See one, do one, teach one: Building capability and capacity for Rapid Insight
By Emiliana Bomfim, Suelen Meira Goes, Beliz Açan Osman, Tanya Verrall and Laura Yearsley
When Tracey Sherin, CEO of Saskatchewan Health Quality Council (HQC), observed Horizons’ Rapid Insight team in action at a workshop to develop a new quality strategy attended by over 200 people, she was intrigued to learn more. Fast forward almost a year, and HQC have undergone training in Rapid Insight, had the opportunity to apply it in practice at a large-scale event of their own and since become a much-valued learning partner. In this blog, we celebrate the learning journey of HQC’s talented research team, drawing out what they learned in working alongside us.
Learning our way forward
“Learning how to do rapid insight has been an intense but rewarding experience. It has felt like sensemaking through the voice of hundreds. It has required constant focus, quick thinking, and the ability to synthesize information, and not merely summarize it.”
– Emiliana Bomfim, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council
While HQC has over two decades of experience facilitating large-scale change in health systems, we are always looking for new ways to test and learn our way forward. So when we saw Rapid Insight being used as a method to support the development of a new quality strategy in the UK, we knew we wanted to learn more. We arranged with NHS Horizons to have several teach-in sessions to learn more about the method, and then invited them to help us apply it in practice at a Thrive at Home event1 .
Our starting point
As a team of researchers, we had some experience of applying rapid assessment methodologies. However Rapid Insight was not something we had come across before, and so we were curious about how this approach was different, and how we might apply it to help make sense of what a large deliberative community was saying mattered to them.
We are proud to have been the first in North America to pilot NHS Horizons’ Rapid Insights method and to have this opportunity to share what we have learned in working together.
7 lessons we have realised in practicing Rapid Insight.
1. Speed does not mean compromising on quality
“The experience has shifted my perception from seeing speed and quality as mutually exclusive, to understanding them as complementary when supported by the right frameworks and techniques”
Emiliana Bomfim, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council
We quickly realised Rapid Insight is about working together to make sense of what we are seeing in as close to real time as possible. A structured approach to collecting and analysing data during (and post) workshop, speeded up the sense making process, helping to produce reliable and meaningful insights rapidly. Through a process of framing and re-framing the concept of Thrive at Home with others, and comparing and contrasting narratives to land on headline insights, we were able to develop an output post-event within 48 hours. We are proud of our emerging insights report, which both captures the sentiment of the day, the depth of the community’s perspectives all while delivering actionable findings.
2. Being able to see the data from different vantage points is vital
The process of sensemaking is demanding work and can feel like mental gymnastics. One moment we were immersed in the detail, the next moment we were taking an intentional step back to consider what the data was teaching us. We were constantly triangulating, sense making and sense checking. It was this iterative process that helped validate our findings and gave us the confidence to craft meaningful insights.
The constant process of zooming in – and zooming out – is essential in connecting the parts to the whole. When we combine this approach with collaboration and real time sense making, it’s what makes Rapid Insight a vibrant and constantly evolving process:
“The RI procedures supported me in bringing structure to the sense-making work and boldness to interpret the insight data to rapidly be reported”
Suelen Meira Goes, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council
We began to appreciate the importance of celebrating what we each bring to the process, the power of seeing the data from different vantage points and collaborating to go beyond the data. We are hopeful that in using Rapid Insight to support engagement, we will better sustain momentum around next steps.
3. Rapid Insight can be intense, but it is also rewarding and fun
Rapid Insight is a highly collaborative process. This also means no one shoulders insight work alone. The intensity stems from the need to quickly digest and synthesize large volumes of data, which requires a high level of focus and collaboration. However, this very intensity is also what makes the process so rewarding. The fast pace keeps the team engaged and motivated, fostering a sense of accomplishment as insights rapidly take shape:
“The rapid turnaround nature of the insight report doesn’t allow for that deep exhale after a big event. Despite a busy day filled with conversations, I remained energized in the following days.”
Beliz Açan Osman, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council
We found the practice of Rapid Insight both challenging and exhilarating at the same time, and really enjoyed the collaborative nature of the work. Sharing the workload and bouncing ideas off each other not only lightened the load, but also enhanced the quality of the insights.
