Povigo – ESF project
The European Social Fund (ESF) supports employment and the development of high-quality careers while fostering innovative projects to tackle social challenges in the labor market.
The Flemish department for “European Programs” operates under the Department of Work and Social Economy (WSE).The WSE is dedicated to implementing European programs within its policy area, aiming to help citizens and residents enhance their skills and job opportunities. Special attention is given to supporting vulnerable groups within society.
Povigo: application to support return to work
We submitted a project proposal to ESF to support long-term absentees with a digital self-service during their return to work, for example after a burnout or long-term illness. The ESF granted this project, after which we got started.
We combined expertise from several fields:
- Groep INTRO: job coaching and end-user access
- AP: research unit specialized in soft skills and effective feedback
- IDEA Consult: expert impact evaluation
- Kunlabora: software developer
From Service Design Blueprint to MVP
The project began with the creation of a Service Design Blueprint, where we identified the personas — users of the Povigo application — and defined the desired impact, placing the end user at the center of our focus. We assessed the necessary features for the app and developed an initial prototype using interactive sketches.
Following prototype validation, we refined it into high-quality screen designs. Thanks to our iterative approach, we swiftly progressed and delivered a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) within just three months.
How does Povigo guide long-term ill individuals back to work?
Povigo offers a range of features and visual tools to support users throughout their job search journey:
- Timeline: Users can document their thoughts and activities related to their job search on a timeline. This creates a centralized overview of their progress and reflections.
- Steps to work: In collaboration with their job coach, users can track tasks and determine the next steps needed in their job search.
- Grow to work: This section displays essential skills for the job market and provides guidance on how users can develop these skills.
- Collaboration with job coach: While job coaches do not have direct access to the user’s timeline entries, they can monitor skill development, track progress, and identify emerging patterns.
- Tips: Users receive personalized advice throughout their job search to enhance their efforts.
- GDPR Compliance: The app adheres to GDPR regulations, ensuring all data is securely recorded and stored. Users have the right to request the deletion of their data.
Seamless collaboration leads to succesfull app
The projectachieved great success, thanks in large part to the seamless collaborationamong all project partners. By combining our expertise, we developed anapp that offers gradual support to help users return to the labor market withconfidence. The success of the project was further recognized when Kunlaborawas named ESF Ambassador in 2020.
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