A systemic design approach to tackle money laundering

A systemic design approach to tackle money laundering

Blankendaal, Manon (TU Delft Industrial Design Engineering)

Tromp, N. (mentor)
van der Bijl-Brouwer, M. (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Strategic Product Design

2021-06-01

The goal of almost all forms of crime is monetary gain. In serious forms of crime, like drug crime or human trafficking, enormous amounts of money are made. For criminals, this money is not directly usable. Spending it right away in the economy would be too obvious and attract attention from the authorities. Therefore, the dirty money gained by these criminal activities should be laundered first. The true origin of the money is disguised, and a legal source is linked to it. After money laundering the dirty money, the money appears clean and can be spent in the economy. Money laundering is not only a crime in itself but also a secondary offence. It can be seen as a symptom of other criminal activities because the need for laundering money is always a result of criminal activities where much money is made. For this reason, it is crucial to tackle it. The fight against money laundering is essential to fight all other kinds of serious crime effectively. The Public Prosecution Service plays a vital role in tackling money laundering. They are responsible for detecting criminal offences and prosecuting criminals. In this project, the initial goal was to: Map the current money laundering system in the region of Limburg and identify opportunities that support the Public Prosecution Service in the fight against money laundering in the current system. Money laundering is a complex problem. It involves many stakeholders and it is dynamic. In this project, the systematic design approach is used to tackle this complex problem situation. In the systemic design approach, the design thinking and system thinking methods are combined. The project can be separated into two parts. The first part is about researching and identifying the money laundering system. The second part is about developing interventions that fit in this system. To move from insights to interventions, an experiment with different methods is carried out. These methods were: GIGA-mapping, the VIP method, system mapping by using a causal loop diagram, and the reframing method. By reflecting on these methods and developed personal design criteria, an intervention framework was developed. This framework helped develop three new sub design goals, focused on providing understanding, guidance and inspiration for the Public Prosecution Service. These three goals resulted in three systemic interventions. The first intervention is the causal loop diagram, focused on understanding the money laundering system. Second, the action blueprint, consisting of six principles that guide the Public Prosecution Service in taking urgent action. And third, the tangible solution overview shows examples of how the six principles can be developed into tangible ideas. The interventions collaboratively help to increase the sense of urgency regarding money laundering among th Public Prosecution Service. Together they form the Money Laundering Design Manifesto.

systemic design
design manifesto
money laundering
Openbaar Ministerie
systemic design lab
system mapping
systemic interventions

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:bc988c92-4d4a-4f84-af34-202768dc72d5

Student theses

master thesis

© 2021 Manon Blankendaal