BAuA: Pandemic Preparedness for Care Facilities
The Lessons of the Pandemic
Scenario workshops develop crisis strategies for clinics and care homes
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What happens when the next pandemic arrives? While care facilities are still recovering from Corona, systematic preparedness strategies for future crises are still missing. BAuA commissioned Ellery Studio to design and facilitate nationwide scenario workshops that turn the painful experiences of the past into preventive courses of action. 39 experts from nursing practice, research, and public authorities developed concrete work-organizational measures for future pandemic situations.
The Challenge
Never unprepared again: how care facilities are learning from Corona
The Corona pandemic exposed painful weaknesses in the German care system. Overburdened teams, chaotic communication channels, and a lack of crisis strategies shaped everyday life in clinics and senior care homes. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) recognized that future pandemics call for systematic preparation instead of reactive crisis management. BAuA was looking for a methodological partner skilled in futures research and able to facilitate complex stakeholder groups.
Deliverables
From Scenario Development to Strategy Development
The original brief called for classic scenario development. In the kickoff meeting, however, it became clear that BAuA needed less exploratory future imagery and more concrete courses of action. Ellery Studio developed a mixed-methods approach combining futures research and design thinking. The Futures Wheel helped move systematically from painful Corona memories to constructive images of the future. The Ideation Canvas translated these insights into actionable measures.
1
Two Scenario Workshops
Two two-day events for acute and long-term care with 39 experts from practice, research, and public authorities. A mix of methods including the Futures Wheel, Pain Point Mapping, and the Ideation Canvas.
2
70-Page BAuA Research Report
Comprehensive documentation of the workshop methods and results. Instead of the requested 30–40 pages, the result was 70 pages plus an appendix with concrete recommendations for action.
3
Trade Article for "Die Schwester | Der Pfleger"
A four-page article for Germany's largest nursing trade journal. Translates scientific findings into practice-ready recommendations for 160,000 nursing professionals.
4
Additional Heat Workshop
Methodological guidance for a doctoral candidate's workshop on heat waves in hospitals. Knowledge transfer and capacity-building at Unfallklinikum Berlin.
Learnings
Thematic Deep Dives
Futures research as a bridge builder between trauma and transformation
How do you turn collective trauma into collective capacity to act? Ellery Studio systematically guided workshop participants from painful Corona memories to constructive images of the future. The Futures Wheel revealed surprising connections along the way: better communication in crises depends not just on technology, but on trust between the people involved. This methodological depth is what separates superficial crisis plans from truly resilient organizational structures.
Participation as a hallmark of quality in complex consulting projects
The greatest challenge lay not in the methodology, but in orchestrating stakeholders. 172 potential participants were approached, and 39 were won over. Ellery Studio developed an outreach strategy that combined personal contact with professional project documentation. Especially effective: the phone as a trust-builder. Many commitments only came about through direct conversation, after polite email declines had come in first.