4. It’s important we bring ourselves to our work
“RI elevates the collective voices and the collective intelligence that emerges when people work together. Always remembering ourselves that we are also part of that collective, and contribute to that collective story”
Suelen Meira Goes, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council
As insight practitioners, we are encouraged to bring our whole selves to the approach. This means integrating our head, heart, and personal experiences into the process. In focusing on actionable insights, we integrate people into our process, blending analytical thinking with direct, intuitive experience.
At first, bringing ourselves fully to the work felt uncomfortable. However, embracing this discomfort allowed us to celebrate each unique perspective we brought to the table. By fostering a sense of psychological safety, we also created an environment where everyone felt empowered to contribute authentically. This recognition fostered a sense of belonging and purpose, and that as insight practitioners we were an integral part of the larger narrative. It encouraged us to engage more deeply with our work and with each other, creating a collaborative environment where collaborative intelligence could thrive. At the end, we felt that by bringing ourselves to our work meant acknowledging and valuing our contributions to the collective story.
5. Change writing is different to academic writing
We began to appreciate that academic writing and change writing are worlds apart. Traditionally, the focus of our academic writing has been to serve peers in the scholarly community, and to present well-supported arguments and conclusive findings that can withstand the scrutiny of peer review. In contrast, Rapid Insight has elevated our perspective on writing for change as researchers. We learned to inspire action through words, the goal being not to inform and tell, but to inspire and mobilize. Insights is about engaging diverse perspectives and fostering ongoing dialogue, rather than finalising or signing off.
Rapid Insight has highlighted the importance of crafting narratives that are both representative and actionable, underscored by the need for a dynamic, iterative process that keeps conversations alive and sparks real-world change.
“RI approach underscored the significance of crafting a narrative through sensemaking, ensuring that the insights generated are both representative of the collective intelligence in ‘the room’ and actionable. It was challenging to abstract data through a collective lens, and to translate data in an informal tone, yet incisive and discerning, as opposed to the formal and academic tone that I am used to.”
Emiliana Bomfim, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council
6. We have experienced several major shifts in our personal identity. This has been a journey of transformation for each of us.
Learning a new methodology was more than just acquiring new skills and knowledge —it was an experience that has sparked our personal and professional growth in different and unexpected ways. Initially, we approached Rapid Insight with traditional expectations, anticipating it would simply enhance our existing skills. Yet, as we delved deeper, we broadened our perspectives beyond just data and insight:
“We have learned to analyze data in a more holistic, collaborative and social way. It has truly felt like sense-making through the voice of hundreds”
Emiliana Bomfim, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council
Whereas we once viewed qualitative data analysis through a traditional, objective, individualistic and empirical lens, Rapid Insight has taught us to incorporate and expand our frames of reference. At the end of the process, we were invited to share how learning this new approach has changed how we think. We realised that learning this new approach has helped to build our confidence, our agility in applying different approaches and techniques but most of all, it has reminded us of the value of bringing our unique perspectives and tacit knowledge to our work. We now see this as a strength, and something that adds both depth and richness to emerging insights.
7. Looking ahead
Building on what we’ve learned, the HQC team is not just content with the progress we’ve made—we’re actively working to sustain and expand it. We’ve started a journal club, sharing materials and practical aspects of how to apply the method, helping to build our skills and capability to practice Rapid Insight. We have since applied the method at another significant gathering: “Charting the Future of Saskatchewan Healthcare.” Hosted by the SK Centre for Patient -Oriented Research (SCPOR), this event brought together key members of our health system to discuss the future of Learning Health Systems (LHS) in Saskatchewan.
Being entrusted with capturing the emerging insights from this event was a testament to the value and credibility of our approach. It also provided us with another opportunity to apply what we’ve learned, reinforcing the importance of rapid, collaborative sensemaking in driving forward healthcare innovation in our province. This commitment to ongoing learning ensures that our approach remains dynamic and responsive. We’re also excited to continue applying the insights we’ve gained to new projects, always aiming to ground our work in collective wisdom and shared purpose.
What we have been able to achieve together is beyond what we could have done by ourselves. By rooting our post-event actions in the report’s findings, we ensure that our efforts are driven by what we heard, and what emerged during the process. Each step forward reinforces our belief that collaboration is the key to meaningful, lasting change. Rapid Insight will continue to be a foundational piece to our improvement work.
References
[1] Saskatchewan Health Quality Council. Emerging insights: re-envisioning community supports for older adults. Available at: Emerging insights: re-envisioning community supports for older adults – Health Quality Council (saskhealthquality.ca)