CBEL Project: Blog Entry 2

• The Organization: Options Community Services Society

Options Community Services Society (OCSS) is a diverse non-profit registered charity providing social services from Delta to Langley. They believe in helping people help themselves through collaboration to create focused, effective and responsive resources for the community.

OCS’s vision statement is to “inspire hope and belonging for all”. They envision a healthy community as a safe environment where we all have a sense of belonging and where everyone has the opportunity to learn and develop goals that are meaningful and fulfilling.

OCS is a united organization with five distinct values to promote safe, healthy, vibrant communities.

(1)    Diversity – At OCS, everyone has a voice.

(2)    Integrity – They are accountable, honest and compassionate.

(3)    Resourcefulness – They are creative, flexible and innovative.

(4)    Collaboration – They work collaboratively as partners and teams within the organization and broader community.

(5)    Excellence – They go above and beyond ordinary and strive towards the exceptional and extraordinary.

 

• Project Scope

OCS’s project is a renovation of their outdoor space in Guildford, British Columbia. They want a space which encourages discovery and investigation for families with children less than six years of age. A space which is not a “traditional playground” but a more natural space which helps children to develop their curiosity.

Non-negotiable constraints include:

i)                    The space being visually pleasing and not disrupt the flow of space.

ii)                   An area for parents to sit and interact in all weather conditions.

iii)                 Easily maintainable.

iv)                 Space must be safe.

v)                  Avoid plastics and add in more natural elements.

vi)                 Structure must not be able to hide illicit activity.

Negotiable constraints include:

i)                    Design structure.

ii)                   Design materials.

iii)                 Project cost.

iv)                 Project time limit.

 

• Strategies

The main strategies we, as a team, will implement are brainstorming and creative thinking. These will help us to visualize a space in which children can be adventurous, and where children and their parents can learn and play safely.

As for the project planning and construction, we are using a strategy in which we breakdown our conceptual ideas into detailed steps. These steps include: objectives, tasks, cost, resources, risks and safety, time, and sequence. Using this strategy we are able to plan, execute, monitor, and reassess the overall project with a full sense of understanding.