This project, in collaboration with One Kilburn, explores more transparent, accountable, inclusive, and accessible governance models within the service context of Kilburn. The team works closely with the coordinating group, employing various research methods (including field research, interviews, shadowing observation, and role-playing) to understand their needs. The aim is to establish an internal structure and management mechanism that better aligns with One Kilburn's vision and values, ultimately helping OK improve work efficiency and visibility. Based on the Green paper, the team is primarily dedicated to establishing feasible short-term goals and exploring more sustainable long-term governance models. These models aim to enable OK to respond to issues more flexibly and achieve the vision of community-led governance.
Institution
MA Service Design, University of the Arts London
Course Unit
User Centred Project
Year
2025
Project Context
Postgraduate Project
“The true wealth of Kilburn is its people”
Member of One Kilburn
About One Kilburn
Overview
One Kilburn is an alliance of local people, organisations, and businesses, working together to improve the quality of life of everyone in Kilburn. One Kilburn encourages collaborative, community-led activities throughout Kilburn, and across their three boroughs - Brent, Camden, and Westminster boroughs.
Inception
One Kilburn was created under the Camden Council through Power to Change and the Greater London Authority as an experimental project to get the local community to be part of shaping and improving their neighbourhood.
The rich and diverse make-up of Kilburn was not to be seen as an obstacle, but rather as an opportunity for the community, regardless of residents, institutions or businesses, to come together and collaborate on social action projects through a shared focus. As quoted by One Kilburn, “Local people know Kilburn best.”, the neighbourhood can leverage on the unique experiences of the community to create an approach that best suits Kilburn.
Approach
One Kilburn’s community-first and community-led modus operandi gives way to the local community to shape One Kilburn itself that translates to bring changes within the neighbourhood that enables effective and long-lasting improvements.
This gives them a greater control over the changes in their area and a platform to collaborate on project ideas, develop and deliver, all with the guidance and support of One Kilburn.
Structure
In addition to several members from the councils and governing bodies, One Kilburn is also made up of members of the community and relies on their voluntary participation. One Kilburn’s aspiration is for the local people to have a greater sense of belonging and take ownership of the place they live in.
Purpose
Facilitate changes within Kilburn and connecting communities with councils and governing bodies
Approach
Bottom-up; Community first
Coordination, not integration of governing councils
Size
20-30 members
Founded
by the Camden Council, alongside Brent Council
Mission & Aim
To nurture a sense of belonging in Kilburn, by having conversations and working together with local people, and supporting community-led activities.
Information and Updates
Website
Sharing projects, ideas, and conversations.
Kilburn Action Wall
Future One Kilburn events, suggest project ideas
One Kilburn Planning Notes
Information on the purpose of planning meetings and details on the discussions
ACTIONS
Networking
Organisations, initiatives, businesses and individuals.
Providing a local voice
Influencing and holding those with power to account
Developing Projects
Current and future aspirations of Kilburn.
Community Leadership
Community-led projects and activities.
Operating Principles
Geographical Coverage
Identity, culture, and place rather than physical boundaries.
Practicality
Encouraging actionable ideas with measurable outcomes
Governance
Sustainable structures and sub-groups aligned with aims and values in collaboration with councils
Visibility
Clear, recognisable presence that reflects transparency and commitment
Local Authorities
01
One
Kilburn
Unifying the rich diversity of the community across three boroughs to improve the neighbourhood as one Kilburn.
02
Two
Years
One Kilburn is still in its infancy, having been established only a few years ago.
Their flexibility at this stage lends itself to adapting to the changing needs and challenges of the community.
03
Three
Boroughs
Kilburn is situated at the confluence of three boroughs and this unique geographic location presents community improvement challenges. One Kilburn is about streamlining processes for communities, bridging gaps and facilitating action. As a result, communities have easier access to the relevant governing agencies.
04
Four
Tube Stations
Bringing the rest of Kilburn closer together to provide more networking opportunities
London Borough of
Brent
Occupying the west side of the High Road is known for its diverse population and landmarks like Wembley Stadium. The borough combines residential areas with vibrant cultural hubs, offering a rich mix of cuisines, shops, and community events. Kilburn’s Brent side reflects this diversity, blending local charm with the dynamic energy of Queen’s Park and nearby amenities.
