Food security is a growing concern across Canada, and Ottawa is no exception. Rising inflation prompted the Parkdale Food Center to notice a demographic shift, with more middle-class, white-collar workers seeking access to quality food. To address this, Parkdale partnered with our team to develop a strategic plan focused on combating food insecurity and ensuring access to nutritious meals. Using a human-centered, service design approach, we collaborated with the community to create a strategy that equips, enables, and empowers individuals to drive a more food-secure future.
Background and Context
The Parkdale Food Center, a local NGO providing nutritious food as a basic human right, has been pivotal in Ottawa’s food security efforts. As a pioneer in replacing processed food with fresh, locally sourced items, Parkdale recognized that rising inflation and shifting demographics required a new strategy. They engaged us to co-develop a three-year strategic plan in collaboration with their community of beneficiaries, supporters, and partners. Through a human-centered approach, we captured feedback and transformed it into an actionable, impactful plan.
Challenges
Rising inflation brought a new demographic of middle-class, white-collar individuals facing financial hardship, requiring strategies to address their unique needs, such as overcoming stigma and accessibility barriers.
2. Stakeholder Alignment:
Balancing the goals of diverse groups—donors, board members, volunteers, and beneficiaries—demanded a unified approach to ensure collaboration and shared ownership.
3. Complexity of Food Security Issues:
Tackling food insecurity required addressing both immediate needs and systemic root causes, such as economic pressures and gaps in community support systems.
Soultion
- Diverse and Inclusive Research: We engaged stakeholders and partners across Ottawa, including the Ottawa Food Bank, local businesses, community health organizations, and beneficiaries themselves. Through interviews, surveys, and workshops, we captured diverse perspectives on systemic and immediate challenges. This inclusive approach ensured the strategy addressed all stakeholder needs and created a strong foundation for impactful solutions.
- Design Thinking for Co-Creation: Our team facilitated collaborative ideation sessions with Parkdale’s Board and delivery teams, using design thinking to align stakeholders and generate innovative solutions. These sessions fostered shared ownership of the strategy and ensured the final plan addressed the goals of all involved.
- Impact-Centered Strategic Plan: Guided by our Impact-Centered Design methodology, we developed a strategic plan based on three pillars: “Equip,” “Enable,” and “Empower.” The plan prioritized equipping the community with tools and resources, enabling access to nutritious food as a basic human right, and empowering collective action to address food insecurity at its core.
Benefits and Outcomes
Our impact on this project went beyond research and strategy, directly contributing to the well-being of youth, the elderly, and the broader community in Canada’s capital.
- Strengthened Community Commitment:
By involving beneficiaries, donors, and partners in the co-creation process, people felt genuinely heard and empowered to contribute to a shared vision for their community. This inclusive approach fostered a sense of unity and ownership, with Parkdale Food Center emerging as a trusted leader guiding efforts toward a food-secure future.
- Scalable and Actionable Strategy:
The strategic plan provided Parkdale with a clear, scalable roadmap, complete with defined milestones and key performance indicators to measure progress and impact. This actionable framework ensures Parkdale can adapt to future challenges while continuing to deliver meaningful outcomes for the community.
- Upskilled Team and Board
Through our collaboration, the Parkdale team and board members gained hands-on experience in Design Thinking and innovation practices. These new skills empowered them to embed creativity and strategic problem-solving into their organization, enabling continuous improvement and sustainable innovation.
“Design Centered Co. helped us bring everyone together—our staff, board, and community—to create a plan that really works for the people we serve. They made sure every voice was heard and gave us practical tools and ideas to move forward. Thanks to their support, we’re better prepared to tackle food insecurity and make a real difference in our community.”
– Karen Secord, Parkdale Food Center
