Objectives

Target group definition and analysis

One target group is a given: the project cooperation partners. However, during the project development phase, it is important to investigate and base possible measures on further potential target groups, including

the students/university itself
beneficiaries of their activities: for instance a specific group of people (educationally disadvantaged youngsters, people with disabilities, etc.) or representatives of social issues (environmental protection, political awareness, health issues, etc.)
groups that are affected by the problem or the project, such as the media, associations or public institutions, etc.

The identified target groups and their needs provide essential indications of factors that inform the problem solving process. On top of this, the success of the project depends on its acceptance by the target groups (as well as the interaction between them). With target groups thus forming the basis of project development, students should first of all identify the specific parameters of each group. Relevant questions for target group analysis include, for instance:

Which problem are we solving for the respective target group?
Which need to we meet?
Which value do we create for the target group?
How can we reach the target group (marketing), i.e. how do we inform and enlist?

In this respect, stakeholder management, which is widely used in the entrepreneurial context, can provide valuable impulses.
Further information

Project definition

After having defined the problem at the heart of the Service Learning project and identified the target groups, students go on to develop the project, drawing on all the information collected so far.

Creative techniques, such as brainstorming or brain-writing, are useful tools for coming up with solutions, helping students collect as many different options as possible.
Information on creative techniques

Students should discuss and evaluate possible solutions in their working group and record the prioritised solution in their Canvas. The solution can be modified or specified in greater detail with the help of further fields. It is also possible to work on several solutions. Students should focus on clarity and meticulousness.