Solve the Right problem — Solve the Problem Right
Sedulous transforms lived experience into community-powered solutions by running every challenge through our 4D Framework (Discover → Define → Develop → Deliver) . We begin where change really starts – listening – to surface the unseen barriers and untapped assets that data alone can’t show. From there, we pinpoint a co-defined problem statement, ideate prototype solutions hand-in-hand with residents and scale only what brings impactful improvement to the quality of lives.
Within the driving force of our framework, participatory research, collaborative co-design, community-led evaluation and targeted training are just the gears, never the destination. Each tool serves a dedicated purpose: to put actionable evidence, decision-making power and tangible resources back into the hands of London’s marginalised and underrepresented communities.
The result is work that goes beyond reports on a shelf. Policies shift. Budgets follow real needs. Neighbourhoods see measurable gains in equity and opportunity. That’s what we mean by solving the right problem and solving the problem right.
1 · Discover — What’s the right problem to solve?
First, we listen. By pairing rapid participatory research with rapid reviews and story-gathering, we uncover what residents truly need, based on purposeful dialogue and meaningful insights, often missed by the datasets. The goal is to reveal the unseen barriers and fresh opportunities that will guide everything that follows.
Outputs: Insight Sprints · Lived-experience Interviews · Opportunity Maps
2 · Define — What if?
Next, we make sense of the evidence together. Community members, service teams and funders join facilitated sessions to cluster insights, run thematic needs analyses and frame a single optimum problem statement everyone can own.
Outputs: Co-authored Problem Statement · Success Criteria · Theory of Change Draft
3 · Develop — What wows?
With a clearly defined focus, we co-design bold yet workable ideas. Through idea labs, low-fidelity prototyping and developmental evaluation, we test and refine concepts with residents, not for them, building the right solution the right way.
Outputs: Prototype Pilots · Feasibility Tests · resident Feedback Loops
4 · Deliver — What works?
We launch, learn and iterate. The strongest solutions are scaled in partnership with frontline teams; our evaluation cycle tracks progress, monitors outcomes and feeds improvements back into delivery. Impact data is shared openly so success can spread borough or city-wide.
Outputs: Live Service or Programme · Impact Dashboard · Open-source Learning Report
The 4D Framework: Why it Works
Community-first at every stage – residents move from insight-givers to decision-makers and co-owners.
Evidence with urgency – lean methods mean projects shift from discovery to delivery in months, not years.
Accountability built in – concrete metrics show what changed, for whom and at what cost.
Ready to move from insight to impact?
Whether you’re a neighbourhood group, local authority or mission-driven funder, Sedulous can integrate this framework into your challenge to unlock lasting solutions. Let’s start to Discover . . .