London Borough of
Camden
Occupying the east side of the High Road,The Camden side of Kilburn, east of the High Road, offers a mix of Victorian and modern housing with a vibrant, diverse community. Well-connected by transport, it blends local charm with access to Camden Town's markets and nightlife. Arts spaces and cultural activities add to its creative, community-oriented appeal.
London Borough of
Westminster
Occupying the least amount of land area at approximately 100m of the High Road.
Located on the south-most side of Kilburn. This borough also covers South Kilburn (formerly West Kilburn) which is undergoing rejuvenating and upgrading projects, mainly managed by the South Kilburn Trust. As such, South Kilburn is out of One Kilburn’s area of focus.
Roles and Purpose
Coordinating Group
Serves as the coordinating body for One Kilburn activities, including activities enabled by the sub-groups.
Objectives
Ensure alignment mission, aims and values
Organise Open Meeting and implement decisions
Promote outreach and networking across Kilburn.
Ensure effective communication with authorities and communities
Monitor progress of agreed targets
Focus
Developing the Green Paper
Exploring long-term sustainability options
Open Meetings
Family Hubs & Youth Engagement Subgroup
Connects youth and children’s activities across Kilburn to foster collaboration and support family-oriented initiatives within the community.
Objectives
Network youth and childrens activities across Kilburn and build greater collaboration
Focus
Currently meeting as separate groups – build collaboration there first.
Places & Spaces Subgroup
Focuses on securing and optimizing community spaces, conducting research, and collaborating with stakeholders to unlock and manage available spaces effectively.
Objectives
Secure a dedicated space.
Assess space availability and community needs.
Research infrastructure and funding options.
Develop partnership models for management.
Enhance collaboration with libraries and community.
Focus
Plan a “Town Anywhere” event.
Manage key community spaces.
Optimize PlayHut usage.
Utilize under-used spaces.
Leverage research insights.
Libraries Subgroup
Ensures strong partnerships with libraries across boroughs, shares best practices, and discusses how libraries can support community outreach initiatives.
Objectives
Ensure good partnership with libraries and local community
Focus
Meets quarterly to compare good practice between library services in Brent, Camden and Westminster
Discusses how libraries contribute to community outreach
Business Subgroup
Aims to attract and support businesses in Kilburn through networking, drop-in sessions, newsletters, and encouraging collaboration across different zones.
Objectives
Bring businesses into One Kilburn
Focus
Organising drop ins for businesses
Exploring the demand / potential for a business group
Business newsletter
Encouraging business collaboration across four zones covering the High Road
Communications Subgroup
Promotes One Kilburn through networks, manages the website and social media, and organizes community engagement through events and outreach strategies.
Objectives
Manage its online presence and activities by promoting One Kilburn.
Focus
Promoting One Kilburn through networks
One Kilburn website and oversight of snap updates
Developing social media strategy and workshops
Creating an events calendar and identifying community influencers
Refining and developing the website
Transport & Air Quality Subgroup
Develops initiatives to improve air quality, road safety, and sustainable transport while working with councils and communities to implement solutions.
Objectives
Improve air quality
Reduce car use
Promote sustainable transport
Increase green spaces
Enhance public land use
Align with local policies
Focus
Close Priory Park Road.
Improve North Kilburn traffic and air quality.
Support High Road scheme funding.
Working Systems
Current Working Systems
Currently, the One Kilburn working system is divided into four processes: organising, decision-making, implementation, and reporting & feedback. These processes are managed by two types of groups, but communication gaps exist within the system, hindering the flow of information between the different groups. As a result, there is a lack of feedback loops between decision-making and reporting.
Decision-making
One Kilburn's primary decision-making process takes place during the open meeting, where subgroups report on their projects and receive feedback from the community. A pre-meeting is held two weeks before the open meeting to define its agenda. The effectiveness of this process relies heavily on the number and diversity of participants.
The Green Paper
The purpose is to highlight One Kilburn’s missions and values and explore how it can evolve into a sustainable and thriving community and to serve as a template for other community organisation.
The Green Paper is developed collaboratively by the members of the coordinating group along with the local councils - Brent, Camden, and Westminster - while also incorporating feedback from the residents and local communities.
At time of publishing, the Green Paper is still being drafted and is open to opportunities to be shaped and adjusted based on the feedback and needs of the community,
The Green Paper is consultative document and not a blueprint.
Opportunities
These opportunities for One Kilburn focus on improving stakeholder collaboration, clarifying roles and decision-making, diversifying funding sources, and enhancing community involvement. Strengthening partnerships with local organizations and creating a self-sufficient model are key areas to expand its reach and ensure long-term sustainability, ultimately increasing its impact on the community.
