Guest-SI Methodology: Creation of a methodological standard for the management of innovations in the social field

The GUEST methodology was conceived as a simple and innovative framework for business management. Actually, this procedure was designed to enhance the efficiency and overall quality of companies by providing a structured approach applicable throughout the decision-making process. Its five distinct phases, Go, Uniform, Evaluate, Solve, and Test, are aimed at controlling a project from conception to implementation. A notable feature of the GUEST methodology is its emphasis on stakeholder engagement, ensuring that their needs and perspectives are integrated into the process. This thesis focuses on the adaptation of the GUEST methodology, originally developed by researchers at Politecnico di Torino, to guide the management and decision-making processes of projects based on social innovations. This improved methodology was named GUEST-SI (GUEST for Social Innovation), and is specifically tailored to address the most important tasks to achieve the project’s objectives like the identification of end-user segments, their needs, and strategies to effectively engage them. In addition, this methodology was applied in this work to the SINFONICA project, which focuses on promoting inclusive and cooperative mobility solutions across Europe. The SINFONICA project, which stands for "Social INnovation to FOster INclusIve cooperative, Connected and Automated mobility," adopts a bottom-up approach, actively involving diverse societal segments, particularly vulnerable and underrepresented groups, through participatory processes. The project's primary goal is to develop innovative strategies that engage users, mobility providers, and other stakeholders in the realm of Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility (CCAM).