Participatory Methods

Collaborative Competition

Collaborative Competition is an activity that blends teamwork with a friendly competitive spirit to solve problems or complete tasks. Teams compete in a fun and engaging way to reach a common goal, fostering creativity, effective communication, and collaborative problem-solving while keeping the focus on learning and enjoyment.

Preparation

  1. Define the purpose:
    • Determine the objectives of the competition: Is it to learn a topic, develop skills, generate solutions, or enhance teamwork?
  2. Design the challenges:
    • Create clear and engaging problems or tasks that teams can solve within a set time. Examples:
      • Design a creative solution to a social issue.
      • Complete a logical puzzle as a team.
      • Come up with an innovative campaign in 15 minutes.
  3. Organize the resources:
    • Prepare necessary materials for the challenges: paper, markers, specific tools, or digital devices if it’s an online challenge.
  4. Define evaluation criteria:
    • Establish how the winner will be determined: creativity, quality, speed, teamwork, or a combination of these.
  5. Form teams:
    • Create balanced groups with complementary skills, ideally 3 to 6 people per team.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Introduce the purpose
    • Explain to participants that the goal is to solve challenges as a team, focusing on collaboration rather than just winning.
  2. Present the challenges
    • Introduce the tasks or problems that teams need to solve.
    • Ensure that everyone understands the rules, evaluation criteria, and available time.
  3. Challenge resolution
    • Teams work together to complete the challenge.
    • Facilitate the process by answering questions or providing hints if needed, but without directly intervening.
  4. Presenting results
    • Each team shares their solution with the group.
    • Encourage a positive and respectful atmosphere during presentations.
  5. Evaluation and feedback
    • Assess solutions based on the established criteria.
    • Provide constructive feedback to highlight achievements and areas for improvement.
  6. Group reflection
    • Facilitate a discussion about the experience:
      • What worked well within the team dynamic?
      • What did they learn from the process?
      • How can they apply these skills in other contexts?
  7. Closing and recognition
    • Congratulate all participants for their effort and collaboration.
    • Recognize teams with special mentions (e.g., most creative solution, best teamwork).
Recommendations
  • Design clear challenges: Ensure tasks are achievable and well-explained.
  • Encourage fun: Maintain a relaxed and motivating atmosphere to keep the competition friendly.
  • Promote fairness: Form balanced teams with complementary skills and roles.
  • Evaluate fairly: Use transparent criteria to assess solutions.
  • Recognize efforts: Value both the outcomes and the teamwork process.
Inspiration
Examples of Challenges for a Collaborative Competition
  • Design a quick prototype for an innovative product.
  • Solve a practical case study related to a social or business issue.
  • Create an advertising or social campaign in 20 minutes.
  • Complete a logical or mathematical puzzle as a team.
  • Develop a solution to improve sustainability in a local environment.
  • Simulate a pitch for an innovative idea in under 3 minutes.
  • Design an inclusive physical or digital space for a diverse group.
  • Solve a themed escape room challenge related to the group’s learning.
  • Create a collaborative story that represents the chosen topic.
  • Design a simple system to optimize resources in a community project.
Materials
  • Clearly written challenges or case studies.
  • Materials for solutions (paper, cardboard, markers, devices).
  • Stopwatch or timer to manage time.
  • Separate spaces for teams to work comfortably.
Online platforms
Purpose

The purpose of Collaborative Competition is to develop problem-solving skills, foster teamwork, and explore creative ideas in a competitive yet friendly environment.

Type of activity
Participatory DesignParticipatory EvaluationParticipatory InteractionParticipatory LearningParticipatory Planning
Level of participation
Collaboration, Empowerment, Exchange of perspectives
Target audience
Educators, Facilitators, Students, Community leaders, NGOs and social collectives, Business teams, Government, Creative designers, Researchers
Fields of application
Education and training, Community development, Organizational and business management, Urban and rural planning, Health and social well-being, Art, culture, and creativity, Sustainability and environment, Public policies and governance, Innovation and design, Research and evaluation, Conflict resolution, Technology and digital environments, Citizen and social participation
Estimated duration
From 60 to 120 minutes, depending on the complexity of the challenge and the time allocated for presentations.
Ideal number of participants
From 10 to 30 people, divided into teams of 3 to 6 members.
Topics related to this activity
Active CollaborationActive LearningCollaborative LearningCollective LearningCreative Problem SolvingExperiential LearningGroup CreativityKnowledge GenerationParticipatory InnovationProblem SolvingTeamwork
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