Participatory structure
Sort out the stakeholders and mapping their relationship with OK and exploring their relationship with each other, thereby creating a more efficient governance engagement structure.
Community involvement
Explore more potential stakeholders, seek more collaboration, fully understand the needs of the community, and respect its diversity.
Decision-making
Clarify the division of labor and functions within the organization and build an effective, inclusive and open decision-making loop.
Funding
Finding more diverse sources of funding and tapping into Kilburn's own potential to realize the vision of self-sufficiency.
Guidelines
Break down the roles within Kilburn, define the responsibilities of the different roles and give a code of conduct for each department
Capacity within community
Incorporate more community organizations to expand One Kilburn's reach in order to achieve a virtuous cycle of leveraging community resources to serve the community.
Inclusivity & Representation
Participatory decision-making fostering diversity.
Transparency & Accountability
Structures to maintain consensus-based decision-making, and alignment with One Kilburn’s mission.
Sustainability & Adaptability
Community engagement to evolve with community needs.
Challenges Identified
One Kilburn's current challenges are grouped into five key areas, these areas focus on improving the involvement of people, the allocation of funds, and the overall effectiveness of One Kilburn as an organisation, all aimed at benefiting Kilburn and fostering its development.
Participation and Community Engagement
To foster a culture of transparency, accountability, inclusivity amongst the community and in the process of decision making.
Governance and Organisational Structure
To explore the kind of organisation one Kilburn could become in the future
Financial Viability
Identifying future funding mechanisms, including grants, community fundraising and developing financial autonomy.
Evaluation and Learning
To implement a clear framework and develop a feedback mechanism to ensure accountability, transparency, inclusivity and accessibility throughout the process.
Sustainability and Future Growth
To address environmental, social and economic sustainability and to build capacity within the community through mentorship, training, volunteering.
Kilburn faces challenges rooted in its geography and history, resulting in a strong sense of division, particularly in South Kilburn, where shared community bonds are weak. Communication gaps between residents and the council have led to a lack of trust.
Despite this, Kilburn High Road stands as a vibrant hub with the potential to unite people, bridging these divides as individuals gather together, transcending boundaries and fostering a sense of collective spirit.
South Kilburn Belonging
Borough Divide
Hard-to-Reach Communities
Presence and Establishment
Project Aims & Focus
Area of Focus
The project will home in on One Kilburn’s internal processes and organisation structure to identify the gaps and opportunities to realise their mission and vision to meet the needs of the community of Kilburn. In addition, it will investigate the stakeholders that are directly or indirectly involved with the organization.
Moreover, specifying this target area avoids potential overlaps with other teams that may work on similar areas. Therefore, the team will discuss and interact with other teams in order to come up with a stronger and integrated proposal.
This project seeks to strengthen the sense of community in Kilburn through a place-based governance model, One Kilburn.
One Kilburn strives to empower the myriad of unique and diverse voices to actively shape their neighbourhood while at the same time bringing the community together as one through championing collaboration.
By listening to and addressing the distinct needs of each area, we can build a more connected and effective framework for local governance and development.
THEME
Governance
Governance is strategic and refers to the structures and values that shape an organisation’s work, including the accountability and oversight of them.
Research Methodology
Design and Innovation Process
The team used a “Double Diamond Framework” to help the project unfold in a planned manner, which systematically shows the entire process of design from initial research to design delivery. It helped the team develop a deep and inclusive understanding of One Kilburn's diversity and uniqueness.
Ethical Consideration
Ethical considerations ensure that research with One Kilburn is conducted responsibly, fostering trust, inclusivity, and fairness. They protect participants' rights, promote transparency, and prevent potential harm while ensuring cultural sensitivity and accurate representation of the community.
Non-Extractive Research Methods
Ensure mindfulness of how information is obtained
Smooth Experience for Participants
Providing ample information, context and materials prior to sessions
Anticipate possible scenarios and prepare alternate plans
Be flexible and adaptive and respond accordingly to the situation
Offering help for event preparation
Mutual Exchange of Benefits
Volunteer for events
Presenting project insights, findings, and outcomes.
Maintaining Physical and Emotional Safety
Respecting people's privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity whilst reducing the risk of causing further harm and trauma.
