Great Aristotle must have been thinking of piloting when speaking of ‘well begun is half done’. Especially in the pilot of a new and co-developed technology, the role of preparation and planning is even more important.
This chapter delves into the critical importance of thorough preparation and careful planning for a successful pilot launch. It examines key considerations and best practices essential for mastering pilot preparations.
In the preparation phase the pilot manager arranges two meetings which determines the course of the piloting. The kickoff meeting is the most important meeting of the piloting process while the preceding pilot host meeting is not mandatory but strongly recommended.
The pilot host meeting is arranged as soon as the evaluation is completed and the piloting is about to become concrete. This meeting serves as an opportunity to prepare for the pilot kickoff. One pilot host can host more than one pilot in the open call. In this case all pilots can be addressed in one pilot host meeting.
Pilot host meeting agenda template:
The kickoff meeting is the meeting of the preparation phase where the parties co-define the framework of the pilot. During this session, the pilot host and the pilot team review the pilot plan and come to a mutual agreement on its contents.
Facilitated and documented by the pilot manager, this meeting serves as a platform to fine-tune the pilot plan based on any additional information or necessary amendments, such as the provision of additional resources by the pilot host, as indicated in the application by the lead applicant. Descriptions of the roles mentioned are found in the Glossary.
Crucially, the expectations of all parties must be openly discussed to establish a realistic and joint understanding, fostering collaborative piloting. Failure to reach a joint agreement renders the piloting unable to proceed, preventing the signing of the piloting contract. Within the kickoff meeting, participants align on various concrete issues, including communication strategies, co-creation methodologies, utilisation of the CommuniCity Technical Framework, and outline future steps, including upcoming meetings.
Kickoff meeting agenda template
Organise the meetings well in advance to ensure all parties have time to prepare and attend. The kickoff meeting can be scheduled after the evaluation is finished and the winning pilot team has been informed of their positive result. Schedule the midterm meeting in the kickoff meeting, and the final meeting in the midterm meeting. Read more in the Meetings.
Share the Google Slides agenda to all parties at least one week before the meeting to ensure timely preparation. Utilising shared documents offers the advantage of allowing all participants to contribute directly to the same slide set.
Following completion, the document will serve as a memo requiring approval from all parties involved. Approval can be made by email; change the sharing from Editor to Commenter before this. Once all parties are satisfied with the content, convert the memo to a PDF format and share it with everyone involved.
For the kick-off meeting, kindly request the pilot team to prepare a concise 5-10 minute presentation outlining their pilot project. This presentation should include details such as the project timeline and an implementation plan. Additionally, ask the host organisation to prepare a 5 minute presentation of their organisation and their piloting framework.
The framework can include anything that is relevant to form the joint understanding of how the pilot will be conducted in a satisfactory manner; available resources, vacation periods, suggestions for test user profile, technical requirements etc. By ensuring both the pilot team and the host organisation are prepared with these presentations, the kick-off meeting can proceed smoothly and efficiently, fostering a shared understanding of the project’s objectives and requirements.
If the pilot manager has decided not to arrange the pilot host meeting with the host organisation, it is advisable to reach out to them well before the kickoff meeting. Inquire whether their organisation requires specific approvals, such as a research permit or ethical assessment, to conduct the pilot. It’s worth noting that the pilot host contact might not be aware of these requirements, and they may need to consult with their administration, which can be a time-consuming process. It is encouraged to share any information regarding the need for a research permit or other approvals with the pilot team as early as possible.
Remember:
Documentation process for all four meetings: All documentation in English to ensure the learnings are available for CommuniCity research and dissemination purposes. The agenda will be used as a memo. The approved memo (PDF) will be uploaded to CommuniCity Open Call Platform. If the pilot manager does not have access to the platform, they should ask their supporting CommuniCity contact person (city admin) to do this for them.
To ensure the success of the pilot, it’s crucial to collaboratively define its framework within a group comprising representatives from each participating organisation.
First and foremost, jointly establish clear goals and metrics for evaluating the pilot’s success. Goals often vary between organisations. The most common goal for a city is usually to verify and measure the effectiveness of the technology in a pilot environment. When the effectiveness is documented, it becomes easier, for example, to scale up the technology or invest in it. Through goal-setting, assess the necessary phases and optimal duration for the pilot, considering the varying time and resource requirements based on the technology and objectives.
Clarify the roles and responsibilities of each participating organisation and individual. It is recommended to include people in the pilot team who have the ability and opportunity to act as a guiding resource after the pilot, if the organisation decides to expand the use of the technology.
Maintain active communication among all stakeholders. When the environment of the pilot is known and the group participating in the pilot is assembled, it is important to prepare instructions for carrying out the pilot and communicate it clearly to the whole team. A well-directed pilot makes people feel comfortable with the technology.
Lastly, establish a control mechanism for the pilot. It is recommended to form a steering group comprising representatives from each organisation. Conduct weekly 30-minute meetings for information sharing and prompt responses to any issues that may arise. A pilot project under continuous monitoring is more efficient and likely to reach desired results.
The objective of CommuniCity’s Technical Framework is to provide a set of assets, such as APIs, specifications and software, to support the design and development of innovative solutions. This Technical Framework is to be implemented by the piloting teams, and experimented in the cities.
