Passio

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm UK project manager for the Co-operative College, an educational charity with longstanding roots to the UK cooperative movement.

For what projects/services did your company hire Passio, and what were your goals?

We secured partnership work with Passio through the CAST/Catalyst digital development programme to create an online beneficiary feedback prototype. The goal was to take the prototype from the design phase to a working model, and make the feedback prototype as inclusive and accessible in the online space for our neurodiverse UK project beneficiaries struggling to engage in online project work due to the pandemic.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I selected Passio as a firm favourite amongst 5 other potential digital partners presented by CAST/Catalyst at a digital partner assessment panel as part of the wider programme. This was down to Passio having:

• excellent professional and private experience and expertise for our specific user group (Young people with autism, learning difficulties and disabilities),
• having previous experience developing a similar product,

Sharing the College's values and them being the only candidate that requested a meeting with myself to discuss the work in detail and align values prior to submitting their proposal. Passio were also identified as the best candidate to help us achieve our goal by the CAST/Catalyst team panel.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Passio took our online feedback tool from its design phase to a finished, working prototype that could be used with multiple online platforms over the course of a ten-week project. This was achieved through initial meetings to gather detailed context on the task at hand, then a series of co-design, assumption testing, and planning sessions with project staff, partners and beneficiaries to ensure all parts of the project was collaborative and met the needs of the user group.

We utilized Miro maps and padlets as well as a mural to capture the rich outcomes of co-design sessions meetings and workshops. Through weekly meetings they were able to ensure feedback processes and the use of the prototype itself were less onerous for College staff. They shared a variety of workflow options and mock-ups to ensure we were happy with the work and had options.

They were open minded and receptive to ideas and suggestions throughout, working closely with our own technologist to ensure there was understanding. Roadmaps and sprints were clearly communicated and executed with efficiency, allowing time for testing and feedback.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There were three people that I worked directly with: the chief executive officer, the director of engineering and lead designer.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The working prototype was functional in time to use with new project cohorts starting close to final deadlines, meaning we could use it early and gather additional feedback with enough time to make last minute adjustments. All deliverables were met and vastly improved our online project processes, content and monitoring and evaluation. The use of the feedback tool has already saved large amounts of staff time and considerably helped those who are not as tech savvy keep up with changes.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They have a balance of professionalism and a down-to-earth, realist approach. Communication was of a very high standard, clear concise and inspirational whether this was over email, zoom or phone. The attention to detail from all members of the team stood out, they were conscientious, forward thinking, kept to deadlines and were positive in the face of challenge or setbacks, of which there were many due to the global pandemic and the nature of the work the College undertakes with our most vulnerable and challenged user group.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was most impressed with the natural synergy between College and Passio staff, and the ease and speed at which we were able to connect, relate and gel during the project. This meant there was a fluid and sustainable pace of work, with both parties feeling like the other was approachable and supportive, and not just 'doing a job'. We very much worked with, and not for, one another, which is the cooperative way preferred by the College.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I feel hard pressed to find any areas of improvement as I am so pleased with the partnership, which has resulted in us continuing to work together. They could potentially have done more to shout about the great work we did together through their website and social media.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Professor of Human Computer Interaction at UCL

For what projects/services did your company hire Passio, and what were your goals?

We hired Passio to build a web-app for us that we would use in our research project. The app supports users to both focus on their work and to take healthy breaks. It also enables us to collect data usage statistics to better understand people's behaviour.

How did you select Passio and what were the deciding factors?

Passio were recommended to us by a trusted colleague. Their commitment to developing accessible technology was a key factor in our decision to hiring them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We came to Passio with an idea that, with the benefit of hindsight, was under-specified. They coached us through agreeing on the key deliverables, understanding their work processes, and provided us with access to a staging environment where we could test out the prototype before release.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Project manager, several developers and a user experience designer.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We were able to launch our research project on time and gathered useful and interesting data. When an oversight on our part became apparent shortly after launch, Passio responded quickly in helping us to address it. This ensured that our project was a success.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

The project management was great. They always met deadlines and kept us abreast of progress on the project.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We had access to the whole team that meant we were always talking directly to the people building the various aspects of the app. We were also very impressed by their engagement in the project as a whole. Their enthusiasm for what we do along with their appreciation for our values means that working with them is a dream!

