Fukui Prefecture

Promotion of Fukui Policy Design(Fukui Policy Design PromotionProject)
Background and Reasons for this Project◆ Policy design workshop

In Fukui Prefecture, “Policy Open Innovation”, a new

We have established a framework where the division

type of prefectural administration style, has been

having policy issues and policy designers in thedeveloped since 2019, aiming to thoroughly

prefecture plan policies together through aprioritise real life situations and to create open

workshop. We have held dozens of workshops over apolicies by the so-called “Team Fukui” in order toyear, the policy themes of which cover a wide range

realise prefectural administration for residents as its

such as environment, welfare, tourism and publicmain priority.

relations.

It is important to establish policies to draw theDuring the workshops, opinions were openly

most appropriate path to reach the policy target

exchanged, for example, how to gain empathy andfrom the users’ perspectives. Instead of the

how to encourage people to take desirable actions,

governmental perspective based on past experiencesfrom the perspectives of local residents.

and◆ Policy design meetingaccumulated

systems,

wehavebeentransforming the way we create policies from theTo introduce policy design from the initial planningpoint of view of the people concerned: “policy design”

phase, meetings during which the governor andbased on design thinking is one of our ways of thisdesigners can directly exchange opinions regardingtransformation.

highly important themes for the prefectural
government have been set up since 2021. Since

Aims of this Project

then, opinions regarding approaches to measures

The aim is to realise high quality policy planningfor health, and longevity and enhancing attraction

from the perspectives of the residents.

of the Ichijodani Asakura Family Site (Fukui City)
have been exchanged.

Project Outline
We assume various phases of policy design from theinitial planning phase (conceptual organisation) to
the final phase (output) as the target range. We aim
to design each phase: “conceptual design” to confirm
essential targets; “process design” to check whether
the method is suitable for the target; and“communication design” to check whether it isexpressed in a way to gain empathy.
Policy design workshop

1

in particular, their aim was to raise the pay. The
hypothesis which was set up by the division in charge
was that launching an integrated brand would help
develop new products and create new markets,
which may result in pay rises if these new products
would sell well.
During the workshop, one of the designers
expressed a substantial opinion, “Branding may notwork significantly, as there are various visions

Policy design meeting

depending on products such as food and goods.”, “InFeatures and Innovations

the first place, we don’t see many people with◆ Designers participate in the discussion at thedisabilities in the towns in Fukui, which means they

initial planning stage

might avoid going out due to assumptions coming

It is revolutionary that creators participate in thefrom unconscious bias from people who feel sorry for

fundamental discussions to form policies, such as

those with disabilities.” This opinion helped realise

consideration of the necessity, objectives andradical change in such internalised social norms.

direction of a project.

Meanwhile, government employees and designers◆ Triangle connection between the prefecture, thevisited a facility for people with disabilities to have aprivate sector and support organisations

look at their work and to talk to the staff of the facility.

With regard to the participation of designers in policy

We then learned that actual pay raises did not leadmaking, the Design Center Fukui has provided skills

to them feeling happy. Instead, they felt happy whenmainly in the field of industrial design. Their network

they knew that the products they made were sold at

and knowledge help select appropriate designers.

roadside stations and highway service areas like

The prefecture (administration), creators (fromother products, which means that they were able tothe private sector) and the Design Center Fukui

mix equally with people without disabilities.

(support organisation) work together to realise

Through the process mentioned above, instead of

better policies under the idea of policy design.

branding, we decided to go ahead with a project with◆ Promoted by the whole prefectural government

three main components: (1) strengthening product

Under the leadership of the governor, Mr.

appeal (product development with designers); (2)SUGIMOTO Tatsuji, “promotion of policy design” wasestablishing sales channels (building a website); (3)specified in the budget compilation policy, whichreforming social awareness (holding festivals). Theshows that the whole prefectural government isconcept of this project is “Fukution!” (Fuku forready to implement “policy design”.

Fukushi meaning welfare in Japanese and “tion” fromthe last part of the word “action”). Currently, projects

Results of this Project

are being carried out for each of these components.

The following is a case study of a project that camefrom the ideas exchanged at the policy designworkshops.
◆ Case study: Realising “Happy employment” forpeople with disabilities
At first, the subject and theme of the division incharge was “realising happy employment for people
working in facilities for people with disabilities”, and2

Fukutionat the policies which were created through policy

Action for welfare

design have found policy design interesting. The

Three actions by Fukution!

fundamental value of the design needs to be fun;Strengthening productappeal of welfare facilities

Product
development

Establishing sales channels

Job matching between
private companies andwelfare facilities

Reforming awareness ofprivate companies and socialawarenesspolicies need to be interesting and inspiring to beRedesigning of thefairs

more effective. Before trying to gain empathy fromlocal residents, the employees at the prefectural
government need to create an atmosphere to enjoy
policy making.

Case study introduction
Online shop

Fukution!
Project Fukution! festival
Job matching
URL
Publication of Fukui Policy Design NAVI (FukuiPrefecture website):https://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/seiki/design/navi.html

Welfare and I

Issues, Problems and Responses◆ Permeating this idea to government employees
understood by the government employees well

Fukui Policy Design, Production of the Creators’
Guide (Fukui Prefecture website):https://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/seiki/design/creat

enough. It is important that people in administrative

ors-guide.html

The idea of policy design has not yet been

positions need to change their way of thinking. We
have set up a web-channel open to government

Contact

employees with the aim of sharing information. We

Future Strategy Division, Department of Future

have also produced educational videos in which

Development

designers introduce example cases using policy

Tel.: 0776-20-0759

design so that every employee can watch them any

E-mail: mirai-senryaku@pref.fukui.lg.jp

time.
◆ Digging up old cases
Despite the fact that we hold dozens of workshops ayear, many of the themes did not yield a fruitfulresult and in some cases just only resulted in
producing a logo or a video. We need to revisit
suitable themes that can use policy design whenfundamental issues are discussed.
Future Developments (expected effects, projectvision, and issues)
The goal that we need to achieve is a firm
understanding of policy design by the government
employees themselves and the use of its methods toenhance the quality of policies. We prioritise
planning policies from the perspectives of local
residents to lead to more effective policies. Some
prefectural government employees who had a look3