Engaging Resources (a brainstorming activity)

 

This article are notes from a short short half-hour exercise in brainstorming.

Problem Statement

Accredited volunteers of a uniformed neighborhood watch scheme are mandated and committed to serve 2 hours monthly, on patrols scheduled weekly. Participation of volunteers have dwindled since it inception to almost zero. A list of possible activities are needed to complement the patrols and excite volunteers on otherwise dull and routine walks around the blocks and parks - hence a brainstorming exercise was called to create the list.     

Prior to brainstorming, contributors were informed of the purpose of the scheme. Additional information include —

Rules of engagement (ROE)

• Observe - to support the community and project a presence of safety. Volunteers observe their surroundings, the environment; comings and goings in the community during their patrol. This applies to - only watch, when the patrol stumbles into incidences such as graffitiing in-progress. If the incident is not life threatening, they should first consider their actions before acting - if at all.
• Record - whatever that may be of interest, take notes written, voice recorded or photographed for documentation, that serves the objective of the scheme. In the example above to record the graffitiing incident.
• Report - whatever incident of concern or as required by the law. In the example above, as the volunteers may be sought as witnesses (provided they consent).
• Personal Safety First and foremost; personal safety is paramount as volunteers are members of the public themselves. Volunteers have attended minimally public safety training and inducted themselves to RHT when an occasion warrants it.

For each patrol session, the following are conducted (by the assigned lead):

From brainstorming, we formulated a list of what the neighborhood watch team could do when on patrol, on different weeks, that may include activities such as "looking out" for:

• abandoned vehicles e.g. bicycles
• blocked walkways, emergency exits and staircases
• conduct patrols on bicycles (conditions apply)
• emergency utilities & appliances such as fire hydrants, AED, emergency lighting - note the location & condition
• first aid practical
• graffiti and signs e.g. indicating presence of untoward activities
• indiscriminate parking
• indiscriminately tied cables/ropes/strings/wires
• littering outside residential blocks
• leaking pipes e.g. water pudding 
• local celebrations & festivities 
• morning breakfast meeting
• note distances - actual or estimated distances
• note unregulated & modified vehicles
• note condition of children's playgrounds incl. the exercise yards
• note where are the public electrical sockets
• note where are the public water taps
• places of interests within and around the estate.
• possible hiding places.
• public education e.g. Internet scam advisory etc.
• public education on emergencies e.g. in the event of a fire
• public education on green environmental e.g. recycle, reduce,  reuse, repurpose
• safety at the car park e.g. oil leaks
• safety of cyclist within and around the estate
• safety when handling pets
• stray animals e.g. health of neighborhood cats
• supermarket trolleys left around the estate
• TOPSIS (security) awareness 
• visit residents in-need or celebrating occasions (where possible)
• walk with pets (conditions apply)
• wildlife e.g. learn about the many species of raptors that fly by the estate from the nearby nature park or from across the border

Without going into the why, what, how-to - broadly each activity may involve, such as to:

1. create list e.g. on what was observed while patrolling the neighborhood
2. compile statistics
3. correlate data/information with that from past events/activities

Now that we have a list, what do we do next?