During the first period of the project it was planned to define a common methodology to implement need assessment in the visual impairment context. This document is the result of bringing together the experience of some partners on different PCPs project and the expertise of others in data processing instruments (such as ontology) and eye health conditions.
The needs elicitation activities are the deployment of the proposed methodology mentioned above. These activities are innovative as they are part of a phase 0 of a visual impairment-focused PCP.
Furthermore, collected techniques, approaches and other information is an added-value asset in the field of innovative procurement, as far as is can be considered a good practice and be an example for others projects.
PRO4VIP has designed and partially implemented a dissemination strategy that aims to ensure the visibility of the project results and the Innovative procurement among stakeholders as well as within the project partners.
Networking activities is a key element of the dissemination strategy to spread the instrument of public procurement of innovation and innovative procurement. PRO4VIP partners are substantially contributing in the knowledge of these instruments among potential suppliers and procurers for an eventual PCP or PPI process.
Achievements
In order to meet the impact #1, the consortium worked in the WP2 in defining a work methodology that would enable different stakeholders join up in order to facilitate the emerging of the unmet needs for the end-users and clinicians involved in the low-vision ecosystem.
To achieve the expected impacts, PRO4VIP defined a framework with 3 specific phases:
- needs identification, aimed at identifying, categorizing and ordering of uncovered needs shared by PRO4VIP partners and stakeholders. This would lead to the design of business cases, i.e. a set of characteristics and functions that future technologies should contain in order to meet those needs;
- comprehensive state of the art analysis and market consultation, aimed at analysing current technological state of development in the field of interest and ensure that business case have identified a not available solutions;
- design of the identified innovative public procurement procedure (PCP and/or PPI). The definition of a procurement strategy that matches with PRO4VIP characteristics and objectives will be determined by a series of activities, as buyers engagement (among others).
During the 1st phase, the consortium organized 3 focus groups with end-users across Europe (Netherlands, Slovenia and Cyprus) with the leadership of EBU, where the participating organizations were the most representative of the Blind and partially sighted population.
The needs expressed by patients in the different Focus Group, made in the context of this project, it is considered that can be described by several high order functions which express what future innovative solutions that could be developed should perform.
E. Conclusion
PRO4VIP as a coordination and support action was developed with the ambition of being the stepping stone for a procurement of innovation project, either a PCP or PPI, as the stakeholders had the hypothesis, that was confirmed in the project, that there is a gap between the unmet needs of the end-users of the partially sighted community that is not addressed by the current market suppliers.
By developing the tools and by building the competences within the potential procurers involved in the PRO4VIP network, the project has been successful in planting the seeds of demand-driven innovation approach in a new ecosystem. The actors involved in addressing the needs of end-users and of clinicians have been made aware of the potential benefits of modifying the current supply and demand approach and by stimulating innovation that is both suitable for the market and tailored-made for the buyers.
The literature on the unmet needs of the partially sighted population in Europe has been enriched with the PRO4VIP materials. The project has stimulated future collaborative project that will tackle the identified challenges of the sector.