Organisations can build trust by communicating clearly and effectively
Respect
Participants’ time and needs
Be careful to not pressure participants to do something they are uncomfortable with or put them in discomfort.
Be mindful of how we word our questions and how we talk to the participants. They should not feel offended, insulted, less-than or inferior.
Considering Cultural Differences
As Kilburn is a culturally diverse neighbourhood, there may be cultural differences are the team should be aware of.
Transparency and Accountability
Clearly communicating objectives, processes, and outcomes to all stakeholders.
Social Design Principles
Social Design is one of the principles in design that focuses on creating solutions to solve societal and social problems and improve individual and overall well being of the community.
In our project we created processes that were inclusive and participatory. We conducted co-design workshops with members of One Kilburn to figure out the problems and challenges.
Design for social impact
Our aim was to make the open meeting of One Kilburn more inclusive and transparent so that every voice is being heard. Co-designing workshops were held to find the challenges and opportunities in relation to the structure of governance. This allowed us to get to the pain points and work on the solutions.
Design for social innovation & sustainability
We identified and proposed volunteers and community ambassadors to ensure governance practices are scalable and can be sustained beyond the initial scope of One Kilburn. The ambassadors and the volunteers act as the connectors between the councils and the local community to create a more inclusive and participatory environment.
Design for public good
Our solutions involve residents, local businesses, and community groups in every stage of the design and decision-making process to ensure they are aligned to the values of One Kilburn. The process involves regular meetings and opportunities for feedback to maintain transparency.
Overview
In the discovery stage, the team gathered information across various methods of research to get a comprehensive and holistic understanding of One Kilburn as an organisation, the culturally-rich neighbourhood of Kilburn, the boroughs that intersects the area and lastly the relationship between all these parties.
The quest to achieve this brought us to meet the members of One Kilburn, meeting the community of Kilburn, exploring the neighbourhood, and observing One Kilburn’s activities.
Secondary Research
This section outlines the team's secondary research conducted at the beginning of the Discover and Define phases.
Initially, the team researched Kilburn's demographics, cultural history, and geography to understand its broader context. Following this, research focused on governance models, policies, and organisations connected to One Kilburn (OK). This provided insights into OK's role, vision, and existing communication gaps with local entities.
In the Define phase, further exploration of governance models and comparison with OK's structure helped identify areas for improvement and potential opportunities for enhancing governance and communication within the Kilburn community.
Community Governance Structure
Local government and community policy
Management of public affairs
Local governments are responsible for promoting public affairs such as housing, education, new transportation, and public safety in community governance.
Community participation mechanisms
Local governments engage residents in decision-making through public consultations, forums, and committees, allowing community input to influence public affairs and policy.
Support for community change projects
Local governments engage residents in decision-making through public consultations, forums, and committees, allowing community input to influence public affairs and policy.
Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Charities and Social Enterprises
Kilburn has local charities and social enterprises offering services from social welfare to housing support. For example, the South Kilburn Trust focuses on improving well-being and economic opportunity through education, training, and employment support.
Community Development Trusts
Community development trusts in Brent collaborate with local authorities to coordinate and promote sustainable community projects, such as housing rehabilitation, environmental protection, and youth training programs.
Role of grassroots organisations
Small grassroots organisations drive change by focusing on community needs like environmental protection, social justice, and cultural activities, often relying on volunteer networks.
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
NGOs in Kilburn address issues like poverty, housing, inequality, and educational disparities. For example, the Kilburn Neighbourhood Plan Forum promotes local change, gives residents a voice in development projects, and supports equitable growth.
Primary Research
The team's primary research aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of One Kilburn through a multi-faceted approach, including meetings, interviews, field observations, ethnographic studies, volunteer engagement, and co-design workshops. The objective was to identify key issues and challenges both within and beyond the organization, with a particular focus on work systems, the division of responsibilities, and the relationships between One Kilburn and various stakeholders such as residents, community groups, and sub-groups. The insights gained from this research were instrumental in informing the prototyping and testing of the final output.
First introduction to One Kilburn and Key Members
Observing Online Meeting
with Brent Council
Observing One Kilburn’s
Open Meetings
Along the High Road
Eateries & Pubs
The northern side, towards
Kilburn Underground Station
Boast more small-businesses and local spots featuring a diverse range of cuisines.
Down the high road, towards
Kilburn High Road Overground Station
Houses more chain establishments such as Pret a Manger, Franco Manca, and Popeyes.
