Phase 0 Peer Assessment Rubric: The Design Brief !

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Note:!!Please!assess!only!what’s!actually!written.!!Do!not!try!to!infer!what!the!writers!were!thinking!or!intending!to!write.!

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!Assignment:!Create!a!design!brief!to!guide!your!work!in!the!project!by!answering!the!following!questions.!!Please!be!as!specific!as!possible!and!use!as!much!space!as!needed.!

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Element!1:!!The!name!of!our!project!is:!A"project"name"is"important"because"it"lends"creditability"and"legitimacy"to"the"activities"of"the"

group"through"the"innovation"process.""This"provides"an"important"buffer"against"organizational"

demands"and"scrutiny"from"outside"the"group."

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Criteria:!!Does!the!project!have!a!descriptive!name,!one!that!sounds!legitimate!and!that!is!consistent!with!the!intent!of!the!project?!?!Don’t!assess!this!based!on!whether!you!can!think!of!a!better!name.!!!Just!use!the!stated!criteria.!

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Feedback:!!

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Element!2:!!The!problem!as!we!see!it!is:!The"problem"statement"is"the"core"element"of"the"Design"Brief.""The"team"will"use"this"statement"to"

guide"all"subsequent"innovation"process"activities,"and"the"group"will"constantly"revisit"it"to"make"

sure"they"are"staying"on"track."""

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Criteria:!!Does!the!assignment!offer!a!clear!description!of!a!real!problem!or!opportunity!that!fits!the!time,!money,!and!expertise!constraints!of!the!course?!?!Don't!assess!this!one!based!on!whether!you!personally!agree!with!the!characterization!of!the!

problem;!just!consider!whether!you!believe!the!client!considers!it!to!be!a!true!problem.!

!Feedback:!!

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Element!3:!!This!is!an!important!problem!because:!A"definitive"statement"of"the"importance"of"the"problem"is"critical"if"a"team"is"to"get"(and"stay)"

motivated"as"they"work"on"the"project"through"an"uncertain"process"that"is"likely"to"have"setbacks.""

Understanding"the"importance"of"the"problem"also"helps"members"scale"their"time"and"resource"

commitments"to"the"problem."

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Criteria:!!Does!the!assignment!present!a!clear!and!compelling!statement!about!why!the!problem!is!worth!the!effort!of!solving?!!!Is!the!statement!sufficiently!motivating!to!get!people!to!commit!time!and!resources!to!it?!?!Don’t!try!to!judge!the!importance!of!the!problem,!only!assess!whether!the!statement!is!

compelling.!!

!Feedback:!!

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Element!4:!!The!affected!stakeholders!are:!Identifying"stakeholders"early"is"an"important"activity.""The"list"should"be"as"exhaustive"as"possible"

so"that"the"team"may"come"back"later"to"doubleFcheck"that"they"have"considered"as"many"

perspectives"as"reasonably"possible.""Stakeholders"are"not"only"those"people"who"stand"to"gain"

from"the"project,"or"who"have"to"commit"resources"to"it.""Stakeholders"are"also"those"who"stand"to"

lose"or"who"will"obviously"be"against"it."

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Criteria:!!Has!the!group!considered!the!important!stakeholders!to!the!problem?!!At!a!minimum,!the!answer!should!list!the!stakeholder!him/herself!and!others!who!will!directly!benefit.!!Ideally,!they!will!list!ALL!the!individuals,!groups,!and!organizations!that!may!need!to!be!consulted!or!give!their!approval!in!order!for!the!innovation!to!succeed.!!Feedback:!!

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Element!5:!!We'll!know!we’ve!succeeded!when:!

A"group"will"need"to"know"exactly"when"they’ve"finally"solved"the"problem"and"can"stop"

working.""This"statement"is"important"to"keep"the"group"focused"on"the"problem"at"hand.""

In"addition"to"serving"as"a"measuring"tool"to"assess"progress,"the"success"statement"will"

serve"as"a"barrier"against"“scope"creep,”"or"late"stage"additions"to"the"problem"statement."

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Criteria:!!Is!the!statement!of!success!sufficiently!specific?!!Can!this!measure!of!success!be!objectively!measured?!Is!this!a!reasonable!measure!of!solving!the!problem!the!group!has!set!out!to!solve?!!Feedback:!!

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Element!6:!!This!is!our!problem!to!solve!because:!

This"element"forces"a"group"to"consider"the"potential"organizational"and"political"limits"to"

their"actions.""Solving"“other"peoples’"problems”"is"a"sure"way"to"failure"for"an"innovation"

project."

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Criteria:!!Is!the!statement!of!problem!ownership!compelling?!!Does!the!statement!acknowledge!possible!limits!of!the!group’s!actions?!!Feedback:!"

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!Total!Points!!

__/20!Additional!Comments!For!The!Group:!!!!!!!

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