Moonshot
The big question / How might we...?
How might we plan for a future that is not simply 10% better, but 10 times better, within a framework of creating an accurate narrative about who lives in poverty, and the role of government in social change work?
How might we offer a department-wide, holistic service to support our population so that everyone can survive and has the opportunity to thrive?
Type (project or consultation):
Project
When:
July 2021 to June 2024
Process/what we did:
Using the frame of creating a future that is 10 times better then the present, DCHS engaged in discussions about how they could promote risk taking, creativity, playfulness, permission and invitation in service to ending poverty and racism. The MIL facilitated two full-day sessions for the DCHS Leadership Team during which they engaged in open future visioning for the department.
Moonshot session participants imagined the future state, then came up with Moonshot Ideas that could help bring us to our future vision and achieve the DCHS North Star. Those ideas were placed on a prioritization map.
Later, the MIL led a more-focused visioning session regarding the DCHS budget, exploring the implications that their vision of providing holistic services would have on the upcoming County budget process.
Outcome/Impact:
Through the Moonshot sessions, participants identified two key concepts essential to helping DCHS reach its North Star of quality of life, educational access and support, and economic stability: Access and Assets.
Work to formally develop the concept of a mobile access app began in 2022. Efforts to develop asset building strategies for both staff and the community have yet to formally start. However, investment in the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program is ongoing and expanding yearly.
The budget-focused session resulted in ideas that connect these future state visions to the upcoming budget cycle, and helped session participants continue to identify and define how DCHS values show up in and impact the budget development process.
Since those sessions, a number of other gatherings have happened that expand and build on the Moonshot framework.
