Process and implementation
▼Work process
The work process is divided into five main components:
The first part of the project is the mapping of the asylum seeking process. The core insight is based on information provided by children that have or where currently applying for international protection, alongsight reflections from parents and major stakeholders. In this way, a realistic picture is drawn of the children’s experience and the experience of those who use and operate the reception process.
After mapping, we identify the problems most children experienced that indicate the challanges that need to be addressed when assessing the best interests of children seeking asylum.
Once the key concerns have been defined, they are presented to the stakeholders which are then asked to address them and design appropriate solutions. We focus on the issues that the children themselves consider most urgent to deal with. This prevents different stakeholders from identifying problems from their own point of view, as this could present problems that are a reflection of the organization itself and not the issues that the children themselves experience. The solutions are eventually evaluated and modified by the children.
The next step is to test the solutions on a small scale, to see how well they work and to take appropriate steps to improve them. Thus, testing is fundamental in verifying both the problem and the solutions, and making informed decisions about changes to the system that improve the situations of most people within it.
If tests show a positive result, a plan for permanent changes to the reception process can be proposed.
▼Implementation
LISTENING TO THE CHILDREN
In the beginning of 2019, UNICEF and Grallaragerðin met with 31 children and young adults and discussed their experience of applying for international protection in Iceland. A journey mapping method was used, where the children’s journey upon arrival in the country was created with the help of paper, markers and emoji’s to symbolise their emotions. The children were between the ages of 7 and 18, and were joined by young adults over the age of 18 who had arrived in the country as children. All of the children resided in Reykjavik and Hafnarfjordur. Unfortunately we did not speak to children living in the third municipality that receives asylum seekers, Reykjanesbær, due to time constraints. We included in our research the results from a focus group of unaccompanied children held by the Red Cross during the same time period, as well as interviews with six unaccompanied children collected as part of an MA research study by Eva Björg Bragadóttir at the University of Iceland. Comparing results from other sources proved a valuable accompaniment to our work as it provided an opportunity to verify the journey mapping method we completed. The results of the interviews were quite similar and we therefore infer that the methodology of the project is justified. In addition, interviews were conducted with stakeholders describing the application process and their involvement in the reception process. It also provided important information that could be compared to the children's experience.
MAPPING THE PROCESS
The children's path through the reception process was mapped visually, from the airport or other point of arrival, to a residence permit or deportation. Emphasis was put on the first stages of the process, highlighting the importance of these first points of contact in a new country and how the start can affect everything that follows. Through the mapping process it is possible to gain a better understanding of each of the parties involved in the reception, so as to ensure that they are all participants in the project's conceptual work and that they are aware of the work that is being done. The visual map of the process can be used to disseminate information on the role of different stakeholders and also presented as child-friendly information about the reception process.
WORKSHOPS WITH SPECIALIST
In workshops we asked specialists in the reception of children from all relevant stakeholders to solve the challenges that the children had described. The solutions were generated during two workshops held on 26 March and 10 April 2019 at the Icelandic University of the Arts. A total of 36 experts from 16 different stakeholders participated. The main focus of the workshops was to present the perspectives of children who come to Iceland, to create sympathy, give people the opportunity for conversation and finally to develop solutions.
FEEDBACK FROM CHILDREN
After the workshops, we created visuals of these solutions and presented them to the children. We put models and descriptions of the solutions on display in the lobby of Bio Paradis (cinema). In groups, the solutions were described in the children's native languages and they then gave their feedback and were asked to choose the solutions that they thought were best.
▼Methodology
HOME follows the methodology of human-centered design where users participate in the process of improving services for effective reform. Given the fact that the project is aimed at children who in many instances do not spend a long time in the country, it is important to find ways to respond quickly to problems within the reception process. Few Icelandic studies exist in this area and the nature of this research is such that the results are available long after the child needs assistance. Human-centered design is useful when a quick response is needed. In order to get the most comprehensive picture, it is also important to talk to parents and young adults who have past-experiences of the process.
The project was inspired by ’A holistic reception’ a project developed by Fornyelse Labbet, SVID (Swedish Center for Industrial Design) and UNHCR in 2018.