Overall, there is a wide range of establishments that serves the diverse population in Kilburn.
Maintenance, Upgrades
& Improvements
Towards Kilburn High Road Overground Station
Some ongoing road works
On Camden Borough side
Construction of new housing and mixed-use buildings that is built and paid for by the Camden Council
Shops & Amenities
Rows of markets from different cultural backgrounds, ranging from groceries to butchers to fruit stalls.
Chain supermarket chains such as Sainsbury’s, M&S, Iceland and ALDI congregate more towards Kilburn High Road Overground Station
Many retail/service stores for daily essentials
Workshop at Open Meeting
During the open meeting, the Governance Team had the opportunity to meet and interact with One Kilburn members and conduct a short workshop.
For this workshop, the members were requested to think of their ideal utopian One Kilburn that they would love to be part of.
As these participants have first hand experience of the inner workings and processes, they were able to provide a fresh perspective.
Volunteering
Getting to know a community involves more than just interviewing and observing. Forming a genuine relationship especially over shared experience will be able to render unique insights. In tandem with the quest to avoid research methods that are extractive, the Governance team volunteered on a weekend printmaking session held at the Playhut.
Accessibility
Residents of Kilburn are energetic and creative, with a strong willingness to contribute to their community. However, many are unsure how to get involved or face personal barriers such as time constraints or health issues, which limit their participation.
Visibility
Kilburn State of Mind organises various weekly events at Playhut, attracting a wide range of local residents. However, many attendees are not aware of One Kilburn. The team noticed that there is a lack of obvious symbols for One Kilburn arround Playhut, which may contribute to this lack of awareness.
Interviews
Online Meeting with Sasha Khan
Member of One Kilburn
Admin of Communications Subgroup
With the myriad of information gathered, new questions emerged when the team attempted to synthesise the findings. These questions were usually related to understanding how the processes within One Kilburn work, as it would fill the gaps of understanding the experiences and feedback from the community and provide more context to problems identified.
The meeting provided invaluable insights to the evolving structure of the organisation
Governance Model
& Independence
One Kilburn is receiving resources from councils, and registering as charity organisation means that they will no longer be a council project and the councils would not be able provide the same level of resources.
However, getting registered (charity or constituted group) means that they can have a bank account and employ workers.
Establishing Identity
& Homebase
At the moment, One Kilburn does not have a permanent location as an office or to hold meetings and events.
In-person meeting still prioritised for the experience and relationship building benefits. While it is possible to join online, the tech infrastructure is not good to support it.
Life Cycle of Groups &
Thematic Subgroups
The subgroups are agile and dynamic and responds to the needs of the organisation. New groups can be created, the same way groups can be dissolved once their task is fulfilled. However, there are a number of dormant subgroups and the structure could be better constructed to be more effective.
Community Projects
One Kilburn has completed multiple successful projects, namely the Camden community funded project that funded 5 projects.
However, there were still challenges that the community faced such as responsiveness and transparency issues.
Stakeholders
The main key actors and stakeholders were identified in order to map he relationship and shape the service to serve the right people.
For the context of this project, the team views One Kilburn and other governing bodies as partners.
Project Partners
One Kilburn
All members, including organising group members and thematic sub-group members
Councils
Councils that are directly involved with One Kilburn, specifically Brent, Camden, and Westminster Council
Governing Bodies
Any other entity that works with One Kilburn or enact changes within Kilburn
End Users
Organisations in Kilburn
Many organizations are directly involved with One Kilburn who are working towards improving One Kilburn.
Communities in Kilburn
In Kilburn there are several communities and groups with some who are actively involved.
Hard-to-reach Communities
Communities that are unrepresented or do not actively engage with neighbourhood activities
Varying Demographics
Changes in the neighbourhood housing scene over the years introduced a wider range of emographics
Untapped Networks
As One Kilburn is relatively a young organisation, there are still many connections to be made
Optimised Governing Structure
Subgroups split between
functional and thematic groups
Dynamic & Agile - constant movement of members and creation of sub-groups
Currently not optimised with many dormant sub-groups
OPPORTUNITY
Enhance the horizontal collaboration between sub-groups
Self-Sustaining
Able to hold AGM to elect residents
Able to have a bank account
Councils cannot provide the same support and resources.
