Identifying problems and outcomes

You should focus on the problems you want to overcome in your place and the outcomes you want to achieve. This will ensure you can seek an appropriate technology solution and deliver the biggest impact.

Your early engagement with communities and stakeholders and review of relevant strategies and plans will help you to define problems and desired outcomes.

Problem and outcome statements should not include a solution. Instead, they should invite a range of solutions.

For example, a good problem statement will read:

People drive around the precinct looking for an available car park. This creates congestion and impacts local air quality and amenity. We need to find a way to help people find a park quickly and easily.

Rather than: 'We need smart parking sensors.'

An example of a good outcome statement might be:

We want to create a thriving night-time economy and need the precinct to be safe for everyone after dark.

• Digital.NSW research toolkit – provides the building blocks for creating user-centred digital services.
• AS ISO 37122:2020: Sustainable cities and communities – Indicators for smart cities – provides a range of outcome-based indicators that may be useful.
• OPENAIR: Best Practice Guide – helps local governments implement air quality monitoring projects.

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