PDIA for Child and Youth Safety in Helsinki

The goal of the program was to build the capability of the city to address and solve problems, in teams, through action-oriented work.

24 city leaders across 5 teams completed a 12-week PDIA online action learning program from March to June, 2024. The teams included 4-5 members from various departments within the city of Helsinki, and other service providers, working on issues related to youth and child safety. They worked on a range of problems and explored a variety of causes including the lack of activities for youth, drug abuse, harassment, lack of social cohesion, insufficient services, disengaged parents, absent fathers, and isolation due to language/cultural barriers. 

Over the period of twelve weeks, the teams developed a deep understanding of their problem by collecting data, connecting with new voices, identifying needs, and listening to diverse perspectives. This allowed them to discover sub-causes that were not obvious and gain new insights on their problem. During the action learning phase of the program, the teams took small steps, iterated, and fostered continuous learning. Documenting and celebrating their small wins helped keep the teams motivated.

The teams also built and broadened their network of stakeholders, improved their collaboration skills, and learned that working across silos is necessary to solve complex problems.

Participating city leaders plan to share the tools they learned, continue strengthening their networks and create partnerships for further collaboration. They also plan to work with a regional group of experts in the East and South-East region tasked with addressing issues around youth and child safety.

Participant Testimonials

“This course helped us to gain understanding on complex issues from various and multidisciplinary points of views that gave us the confidence in tackling complex issues in collaboration with others.”

Team 9 to 5

“I also learned to embrace ‘failure’ as a learning opportunity rather than a setback, which significantly shifted my mindset towards continuous improvement and personal growth.”

Tiina Gustafsson

“By listening, we can better identify the root causes of problems and develop more effective solutions. In addition, active listening improves communication and reduces misunderstandings.”

Team Kannelmimmit