The Role of the Problem Sponsor
The Problem Sponsor acts as both client and liaison, owning the problem the students are trying to solve and facilitating their investigation into its root causes. The H4D course is intentionally fast-paced, requiring problem sponsors to be responsive (within 2 days), answer questions, and facilitate introductions within the government for student discovery interviews.
What to Expect
Your submitted problem is the starting point for the course. Over roughly 10-12 weeks, students must interview a minimum of 10 people each week to develop their understanding of the problem, who it impacts, and the needs of a potential solution. They develop and test solution pathways in order to derive insights on how to best meet the needs of the end users. The student teams do weekly briefings on their findings, while being critiqued by their instructors in a flipped classroom setting.
Sponsor engagement is a critical component to the success of the student teams and quality of their outcomes. The specific deliverables from the H4D program vary by problem and team, but in the past, sponsors have received a 360-degree view of their problems, world class market research, strategic insights, pathways forward, and, in some cases, operational prototypes.
Problem Sponsor Responsibilities
Pre-Class
Help shape the initial problem statement for student team selection
Complete mandatory sponsor training
Identify 15 relevant contacts for your student team to interview to gain perspective on the problem
During the H4D Course
Make warm introductions for the team to those 15 initial contacts (and help facilitate future contacts as needed)
Respond to student questions in a timely manner (within 2 days)
Provide course corrections and advice via weekly team check-ins (can occur via email, phone call, or video chat)
Participate in our mid-course QA/QC check in
End of H4D Course
Engage with post-course options or provide transition support
Participate in post-course analysis
Questions? Email us at h4d@bmnt.com