium is a method of looking at evaluation through real case studies. The evaluation aquarium is an operational workshop, the implementation of which is based on the processing of evaluation examples, interactive consultation with other participants and facilitators, and open discussion.

An appreciative interview identifies the strengths of communities and individuals and utilises them in planning goals and activities. It is a solution-oriented approach that creates conditions for change and increases the commitment of community members.

Benchmarking means comparing one’s own actions with those of others, often with best similar practices. The basic idea of benchmarking is to learn from others and question one’s own actions. The method is often used as a tool for quality system development and process development.

Benchmarking can be carried out by visiting an organisation with which you want to compare your own activities. Before the visit, the objectives should be clearly known. In order to get the most out of the visit, the participants should have a more detailed observation/question list in mind. Thus, a benchmarking visit is a more systematic way of learning than a normal company visit.

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) quality assessment model consists of nine evaluation areas and 28 assessment points. The assessment areas examine, among other things, management, operational planning and processes.

The Delphi method is also an expert method used in future research. It can be used to map and predict future prospects and changes or to obtain information on phenomena that are wide-ranging and unclear. The aim is to obtain different perspectives, alternatives, assumptions and arguments on a particular theme from a carefully selected panel of experts (<15 people). Information is collected through two or three consecutive rounds of surveys and/or interviews. Finally, the experts present and substantiate their claims without knowing which other experts are involved

A dialogical discussion is open and direct discussion that seeks mutual understanding. It accepts that people have different views and that no one’s view can be the whole truth. Different views are given space and the situation is studied together. Dialogue helps organisations in their development process when the goal is to find new ways of operating in a changing environment. Through genuine dialogue, it is possible to harness people’s competence, motivation and creativity.

The Gantt diagram is a common project management tool that supports planning and scheduling. It can be used to model the subtasks and schedule of a development project graphically. The Gantt diagram illustrates what needs to be done at any given time and in what order. It is used to manage the progress of development activities.

A focus group interview refers to a group interview that aims to create a safe atmosphere so that the group members have the opportunity to share their experiences and views. The goal of the method is to listen to a certain group of people and share information about beliefs, attitudes and motives related to a particular topic. It is used, for example, to share different ideas and thoughts, to understand differences between groups, to generate new ideas or to gain in-depth knowledge.

The aim is for the focus group participants to ask each other questions and answer them in a joint discussion. The purpose is to bring forward different experiences and views, not the consensus of the participants. The interviewer’s job is to encourage participants to talk to each other. The method is located between participatory observation and observation of the natural group situation and structured individual interviews. Because a focus group interview involves group interaction, it is closer to everyday life than an individual interview, where opinions, attitudes and habits are formed.

A forum theatre is a participatory form of theatre developed by Augusto Boal, which he himself calls the Theatre of the Oppressed. The group performing at the Forum Theatre prepares a small play that deals with the chosen theme in advance. In the presentation, the main character or group has a clear problem. The presentation ends when the problem is at its most difficult. The master of ceremonies at the Forum theatre event, known as the “Joker”, then discusses the performance that has just been seen with the audience and asks for the audience’s help. How could the problem be solved? How could the main character act differently? The audience’s corrective suggestions are tried by acting the scene again in another way. The audience can also swap places with the actors and act themselves.

The developmental peer visit method utilises peer partners as a common tool for development and learning. After a peer visit, the results of the visit are evaluated. The following questions are asked: what have we learned, what strengthened our own perceptions, what we have implemented well, and what needs to be developed? After the conclusions, it is agreed how the results of the visit could be utilised in one’s own work or work community. Clear improvement proposals are drawn up, recorded and responsibilities, division of labour and implementation schedule agreed. (Compare the method with benchmarking.)

The mirror method is a reflective self- and peer-review method. The method supports the working group’s evaluative working method and the development of communal expertise. The method includes documenting one’s own work, using forms developed to support evaluation, peer review meetings, monitoring work progress and making impact assumptions.

The user panel collects feedback from customers or service users. It helps to realistically identify development needs and areas that experts may not be able to detect. For example, electronic user panels can be used to get feedback from a wide range of service users.

Quality systems: A quality system refers to the standards that apply to the operations of a company or other organisation by means of which the organisation plans its own operations and processes. An expertly created quality system does not only focus on the organisation’s own goals, but also takes into account the goals of the customer and stakeholders. The quality system thus created clarifies operational activities and daily processes as well as management systems.

Quality management is implemented through process management. In order to develop quality, it is first necessary to determine the current state of the products and organisation. For this purpose, quality is evaluated and measured, and processes are mapped. Quality management is based on the goals of operations, the needs and expectations of different stakeholders. Different stakeholders tend to have different or even conflicting needs and expectations. When developing an organisation’s functions and processes, the aim is also to learn from other organisations.

