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PUBLIC AS A COMMON GOOD

Public asset utilization,
starting from the thinking.

Operated by the Institute for Social Vision Design (ISVD)Sister media: KOSO 0Privacy Policy日本語で読む

HOW WE WORK

What you can ask for, and where the charges start.

The first conversation, individual studies and documents, ongoing support, concept and production. You can see what each one covers and how it runs before you get in touch.

STARTING A PROJECT

From the first conversation to starting work.

Sending an enquiry costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

  1. 01

    We hear where things stand

    The facility, how far the review has got, what you want to find out — then what we can cover.

  2. 02

    We set out the scope and the quote

    Which organisation does it, what you receive, the meetings, what is excluded, and the terms for extra work.

  3. 03

    You agree, and we contract

    The stages, how things get checked, the fee and payment terms, and what happens to what we produce.

  4. 04

    We study, produce and check

    We work within the agreed scope, and come back to you whenever extra study or a change is needed.

WAYS TO WORK

Start from whatever range you need.

From a single question to several stages of support: the following information helps us define the scope, quote and schedule.

Sort out a single questionGoing through existing documents, working out what a plan needs checked, reading a tender's terms — you can keep it to one thing.
What to bring
  • The question to clarify
  • Available documents
  • The decision deadline
Example deliverables
  • A list of issues and checks
  • A comparison of documents
Process
  1. Review the documents
  2. Clarify missing information
  3. Share the findings
Ask for one stageA study, preparation for dialogue, briefing material, a proposal: we fix the stage and what you receive.
What to bring
  • The site or tender documents
  • The intended audience
  • The current proposal
Example deliverables
  • Questions and briefing materials
  • A proposal structure and requirements matrix
Process
  1. Agree the purpose and structure
  2. Draft, review and revise
  3. Deliver the documents
Ongoing support across stagesAs the review moves on, we combine studies, dialogue and documents.
What to bring
  • The overall schedule
  • The stakeholders
  • Existing contractors’ responsibilities
Example deliverables
  • Materials for research, dialogue and proposals
  • A record of decisions still needed
Process
  1. Agree responsibilities and deliverables
  2. Review progress regularly
  3. Confirm the scope of additional work

The quote includes the proposed start, first draft, review period and delivery date, including any site visits or specialist coordination.

PROCESS

The stages.

Look into it, sort it out, talk it through, get it across. We combine only the stages a job needs.

01

Research and analysis

We gather what a decision rests on: the rules, the published material, the conditions on site.

02

Policy and planning

We set out the options to compare and the next thing to decide, matched to the area and the facility.

03

Dialogue and terms

We decide who has to be asked what, among the municipality, operators and people in the area, and build the dialogue around it.

04

Proposals and delivery

We turn it into the documents used for tenders, proposals, briefings and public communication.

DELIVERABLE SAMPLES

What the work produces.

What follows are samples made to explain the work. They are not real contracts, findings or financial forecasts.

SAMPLE 01 / invented case, for explanation

A table for thinking through reuse options

Assume a former school building with no use decided. What follows shows how the table is filled in; it is not a real survey of a building.

Scroll horizontally to view the full table.

QuestionWhat is known (example)What is unconfirmed (example)What to check next (example)
Why reuse itThe area wants to keep a function hereWhich use should come firstSet out what departments and users want
The buildingFloor plans existHow much renovation, and what it costsList the points to put to a specialist
Who would run itDirect operation by the authority is undecidedThe terms an operator would wantDecide who to talk to and what to ask
The areaLocal people already use itWhich uses and hours have to continueRecord the current use and what has to be arranged

What you get out of it: not a verdict on the use, but what has to be checked to reach the next decision.

SAMPLE 02 / invented case, for explanation

The questions behind a decision to take part

Scroll horizontally to view the full table.

What to checkWhy it mattersWhat you need to know
Users and incomeKeep the demand assumption separate from the income assumptionWho uses it, how often, and how pricing works
Up-front and running costsSee how the cost burden relates to the termWho pays for renovation, equipment, upkeep and reinstatement
Contract and exit termsDecide what you can live with before you enterTerm, restrictions on use, renewal and termination
Who delivers itSeparate what you can do in-house from what goes outStaff, the licences and permits needed, what specialists cover

This example carries no real figures and no financial forecast. Where numbers go in, the source, the assumptions and the method go in with them.

SAMPLE 03 / example structure, for explanation

How to structure a briefing the other side can decide on

Scroll horizontally to view the full table.

OrderWhat it saysWhat you want back from them
1. Why we are hereWhat gets decided today, and what does notIs the scope right?
2. What is settled, and the optionsConfirmed conditions, candidate options, what to compare onIs anything being missed?
3. What is unconfirmedWhere the evidence is thin, and how to close itWho should be asked, and what?
4. What happens nextWho does what, what gets produced, what to watchCan we agree how to get to the next decision?
FEES

We quote once the scope and the deliverables are settled.

The fee depends on what is being studied, what documents are needed, meetings and site work, work with outside specialists, and how many stages are involved. Before you commit, we go through what the quote covers and what it does not.

Items covered by the estimate

  • Studies

    Review source material and data to establish the basis for decisions.

  • Structuring and design

    Structure the issues, options and sequence of work.

  • Producing documents

    Prepare comparison tables, briefings and proposals.

  • Meetings and site work

    Hold stakeholder meetings and review conditions on site.

  • Outside specialists

    Coordinate with specialists in areas such as architecture and law.

  • Changes and additions

    Scope revisions and additional work beyond the agreed brief.

FREE / PAID

Free resources and commissioned work.

No charge

FREE RESOURCES & ENQUIRIES

Read, learn and start a conversation

  • Articles and links to primary sources
  • Newsletter
  • Initial enquiry to clarify your situation and scope

Individual research and document preparation are not included in an initial enquiry.

Read articles
Scoped quote

PAID PROJECT WORK

Commission research and project support

  • Individual research, plans and comparisons
  • Briefing and proposal materials
  • Dialogue design and ongoing support

Work starts after you agree to the scope and quotation.

Discuss a project

OPERATOR & CONTACT

Our operator and your project.

Operator and enquiry contact

Institute for Social Vision Design

We support research, planning and dialogue for the reuse of public assets.

We confirm the responsible organisation, scope and fee before you engage us.

Creative work and contracting arrangements

For naming, websites, briefing materials and publicity, we identify the appropriate creative team.

If a separate contract or information sharing is needed, we explain the scope and confirm your preferences.

START A CONVERSATION

You can talk to us before your thinking is settled.

Tell us whether a facility has been chosen and what is giving you trouble. We will go through it and set out what we can take on and how it would run.

The first conversation is free

Ask about the work and the fees

Studies and documents are quoted before work begins.

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