Partnerships and program integration are crucial for scale and sustainability. Merging the "Creative Confidence" curriculum with Shababuna Ezweh's established "Made in" model created a more practical training program, efficiently leveraging existing networks and expertise to reach new governorates (Aqaba, Jerash) and expand impact beyond the initial pilot in Madaba/Petra. Market linkages are a critical component of economic empowerment. Training in creative skills alone is insufficient; direct connections to retail platforms (like JoShop) are essential to translate newfound confidence and production capability into actual income opportunities, validating the product's market fit and providing participants with tangible economic outcomes. A phased, hands-off approach effectively tests skill retention and independent initiative. The experiment design, particularly the "Independent Creation Phase" where participants worked without guidance for a month, was valuable for assessing whether the training genuinely built lasting creative confidence and practical ability, moving beyond workshop-dependent learning. Localized, sustainable production can address specific market gaps. The initiative confirmed an observed demand for high-quality, locally made souvenirs that reflect cultural heritage. By using discarded materials (circular economy principles), the products uniquely meet both tourist expectations for authentic goods and broader environmental sustainability goals. Government and institutional visibility amplifies impact and validates the model. The official launch event with government officials at a JoShop branch served not only as a sales opportunity but also as a powerful platform for recognition. This "showcasing" builds credibility, motivates participants, and helps integrate community-driven initiatives into broader local economic and tourism development strategies.

Building on the initial success of the Creative Confidence experiment, the initiative was first conducted with a foundational workshop in Petra rather than Madaba. We then partnered with Shababuna Ezweh to integrate their established “Made in” training model, which specialises in producing sustainable, market-ready tourist souvenirs, into our program. This integrated curriculum was delivered in Aqaba and Jerash, where local youth and women were equipped with both creative confidence and practical craft skills, resulting in 21 distinct, sustainable products. To ensure these creations reached the market, Shababuna Ezweh further collaborated with JoShop, a leading retail platform. The initiative in Aqaba was formally launched at the JoShop branch in Aqaba, with attendance from government officials and the local community. The event highlighted the tangible impact of the collaboration, showcasing it as a concrete and effective community-based effort in the country.

The application of these innovation methods was essential to address our frontier challenge, empowering women and youth through sustainable handicraft production, because traditional, linear approaches often fail to address the complex interplay of psychological, social, economic, and systemic barriers participants face. Here is how each method helped unpack and navigate the system: Behavioural Insights were necessary to understand and influence the mindset shifts required. Many participants initially lacked belief in their creative and entrepreneurial capabilities. By applying this lens, we designed the training not just to teach skills, but to actively build creative confidence, targeting internal barriers like self-doubt and fear of failure, which are critical to unlocking sustained participation and initiative. Co-creation was vital to ensure the solution was relevant, owned, and sustainable within the local context. Rather than imposing an external curriculum, we partnered with Shababuna Ezweh to merge our “Creative Confidence” approach with their established “Made in” model. This collaborative design integrated local knowledge, market understanding, and cultural relevance, creating a program that resonated with participants and addressed real community-identified gaps in quality souvenir production. Experimentation allowed us to test our assumptions in a structured, iterative, and evidence-based way. The phased design, training, independent creation, and market engagement served as a real-world pilot. It validated hypotheses about skill retention, market demand, and income potential with minimal risk, generating concrete data (e.g., 21 products created, sales feedback) to inform scaling decisions and future interventions. Storytelling transformed abstract concepts like “empowerment” and “sustainability” into compelling, relatable narratives. By highlighting the journey from discarded materials to marketable products and showcasing success at the JoShop launch event, we made the systemic value tangible. This attracted partners, engaged government officials, and motivated participants by framing their work as part of a larger story of cultural preservation and economic change. Facilitation provided the essential process and safe space for the other methods to succeed. Skilled facilitation during workshops nurtured creativity, managed group dynamics, and guided the co-creation process. It ensured that behavioural insights were applied sensitively and that the experiment’s phases were conducted effectively, turning the design into actionable learning and tangible outcomes for participants. Together, these methods moved us beyond a simple “training program.” They enabled a holistic systems intervention that addressed individual psychology (Behavioural Insights), community and partner ecosystems (Co-creation & Facilitation), evidence-based iteration (Experimentation), and broader narrative change (Storytelling), thereby unlocking deeper and more sustainable impact within the local production and tourism landscape.