Design Thinking for Climate Solutions Programme
The African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) together with the Hasso Plattner School of Design
Thinking at UCT (d-school Afrika) and the Bertha Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship are
publishing a call for Expression of Interest from organizational teams working in the climate change
space. Teams will participate in a bespoke programme integrating Design Thinking and Systems
Innovation for practitioners. The programme includes a 5-Day Design Thinking in Practice workshop
with the aim of co-creating human-centered innovative solutions that address real life climate-related
issues of your choice. Some teams, where deemed suitable will be selected for the Systems
Entrepreneurship Incubation Track in which they learn more about embedding a solution in society.
WHY?
Design Thinking (DT) is a methodology which provides an innovative solution-based approach to solving
problems. It’s extremely useful for tackling complex problems that are ill-defined or non-apparent
because it serves to understand the human needs involved, reframe the problem in human-centric ways,
create numerous ideas in brainstorming sessions and adopt a hands-on approach. The DT approach will
work well for climate change challenges because, as landscapes and natural conditions change,
practices will need to change as the old ways of doing may no longer work.
During the first phase the ACDI, through the South Africa / Flanders Climate Adaptation Research and
Training Partnership (SAF-ADAPT) Project ran 1-day workshops across the country, the aim of which
was to expose those working on climate-related issues to DT. During the workshops participants
worked in teams on a hypothetical climate related challenge. It soon became apparent that the DT
method had the potential to help practitioners and researchers turn their ideas into actions and come
up with innovative solutions to some of the climate challenges facing South Africans.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
A programme comprising an in-person Design Thinking in Practice workshop, including systems
innovation coaching. The programme is designed for practitioners working on solving climate-related
issues in South Africa and will be offered to teams of between 5-12 people. Based on the outcomes of
this workshop teams may be offered our additional Systems Entrepreneurship Incubation Track. The
hosts will arrange for the programme to take place in different locations around South Africa.
Click here for more information and details on how to apply
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where will the Design Thinking for Climate Solutions Programme take place?
The venue will depend on where the applying team resides. For example, if your team is based in Grahamstown, then the coaching team and organizers will travel to you and arrange for the programme to take place in a venue in Grahamstown.
What are the dates for the Design Thinking for Climate Solutions Programme?
We wanted to be flexible as we understand teams may have other commitments. Hence, we ask that each team indicate options of their availability during the period Dec 2023 – September 2024. We will assess a team’s availability against our availability and negotiate a suitable date for undertaking the programme.
Does the Design Thinking for Climate Solutions Programme require you find you own team?
Yes, you will need to find people to work with and decide on a challenge you want to tackle. These can be people within or outside your organization, ensure that this is a South African based organization.
Design Thinking is best practiced within a team, offering multiple perspectives for collaboration and co-creation. You will need between 5-12 people to be eligible. The Design Thinking for Climate Solutions Programme is run separately for each team, giving a team individual attention. We work closely with each team to help them understand the challenge and find appropriate tangible solutions using Design Thinking and Systems Innovation.
What about the Entrepreneurship Incubation Track?
The Systems Entrepreneurship Incubation Track is an added element to Design Thinking for Climate Solutions Programme and is the available selected teams.
Successful teams will undergo the Design Thinking for Climate Solutions Programme during a 5-day period. During this period, we will assess the team’s eligibility for the Systems Entrepreneurship Incubation Track which should take place approximately 4-6 weeks after completing the Design Thinking for Climate Solutions Programme. This Track is a great opportunity for a team to engage with Systems Entrepreneurship experts and learn about embedding their solutions in society.