Services for drought: the co-creation value of adopting process model as a tool to improve the “Carro Pipa” operation in Brazil

Abstract

Drought is a major worldwide disaster involving water distribution for a dispersed population in a vast area, which consequently demands the engagement of different stakeholders. While process models contribute to improving disaster and humanitarian operations (DHO), their contribution as a co-creation tool is not discussed in the DHO literature. Thus, this research aims to discuss the co-creation value of using the process model as a tool to improve the drinking water distribution service in response to the drought. The research adopted the case study methodology to investigate Brazil's “Carro Pipa” operation. The main challenges and opportunities include different sources of information, articulation between various stakeholders under the Brazilian government legislation, the autonomy of municipalities in decisions with economic impact and lack of verification to guarantee the shortest route and lowest cost. Moreover, this research demonstrates that the process models – a management tool – facilitate the co-creation for improvement of a DHO as it provides standardised stakeholder analysis, enabling effective improvement through the integration of the service designer and the stakeholders engaged in the operation. Future research can discuss implementing improvements to the service provided by the "Carro Pipa" operation and analyse the combination of process models and other Service Design techniques and tools