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In selecting the cases to be examined in this publication, the authors considered what would make
            a smart intervention simple. The following criteria served as the guide.


                                  Table 1: What makes a smart intervention simple?
                                      (Criteria developed by the working group)
              Cost            A smart intervention is simple if it is low cost, or creates a new revenue stream to offset
                              costs. If the intervention is demanding large proportions of the city budget, or a special
                              financing arrangement, it is not simple.
              Duration        A smart intervention is simple if it can be expected to show returns within a year.
                              (This might be done with a pilot project.) Interventions should be able to show real
                              results, quickly. If it will take 2 or 3 years for results, it is not simple.
              Scale           A smart intervention is simple if it is small-scale or can be piloted on a small scale and
                              then scaled up. If the intervention has to be implemented across the entire city, or
                              multiple city departments at once, it is not simple.
              Technology      A  smart  intervention  is  simple  if  it  makes  use  of  proven  technologies.  Proven
                              technologies have been in use for several years and there are documented cases of
                              success. Unproven technologies are not simple.
              Skills          A smart intervention is simple if it makes use of the skills that a city already has, or
                              skills that exist in the city’s businesses or communities. Interventions that require rare
                              or sophisticated technical skills or obscure knowledge are not simple.
              Complexity      There  are  a  number  of  aspects  that  could  contribute  to  the  complexity  of  smart
                              interventions. Complexity is increased when the intervention requires: (1) ambitious
                              behaviour  or  process  change  from  any  city  stakeholders,  (2)  co-operation  or
                              interoperability across agencies, or (3) legal or regulatory changes (although this may
                              depend on context). Interventions that include these requirements are not simple.
              Sustainability  In addition to being smart and simple, interventions need to be sustainable. A smart
                              intervention is sustainable if (1) there is a plan for its continued operation, particularly
                              with respect to maintenance, skills, and financial sustainability beyond any initial
                              investment.  The authors also consider an intervention sustainable if it (2) makes a
                              contribution towards one or more of the SDGs and does not work against any of the
                              SDGs. Specifically, smart interventions that increase inequality (SDG5 and SDG10) or
                              risk making life worse, particularly for people who are already vulnerable, should not
                              be considered.



            These criteria can be used by cities to screen potential smart interventions, starting with simple
            interventions, while they build their awareness of where complexities may arise and capacity for
            more complex interventions.

            One way to ensure that smart interventions are simple is to focus only on well-defined technology
            solutions that have been implemented, reviewed and are already in the market with established
            deployment and support models. However, such “out the box” solutions, no matter how customizable,
            will only be simple to implement in contexts for which they were designed and where they have
            already been proven. Where such smart solutions have been successful in neighbouring cities, they
            are likely to be simple and smart. Otherwise, they need to be evaluated for contextual differences
            such as support, cultural norms, local practices and skill levels.




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