OPPORTUNITY
Leverage existing connections to community and organisations to move towards being self-sustaining
Community Participation
Invite more community members to allow greater representation across different communities
More variance in community and representation
Exchange of resources to fuel community projects
Doesn't have an effective system to recruit and retain members
OPPORTUNITY
Lower the barrier of entry for more members of the community to participate in One Kilburn activities
Project Statement
The Service
Service Ecosystem
The ecosystem for community participation in One Kilburn involves interconnected actors, tools, and processes that support collaboration, governance, and engagement.
Key Actors
Community Members: Volunteers, sub-group ambassadors, and participants drive engagement and initiatives.
Stakeholders: Local businesses, partner organizations, sponsors, MPs, and council officers provide support and resources.
One Kilburn Teams: Council members, the Communication Department, Documentation Manager, and Sub-group Supervisor ensure smooth operations and governance.
Tools and Infrastructure
Digital Platforms: The One Kilburn website, volunteer management system, and email communication facilitate outreach, onboarding, and follow-ups.
Templates: Meeting and project proposal templates streamline planning and decision-making processes.
Processes
Engagement Channels: In-person meetings, online meetings, and the One Kilburn Booth offer multiple touchpoints for participation.
Support Systems: Mentorship for project proposals, onboarding preparation, and form processing ensure inclusivity and accessibility.
Governance and Collaboration
Values and Accountability: Transparent processes like email templates for follow-ups and well-defined roles (e.g., ambassadors) ensure alignment with governance principles.
Partnerships: Collaboration with council operational teams, sponsors, and local businesses fosters resource-sharing and sustainability.
Interim Feedback
Presenting our work-in-progess to the One Kilburn members was another way the Governance team tested our project direction and ideas. This provided a platform to discuss and bounce off ideas, which is similar to co-designing.
Resources
Some issues discussed was the reliance on council resources that proves to be a barrier from becoming self-sustaining
Changes in Relationships
Any changes to the governing body will create a wave of changes across the ecosystem. Concerns surrounding the change in position and jurisdiction for council members was raised, in the scenario where One Kilburn moves towards becoming less reliant on the councils.
Processes
There’s a clear need to define and clarify the processes to join One Kilburn or get support with a project.
Importance of Granularity
To ensure clarity about One Kilburn’s mission and promote inclusivity, it is essential to maintain granularity at every stage of the process.
Further Development
Following defining the project statement, the team worked on ways to generate and refine ideas.
In order to understand how our proposed idea would perform in the actual setting, activities such as role playing and focus groups was conducted.
Additionally, the team recognised the need to work closely with our project partners - One Kilburn themselves - to ensure that we are on the same page. As such, the team hosted a co-design session with some coordinating members.
Objectives
Participants worked individually to map out the pain points such as lack of space/venue to conduct the meetings, need for volunteers, lack of inclusivity and funding opportunities. Following which the participants mapped out the opportunities in relation to the same structure by solutions such as enhancing touch points, reaching a wider and diverse group of people, and enhancing their feedback loop.
These insights gave us the opportunity to intervene and redesign the open meeting format to better align to their needs and goals.
Identify Challenges & Barriers
Discover Opportunities
Explore Ways to Emphasise Values
Co-design task
Developing an optimised Governance Model towards a participatory framework
We conducted a co-design workshop with the members of coordinating group. Through collaborative workshop the participants contributed their insights- the challenges and the opportunities. We focused on creating a template for the One Kilburn’s coordinating group which will foster inclusivity, transparency, accountability and accessibility for the residents, councils and sub groups involved.
The Idea
Tools
Based on Empathy Map, create a template for OK's co-ordinating group.
Aim
To know how they're feeling when they work together, to identify several problems they're facing and to sort these problems into different kinds. Ultimately, refine our HMW with more details.
Insight
Organising & Decision-Making
Credibility and reciprocal value
Organising & implementing builds credibility and encourages participation
Participants stressed that organizing and implementing projects is crucial for building credibility and fostering participation. By demonstrating active involvement, One Kilburn can strengthen its reputation and encourage more community engagement.
Implementation
Building capacity
“To get involved in anything people need to see the benefit” - One Kilburn member
Participants highlighted the need to clearly show the benefits of involvement to encourage wider participation. Making sure that community members see direct, tangible advantages from their involvement will help sustain long-term engagement.
Evaluation
Transparency and trust
“Feedback is the insurance of One Kilburn” - One Kilburn member
Regarding evaluation, transparency was seen as key to building trust, ensuring that the organization remains accountable and responsive to the community. Establishing clear feedback mechanisms and ensuring that decisions are communicated openly will help maintain trust and ensure the organization’s actions align with the community’s evolving needs.