For example, the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model provides a framework for developing competitiveness and excellence without trying to precisely control what kind of practices organisations should apply. This approach is based on the characteristics of excellence. According to the model, there are many ways to achieve excellent performance. Excellence in performance, customer satisfaction, employee well-being, and societal impact is achieved through strong leadership, clear policies and strategy, effective management of people, partnerships, and resources, and streamlined processes. The evaluation areas of the EFQM model are: 1 leadership, 2 policies and strategy, 3 people, 4 partnerships and resources, 5 processes, 6 customer outcomes, 7 people outcomes, 8 societal outcomes, and 9 key performance outcomes. Thus, five of the evaluation areas are related to the activities of the organisation and four to the results. The “activity” evaluation areas look at how the organisation works. The “results” evaluation areas, on the other hand, evaluate what the organisation has achieved through its activities.

Lean thinking involves progress according to continuous improvement. Development activities can also proceed in accordance with the ideology of continuous improvement. The ideology of continuous improvement is represented, for example, by Lean. Lean is based on Toyota’s Toyota Production System (TPS) production method, which focuses on creating customer value and utilising limited resources as efficiently as possible (Mann, 2010; Toussaint & Berry, 2013; Drotz & Poksinska, 2014).

In addition to industry, the Lean approach has been applied to many sectors, such as social welfare and healthcare. In the Lean approach, attention is paid to processes and thinking that by improving them operations can be developed with small actions to be smoother and more productive for the customer. The Lean approach requires employees to continuously learn and develop professionally, as well as respect for others (Graban, 2012; Modig & Åhlström, 2013).

Dozens of development tools have developed around Lean. Kaizen is one of them. Kaizen is Japanese for continuous improvement. The aim of continuous improvement is to react quickly and flexibly to areas requiring development as they arise and to implement the necessary changes immediately. The basic idea is to implement development in rapid cycles, first identifying the need for change, analysing its root cause, developing a solution, evaluating the solution and implementing the solution immediately (Craban, 2012).

In accordance with the ideology of continuous improvement, employees regularly evaluate their work from the perspective of the value created for the customer, looking for things that hinder the work, i.e. waste factors, and considering suggestions for improvement. Waste refers to anything that does not add value to the service or treatment from the customer’s point of view. Continuous improvement is a process in which all employees participate. The aim is to react quickly and flexibly to areas requiring development as they emerge and to implement the necessary changes immediately. The basic idea is to implement development in rapid cycles, first identifying the need for change, analysing its root cause, developing a solution and implementing it immediately, testing new operations and assessing the impact of the change (Graban, 2012).

Development activities in accordance with continuous ideology do not require separate projects, but are constantly present in everyday life as a culture of development. The participation of all employees in the development process increases their motivation and interest in a culture of continuous development when they realise their potential for influence. Lean thinking requires employees to continuously learn and develop professionally, as well as respect for others (Graban, 2012, Modig & Åhlström, 2013). For supervisors, the application of thinking requires mentoring leadership and ensuring that personnel have sufficient skills and opportunities for development work (Aij et al., 2015).

Learning café: The method requires as many tables as there are themes and questions to be addressed. Blank sheets of paper, Post-it notes, pens and markers are placed on the tables. Each table has a unique theme, which serves as the focus for generating ideas and perspectives. The participants are divided into equal groups (e.g. 4-6 people). Each group moves to one table and forms its own table party. A chairman/secretary is elected for each table, who remains at the table at all times.

On papers and notes, the group freely writes down their ideas and thoughts. After a conversation of an appropriate length, the table is changed. Only the chairman remains at his own table, the others move as a group to the next table, where the discussion continues after the chairman at the new table has first briefly recounted the thoughts of the previous table party. The number of exchanges depends on the schedule, the size of the groups and the number of themes to be discussed. Finally, the co-chairs present the final results to all participants

The Logical Framework (LFA) is suitable for project planning, management, monitoring of implementation and evaluation. It is a comprehensive solution model aimed at achieving an impact, the elements of which are used throughout the development cycle. LFA consists of background analyses (mapping of project stakeholders, problems, objectives and strategy) and a logical framework matrix (LFM) built on them. This matrix is a tool for clarifying, among other things, what the project wants to achieve; what activities are needed to achieve these goals; what resources are needed in it; potential problems; how results are measured and with what indicators.

In the logical framework method, the planning process proceeds as follows: 1. identification and analysis of the parties involved; 2. defining and narrowing down the target group; 3. inclusiveness, participation and inclusion; 4. identification and analysis of development and change needs; 5. defining goals in a hierarchy (goal tree); 6. analysis of the operating environment; 7. setting up metrics; 8. budgeting and operational planning, reporting and communication planning; 9. filling in planning matrices.

