On Using Design Thinking to Define Public Challenges and Address SDGs

Understanding, defining, and prioritizing the most important and target challenges to be addressed by the government institutions are historically arduous tasks. Besides, aligning the local perceptions of priority with broader objectives (e.g. Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs) adds a new layer of difficulty to the definition of public innovation policies. In this context, this paper details the initiative of a Brazilian public institution (the Foundation for the Support of Science and Technology of the State of Pernambuco - FACEPE) to define local innovation challenges that are centered on users and aligned with strategic goals, in special the SDGs. To perform this project, we proposed a design process that goes from Grand Societal Challenges to local innovation challenges, which are more relevant to local needs. We applied Design Thinking techniques to map problems and state challenges. The defined process was applied in two scenarios: (i) SDG 1, poverty, with a focus on access to health; and (ii) a group of SDGs (12-15) focused on sustainability. As main results, we highlight the achievement of FACEPE’s aim of reaching challenge statements and translating GSCs to the local reality, with reduced complexity and contestation.