How Service Design Thinking Could Help Preserve the Institutional Knowledge for Social Problems Solvers: A Case Study of Stray Dog Population Management Planning Guidelines

With the increasing problems of stray dogs in Taiwan, societies have been raising their awareness to discuss the issue. The complex perspectives amongst stakeholders, poor communication, the difference between regional environments, and even the resources contribution all result in the dog TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return) implementation lack of standard operating procedures. The situation influenced the effectiveness of preserving practical and tacit knowledge of the related implementation. Although the public and private sectors have spent a significant amount of time and resources for years, the problems of stray dogs have yet to be solved due to the lack of institutional knowledge. Therefore, the research question is how to apply service design thinking to solve this complex social issue from a knowledge viewpoint. This study explored how service design thinking can resolve the obstacle of preserving institutional knowledge through the “Stray Dog Population Management Planning Guideline” case study. The three objectives are the followings. Firstly, to analyze the problems that affect the implementation of dog population management—secondly, to devise the best solution utilizing service design thinking. Thirdly, to discuss how service design thinking impacted the preservation of institutional knowledge through study cases. The research results are insights into applying service design for complex knowledge preservation and conversion through an innovative social case. The research provides a revolutionary mindset on solving a complex social problem, encouraging stakeholders to take a knowledge communication approach.