Multi-party evaluation is an evaluation procedure that falls somewhere between external and internal evaluation. It takes into account a wide range of views, positions and evaluation opinions. The evaluation emphasises interaction between key groups and mutual negotiation skills and, depending on the assessment target, e.g. social justice, principles of sustainable development, the relationship of the development target to environmental development factors, etc. A multi-party assessment usually uses several different methods in parallel. Complexity arises from the fact that the views of different parties, especially individual assessments, are reconciled, i.e. the aim is to achieve a consensus to which everyone can commit.

A stakeholder analysis defines the interests and needs of different people and groups in the planned project, as well as the different power relations within and between the groups and in relation to the project. The analysis should be carried out as early as possible in the planning phase.

The analysis identifies all parties involved: groups, organisations, institutions and individuals. Entities are grouped according to their type. After this, the social characteristics, rights, needs, interests and expectations of the emerging groups in relation to the project as well as the power relations between the groups are defined. Through prioritisation, the most important groups in relation to the project are defined and it is decided who else should be taken into account in order for the project to work. As a result, it is decided who or who will participate in the project and how.

A SWOT analysis is a useful and simple planning tool. A SWOT analysis may cover all or part of the activity. It records the internal strengths, internal weaknesses, external opportunities and external threats of the phenomenon or thing being analysed in four fields. The left half of the quadrant describes the positives and the right half the negatives. The upper part of the quadrant describes the present state and internal affairs, the bottom indicates the future and external matters. Based on the SWOT analysis, conclusions can be drawn on how strengths can be exploited, how weaknesses can be turned into strengths, how future opportunities can be exploited and how threats can be avoided.

Figure 18. The four fields of SWOT analysis.

A needs analysis is the basis for the planning of the development project, and it is used to map the needs arising from the operating environment as well as the perceptions and information of the parties implementing the project on the need for development. The needs analysis can utilise surveys, interviews, focus group work and ready-made statistics and documents.

Teamwork refers to working in a permanent group or team that has a common task and has the opportunity to plan their own work. A group can be defined as a community or group of two or more people who constantly interact with each other and have common goals. In working life, groups and teams can be set up to handle a continuous task or, on the other hand, just for a limited task. They represent cooperative work in which each member bears responsibility for achieving common goals, although members may have different roles.

A working conference aims to ensure that the work community participates widely in the development work. In practice, a working conference is an arena for discussion, i.e. an event based on equal dialogue between people, i.e. dialogue and cooperation. A working conference aims to achieve consensus upon which to base an action plan. The participation is diverse and the participants bring up their own experiences and knowledge, which also takes place in learning. Research data is often utilised in the planning, implementation and connection of work conferences to development activities.

A Workshop refers to a meeting, seminar or event in which the participants are brought together using various interactive methods and tools. The main focus is on the exchange of opinions, information, thoughts, ideas and views through action and discussion. The result of the workshop is usually summarised in the form of various outputs.

A peer visit (developmental peer visit) refers to the development of work between members of the same occupational group, similar work units or people working on the same problem/work area, the main part of which is a visit or familiarisation visit. Improving peer engagement can lead to better collaboration and learning. The goal is to highlight the operating model as a shared tool for development, making it effective for teams of any size. The application of the operating model does not require external coaching or training. It is enough to understand what the model is about and apply the model systematically, starting from one’s own situation and needs (for further information see: http://www.julkari.fi/handle/10024/77962).

A peer-to-peer visit serves the work units especially when quality development work has already been carried out within the unit and the need arises to ‘mirror’ the operations of the unit with those of other units and to initiate joint development work with the peer partner. However, the peer visit method requires the entire work community to be prepared to learn from each other’s skills and share their own insights and experiences to solve work-related problems. Therefore, it is a good idea for the work community to examine its own state before implementing the method.

An annual planning wheel (also called a circular planner or circular calendar) is a visual planning tool that displays the entire year in a circular format instead of a traditional linear layout. The annual planning wheel can be used to support the planning and evaluation of operations or their sub-sectors. It helps you see the big picture at a glance. For example, schedules for key tasks, work packages and outputs can be planned in an annual planner, when documents are produced about operations and when operations are evaluated

The 3-6-5 method is a group brainstorming ring. The method is used to search for a lot of different ideas, so the number of ideas is more important than the quality. Six people are asked to sit at the table, all with a blank piece of paper and a pen. Each participant writes three ideas related to the selected aspect to be developed. In a new round, the paper is passed on to the next person, who either writes down three new ideas or continues to develop the ideas already on the paper. There are six rounds and they all last five minutes. In a short time, 108 ideas can be put together and considered.