Randomized Control Trial
Following available benchmarks and guidelines in public policy evaluation, the innovative SME support scheme experimented by 200SMEchallenge partners is part of an overarching research and validation study. Goal of the study to validate the UX Challenge as a policy instrument capable of improving SME knowledge and awareness about benefits of design thinking and user-centric innovation and related methodologies and tools.
To answer such question a RCT – Randomized Control Trial study will be executed: a group of 200 SMEs will be outreached via an open call featuring a Baseline Survey measuring scores over major outcome variables such as intention to invest in design thinking and user-centric innovation actions and covariates such as previous utilization of design thinking methodologies, user-centric design
methodologies, Open Innovation solutions, and further. After that, the 200 selected SMEs will be randomly allocated into two statistically comparable groups: intervention group (56 companies which will be selected to enter the Innovation Challenge and experience the Design Sprint – 8 per each country) and control group (the remaining 144). A Follow up Survey will be administered to both groups
after the intervention, in order to measure the effect of the Innovation Challenge. Design and scientific supervision of the research study will be done by Fondazione Bruno Kessler third party of Hub Innovazione Trentino, via its Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policy (IRVAPP).
The research plan will be made available as a public deliverable. Results from the validation study will be made available starting January 2021. Research data will be madbe available to external parties on this website starting May 2020.