Roleplay Roundtable
The Governance Team had a roundtable discussion, with each team member representing one of the five types of members that makes up One Kilburn in the proposed idea.
Each member needed to empathise with the people they represented and say as much as possible about their needs as well as their attributes.
The discussion followed a timeline, discussing the before, during, and after phases of an open meeting, a funding application, and recruiting process.
Prototype Testing
Roleplaying One Kilburn’s activities
The team tested the ideas through prototyping and roleplaying. In this session, One Kilburn’s Open Meetings was selected to be the scenario of the role play, with 4 other classmates joining as participants.
Context
These participants are each representatives of their corresponding project teams. Alongside were the Governance Team that acted as the facilitator of the exercise, as well as the Coordinating Group that typically carries out these events.
In order to mimic the activities and processes that happens during a typical Open Meeting, the team sets a realistic and common purpose for the exercise. This allows each member to have material to share and discuss, and at the same time, also enjoy the benefit of gaining more insight to help with their respective projects.
In this role play, the Open Meeting staged as a platform for all teams to share their project process and gain feedback and assistance from others.
Goals & Metrics
1
Assessing the ease and effectiveness of communication during the exercise by gathering feedback from the participants.
2
Assessing the impact of integrating One Kilburn’s values in the proposed ideas through assessing the sense of accessibility, inclusivity, transparency and accountability of the participants during the exercise.
Process
Each task item was checked against the 5 values to asses the effectiveness of the proposed idea.
Feedback
At the end of the activity, feedback was gathered from the participants. These insights will inform us on how the service idea can be better designed to meet our goals.
Thematising meeting
Split the meeting into two sessions:
1
Summary report and decision on new ideas
2
Ambassadors' meeting and in-depth meeting of small groups
More formative for feedback
Open up extra channels to cater to more residents for them to voice out and be invovled.
Documenting
Set up a Calendar of Events to highlight future meeting events, project progress, and important documents.
Rotating leadership
1
Method of election of ambassadors
2
Ambassadors need to be replaced periodically
3
Ambassadors' meeting and in-depth meeting of small groups
The Service
Optimising One Kilburn to better serve the community
Restructuring One Kilburn
Based on the identified gaps and opportunities, and also the insight from the co-design workshops and role-playing, the organisation model of One Kilburn was redesigned to create a structure that better defines the roles and responsibilities of each member and groups, whilst keeping a fluid xx to maintain their agility and adaptability to the changing needs of the community.
The structure was also crafted to deeply embed One Kilburn’s values of Inclusivity, Accessibility, Accountability, and Transparency, inviting more members of the community to collaborate.
Roles & Responsibilities
Clearer roles for better transparency
Each role in One Kilburn comes with a defined set of responsibility that enforces accountability and increases transparency across the organisation and the community. These roles were created to align with their values so that it can ingrained into every process, action, decision, and member of One Kilburn.
Ambassador Rotating Leadership
Clearer roles for better transparency
Each role in One Kilburn comes with a defined set of responsibility that enforces accountability and increases transparency across the organisation and the community. These roles were created to align with their values so that it can ingrained into every process, action, decision, and member of One Kilburn.
More voices heard
A rotating system can be set to cycle through different ambassador, as well introducing new ones. This means that there will be an increased opportunity for various communities to be represented.
These ambassadors are measured against requirements to ensure that they are a good culture fit within One Kilburn to work with the community.
Appointment Process
Ambassadors are appointed for fixed terms to bring fresh perspectives and ensure dynamic leadership.
Open membership allows new members to join and ensures continuity when existing ambassadors step down.
Ambassadors act as key decision-makers, guiding discussions and fostering consensus.
Qualifications
Strong moral character, demonstrating integrity and fairness.
Professional experience in relevant fields, such as community work or public administration.
Established connections within the community, earning trust and respect from diverse groups.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Community engagement
Gather public opinions, feedback, and ideas to inform One Kilburn’s initiatives.
Advocacy
Represent the community’s interests and concerns during meetings and decision-making processes.
Proposal development
Draft actionable suggestions based on community input and present them during One Kilburn meetings.
Regular updates
Provide consistent debriefings on project progress and decisions to maintain transparency.
Coordination
Act as a bridge between stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.