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We came to an agreed time for meetings which worked well for Passio but less well for us. A bit more flexibility on this would have made things a bit easier for us and ensured that all our team members could have attended the whole of every meeting.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Policy and Development worker part of ARC Scotlands Scottish Transitions Forum. I am a qualified social worker and researcher and work with young people with additional support needs to improve the experience they have when they are leaving school.

For what projects/services did your company hire Passio, and what were your goals?

We employ PASSIO to work alongside us to help co-produce, co-design and co-evaluate a Web-based application that will work across three different areas of service. The web-based app needs to meet the needs of local Authority representatives, parents and carers of young people and young people themselves. The web-based application should help each of the different stakeholder groups to achieve the aims and objectives they need to ensure transitions (the time when moving on from school into young adult life) is a best supported as it can be.

How did you select Passio and what were the deciding factors?

Passio were recommended to us. We interviewed a number of organisations who could have helped us create the APP but PASSIO's focus on accessibility, their enthusiasm and drive form the outset were fantastic. We needed to empty a company that could successfully work across all the different stakeholder groups. PASSIO's moral approach to the work was also brilliant and helped us to explore the problem we needed to fix from lost of different angles from the outset as part of the commissioning process and we just knew they would be the perfect for the project.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The project is ongoing and has included lots of different steps and project features. Passio has helped us with mapping user journeys from all the different stakeholder groups. Helped us visualize the information flow journey and simplify the logo and progression across the Transitions process using visual online and in-person tools. This process across all stakeholder groups has included coding for the web passed application, design input and a lot of coproduction discussions and workshops with the different users and client groups we operate in. This includes parents and carers, to young people with additional support needs a, like disability and autism, and also data law experts and Scottish government colleagues. A log of workaround consultation has been carried out with the different user groups and PASSIO have gone above and beyond to support the coproduction work the app needs. They have been working alongside a group of young people with additional support needs to help ensure the project is a success. To do this they have helped the young people carry out face-to-face and online consultations in an accessible way. The features of the app are developed to help people navigate through a difficult situation whilst highlighting to those who work in different levels of bureaucracy the information in real time they need to provide ongoing improvement in their services for this client group. All the information people share has to be accessible to all people and across the entire client group - this includes accessible UX design, copy and simplified way to ensure the application works for a wide variety of clients with very different needs.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We have worked with Passio's entire team. I'm afraid I can't recount all their positions.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are going into the first iteration test stage of the Application from June this year. So far PASSIO have delivered above and beyond what has been expected of them, on time and with extra attention to detail as we have started to get feedback from certain client groups. Both forms of web application for two of the three client groups are ready for their first testing and have already gone through several in house testing phases.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

In short PASSIo have been fantastic in what they do, how responsive and reachable they are and how much support they have provided our different user/client groups. They have been superb so far and we are looking forward to working with them into the future on this project. We have weekly meetings and centralised communications around online documentation and planning tools. PASSIO are available every day to answer any queries and have supported us with face-to-face work with client user groups as and when required.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

PASSIO are in a word dedicated. Their approach to accessibility is amazing and they will respond to any level of request for support with patience and enthusiasm. They have taught members of our team how to use a variety of online documents with patience and humour. They have such a brilliant way of engaging with different client groups we use and are not phased by how some of the more challenging aspects of the process. Their communication is open and honest and have always let us know if they are finding certain aspects of the process more challenging than others. We have always managed to find a way through any change and they work exceptionally well with all members of our team in house or out with. Their approach to co-production, co-design and co-evaluation is unparalleled. They bring humour, compassion and heart to the process which can be quite tricky for some of our clients when recounting the trauma of experience the Webb application is designed to prevent.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

PASSIO have been fantastic. Any minor errors have been fixed immediately as we have gone through testing. There isn't much I can say about things they would need to do differently as they have bene really effective.