Pilot managers or hosts do not need to have expertise in AI, MIMs, or APIs, although these are components of the technical framework provided by CommuniCity to pilot teams. The role of the pilot manager is to ensure that pilot teams are informed about the capabilities and requirements outlined in the framework. This has been done easy for the pilot manager since the information is integrated into the tools of the Piloting Toolkit, such as the kickoff meeting agenda.
The main aim of the Technical Framework is twofold:
Image is for the high level architecture of the technical framework.
Learn more of the opportunities the CommuniCity Technical Framework provides for the tech companies.
Each participating city may have unique local requirements for conducting the pilots, which can even vary across different departments within the city. Agile piloting methods and open calls might not always be familiar to the cities and their staff members.
Consequently, those involved in this method of co-creation often find it necessary to consult with their colleagues to determine whether certain permissions processes or other protocols must be integrated into the pilot implementation.
This consultation process can be time-consuming, underscoring the importance of raising these considerations with the pilot host at the latest when the evaluation process is completed and a pilot host meeting is to be arranged.
B.Green, Forum Virium Helsinki
Each city has its own unique processes for piloting initiatives, and the City of Helsinki provides a well-structured permit process for research related to the City of Helsinki or using the City’s data sets.
The City of Helsinki outlines its comprehensive research permit process on its official webpage, with specific procedures and forms varying across different city divisions. For many pilots conducted in association with the City of Helsinki Social Services and Health Care Division—commonly involved in CommuniCity Helsinki projects—a research permit from the city is required.
While this process is specific to Helsinki’s challenges and pilots, it serves as a valuable reference for other municipalities lacking similar frameworks. Analysing such policies and associated risks can aid in evaluating essential considerations for piloting initiatives in diverse urban settings.
The process described below is the research permit process of the Social Services and Health Care Division:
Acquiring this permit involves considerable planning, documentation and time investment from the pilot team. However, careful planning is essential, irrespective of whether the permit is mandatory. This ensures comprehensive consideration of all essential aspects, including GDPR compliance and ethical considerations. Such considerations are especially critical when involving marginalised groups, ensuring the protection of individuals’ rights and privacy throughout the research process.
The City of Helsinki research permit application must include following documentation (check the current guidance directly from the City of Helsinki research permit webpage):
The permit is submitted by an individual of the pilot team, accompanied by at least one pilot host contact person; a staff member of the City of Helsinki. It is crucial to note that the processing of a research permit application typically takes between 2 to 6 weeks.
Moreover, the research cannot begin until the permit is granted. Given the timeframe of a 6-month pilot project, obtaining the research permit in a timely manner becomes a critical task during the preparation phase.
Partnering cities Amsterdam, Helsinki and Porto, and replicator cities have different payment processes for the open call grants. However, regardless of which organisation is responsible for implementing the payment, it is essential to plan the process well in advance in collaboration with the administrative departments of the respective organisations.
Partnering cities’ city admins must follow their organisations’ internal administrative protocols and provide clear instructions to the lead applicants. The status of the payments is documented in the CommuniCity Open Call Platform by the city admin.
Lead applicants of the replicator cities sign the pilot contract either with Forum Virium Helsinki (for the second and third open call rounds) or OASC (for the third open call round). The contracting party will then handle grant payments according to its administrative protocol. Replicator cities will receive detailed guidance on payment processes directly from the contracting party involved.
CommuniCity project and its pilots are working with and for the marginalised groups. Listing a comprehensive checklist of pilot ethics is impossible, yet one can utilise CommuniCity’s Key ethical points of piloting and community engagement list to understand the versatility. It is essential that the ethical aspects of piloting are present throughout the whole process. It is crucial to consistently reflect on how every planning decision and action taken impacts the residents and who actively participate as co-creators in the pilot. What does “Anna” or “John” think or feel about this?
The starting point of a pilot should be the needs of vulnerable and marginalised communities. In ideal terms, the challenge the community is in need of solutions to, and the pilot designs are intertwined from the first steps of the process. This requires collaboration between the community representatives or key contact points, and the solution provider.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is relatively new technology and therefore the ethics of AI are relevant as well. CommuniCity pilots are expected to aim to apply a lifecycle model to AI development and Fair AI (MIM5) by Open and Agile Smart Cities and Communities OASC, which provides you with specific questions and an overview of the process. CommuniCity partner Demos Helsinki has been co-creating an assessment framework for non-discriminatory AI. You can utilise such frameworks at any point of the process. The aim should be primarily to develop the solutions with the communities to ensure co-creation and participatory design, rather than testing ready-made solutions.
Please note that, at the minimum level of ethical engagement, you should subscribe to the ‘do no harm’ principle while working with the communities. If you are working with vulnerable communities, the assessment and application of the ‘do no harm’ principle should be given extra consideration.
Remember that expertise and experience come in many different forms in a multistakeholder situation such as piloting: the recognition of different angles needs multiple engagements with all stakeholders so please plan your pilot process accordingly. Make sure you agree on the guidelines for communication and mutual interaction at the beginning: all parties having a chance to present their views, subscribing to the house rules of co-creation.
However, striving for a higher ambition, such as “Do good”, can further enhance the ethical integrity of the pilot. By actively seeking to create positive impacts and benefits for residents and the community as a whole, we not only avoid harm but also contribute to the betterment of society.
Main photo: Jussi Hellsten, Helsinki Partners