VALUE OF THE AMBASSADOR ROLE
Representation
Amplifies the voices of Kilburn’s diverse community in alliance activities.
Leadership
Offers clear direction and facilitates cohesive decision-making.
Trust-building
Strengthens relationships within the community through consistent engagement.
Transparency
Ensures accountability through regular updates and open communication.
Sustained involvement
Keeps the community actively involved in shaping projects and outcomes.
One Kilburn Handbook
The OneKilburn Handbook is a comprehensive guide detailing the governance structure, roles, and responsibilities within the organisation.
It provides clarity on how decisions are made, outlines key processes, and ensures alignment with OneKilburn’s values of inclusivity, transparency, accountability, and accessibility. The handbook serves as a resource for fostering collaboration and empowering community-led initiatives.
Thematic Meetings
OK meetings restructured: Ambassador Meetings for overall issues and reports; Sub-group Meetings for specific project matters.
Meeting processes improved for efficiency: improved organisation, enhanced engagement, and streamlined workflow, promoting collaborative and transparent governance.
Volunteer Management
The customer journey map provides a structured overview of the volunteer sign-up process. It identifies opportunities to enhance the volunteer experience while aligning with One Kilburn’s governance values, fostering long-term engagement and trust within the community.OKAY meetings restructured: Ambassador Meetings for overall issues and reports; Sub-group Meetings for specific project matters.
Meeting processes improved for efficiency: improved organisation, enhanced engagement, and streamlined workflow, promoting collaborative and transparent governance.
Project Proposal Management
This journey map highlights the step-by-step process for community members to submit project proposals, ensuring accessibility, transparency, and inclusivity. It provides a clear pathway for individuals to bring their ideas to life with One Kilburn’s facilitation, fostering community empowerment and accountability.
Multiple Channel Access
One Kilburn’s multiple access channels ensure that community members can easily engage with the organisation, retrieve information, and provide feedback in a variety of ways.
Digital Channels
Website: A central hub for information retrieval, project details, and proposal submissions. It includes feedback forms for community input, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Social Media: Platforms like Facebook and Twitter enable real-time updates, discussions, and feedback, fostering accessibility and engagement.
Ambassadors
Problem Reporting: Community members can report issues to OK ambassadors, who act as local liaisons, ensuring inclusive communication and support.
Information Sharing: Ambassadors help guide individuals to the right person within OK, enhancing accessibility and streamlining interactions.Find relevant ambassador
One Kilburn Partners
Information Announcements: OK partners share updates, event details, and proposal deadlines, extending OK's reach.
Physical Feedback Channels: In-person spaces and printed materials offer accessible feedback options for those without digital access.
Monthly Calendar
This centralizes event information from One Kilburn and its partners, providing everyone a template to highlight transparency and visibility to effectively manage long-term event schedules.
Contents
All important events and dates within One Kilburn
All events organised by sub-groups within Kilburn
Updates
At the end of each month, the calendar for the following month is updated on the One Kilburn website.
Conclusion
Effective Governance as the Catalyst for Community Transformation
Governance is an umbrella term and we had a wide area to consider. Over the course of the project, the team worked on One Kilburn’s structuring and internal processes as a solution to foster their values that is inclusivity, transparency, accessibility and accountability.
We used methods such as co-design, workshops, role playing activities and reimagined the entire open meeting scenario. In the co-design sessions and the role playing sessions the participants engaged meaningfully and addressed the key issues. Throughout the project roleplaying, prototyping and engaging with our stakeholders became some of the useful tools that worked for our team, but, we believe engaging more with other members of the community would have been beneficial in the process. Provided we had more time we could have reached out to other members as well for their valuable insights.
By including the diverse perspectives, the new framework was built for the coordinating team. To make it more inclusive and engaging we introduced the notion of an ambassador who will be the voice of the community. To make the open meeting transparent and systematic, a handbook and calendar is introduced with all the necessary details attached to it to provide greater visibility within the organisation, heightening a sense of trust and security that will invite the community to get involved with One Kilburn.
The essence of the Green Paper and its values have been considered throughout the project timeline. Our service is designed to align with One Kilburn's long- term goals of strengthening its governance and fostering community engagement.
Going forward and looking at One Kilburn's long-term objectives, the future considerations for our service can include more ways to enhance community led initiatives, engagement of the members at a deeper level, generating partnerships to provide support and resources to One Kilburn to become self-sustainable.
