Knowledge Management Platform

Actionaid Bangladesh


Completed In: 2018

Objective

As a renowned international NGO operating in Bangladesh, for Actionaid Bangladesh it was critical to onboard a partner who was familiar with their objective to showcase their extensive research and knowledgebase. 

As opposed to the typical web design approach, we chose to augment their thinking about the problem from a technical perspective and proposed a robust knowledge management platform to showcase their research and accomplishments. 

Scope of Work

Project Management

Design

Development

Content Development

Server Deployment

Challenges & Approch

Understanding Stakeholder Requirements: The NGO likely has various departments or projects, each with its own set of requirements and priorities. Understanding the needs of different stakeholders and finding a balance between them can be challenging.

Managing Scope Creep: With multiple stakeholders, there’s a higher chance of scope creep, where additional features and functionalities are requested throughout the project. It’s crucial to have a well-defined scope and a change management process in place.

Security and Privacy Concerns: NGOs often handle sensitive information, such as donor data or information about vulnerable populations. Ensuring the website’s security and privacy measures are robust is of utmost importance.

Integration with Existing Systems: The NGO may have existing software systems, databases, or third-party tools. Integrating the new website with these systems can be complex, requiring compatibility and data migration considerations.

Accessibility and Inclusivity: As an NGO, it’s essential to make the website accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Ensuring compliance with accessibility standards can be demanding.

Multilingual and Multicultural Considerations: NGOs often work internationally, which means the website may need to support multiple languages and be culturally sensitive to different audiences.

Content Management and Governance: With a diversified portfolio, content creation and management can become overwhelming. Implementing a robust content management system and defining governance policies for content updates are essential.

User Experience (UX): Catering to various stakeholders with different needs and backgrounds requires careful UX design. The website must be intuitive, user-friendly, and offer a smooth experience for all visitors.

Performance and Scalability: Depending on the NGO’s reach and audience, the website may experience high traffic. Ensuring the website’s performance and scalability is critical to handle increased load.

Budget and Resource Constraints: NGOs often have limited budgets and resources. Balancing the project’s requirements with the available resources can be challenging.

Project Communication and Collaboration: With multiple stakeholders involved, effective communication and collaboration are crucial. Ensuring everyone is on the same page, managing feedback, and resolving conflicts promptly is essential.

Compliance and Legal Considerations: NGOs may have legal requirements, such as data protection regulations or copyright issues. Adhering to these regulations is essential to avoid legal complications.

Ongoing Maintenance and Support: After the website launch, continuous maintenance, updates, and support are necessary. Ensuring a plan for ongoing support is in place to address issues and make necessary improvements.

The Audit Process.

Stakeholder Interviews:
Conduct interviews with key stakeholders from different departments and projects within the NGO. Understand their goals, target audience, and the information they want to present on the website. Ask about their priorities and how they envision the website’s structure

Content Inventory:
Create an inventory of all existing content the NGO possesses, including documents, brochures, reports, and any current website content. This will help you understand the depth and breadth of information available.

Tree Testing:
Perform tree testing to validate the proposed sitemap structure. Provide participants with a proposed navigation structure and ask them to find specific pieces of information. This test helps identify potential issues with the hierarchy.

Information Categorization:
Based on all the gathered insights, categorize the information into logical groups and subgroups. Consider the hierarchy that aligns with both stakeholder priorities and user needs.

Wireframes and Mockups:
Develop wireframes and mockups of the website’s key pages based on the finalized sitemap. This will help stakeholders visualize the structure and layout before the actual development begins.

Finalize Sitemap:
With all the insights, feedback, and wireframes in hand, finalize the website’s sitemap. Ensure that it meets the objectives of different stakeholders while providing an intuitive and user-friendly experience.

UI/UX

Development

Flexibility and Customizability: OctoberCMS provides a flexible and modular architecture that allows developers to build custom solutions tailored to specific project requirements. It follows a plugin-based approach, making it easy to extend and add new features without modifying the core code.

User-Friendly Interface: OctoberCMS offers an intuitive and user-friendly admin interface that simplifies content management tasks for non-technical users. This makes it suitable for projects where clients or content editors need to manage website content without technical assistance.

Developer-Friendly: As OctoberCMS is built on Laravel, developers familiar with Laravel’s syntax and conventions will find it relatively easy to work with. It encourages best practices and adheres to modern development principles, making it a developer-friendly CMS.

Active Community and Documentation: OctoberCMS has an active and growing community of developers who contribute to its ecosystem. There are numerous plugins and themes available to extend its functionality, and comprehensive documentation is available to support developers.

Security: Being built on Laravel, which is known for its security features, OctoberCMS inherits many security benefits. Additionally, the CMS itself undergoes regular updates and security audits to address potential vulnerabilities.

Performance: OctoberCMS is designed to be efficient and lightweight, resulting in better website performance. It allows developers to optimize the site according to specific project needs and avoid unnecessary bloat.

SEO-Friendly: Search engine optimization is critical for many websites. OctoberCMS provides features and tools to implement SEO best practices, making it easier for developers to optimize the site for search engines.

Multilingual Support: For projects targeting international audiences, OctoberCMS offers built-in support for multilingual content, making it easier to create and manage content in multiple languages.

E-commerce Capabilities: While it is primarily a content management system, OctoberCMS has plugins and extensions available to add e-commerce functionality, making it suitable for small to medium-sized online stores.

Open Source: OctoberCMS is licensed under the MIT license, which means it is free to use and modify. This open-source nature allows developers to customize and contribute to the platform.

Deployment

Local Cloud Deployment

Staging Environment

Team Training & Handover

Conducting training sessions for different teams within ActionAid Bangladesh, with curated materials based on the permission levels of different user groups, was a strategic and efficient approach to enhance the organization’s overall productivity and security. By tailoring the training content to the specific needs and access levels of each team, ActionAid Bangladesh ensured that their staff received relevant information and gained the necessary skills to perform their tasks effectively. Here’s a summary of the benefits and key aspects of this approach:

Personalized Training: Customizing the training materials for each team allowed the organization to focus on specific roles and responsibilities. This personalization ensured that employees received training relevant to their job functions, enabling them to better understand and apply the concepts in their daily tasks.

Improved Productivity: Providing targeted training based on permission levels meant that employees learned how to use the tools and access resources that were directly applicable to their work. This improved their efficiency and productivity, as they were not overwhelmed with unnecessary information.

Enhanced Security: By tailoring the training content according to permission levels, ActionAid Bangladesh could reinforce the importance of data security and proper access controls. Employees were trained to understand the significance of handling sensitive information responsibly, reducing the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.

Clear Communication: Curated training materials ensured that the content was clear, concise, and focused on the specific tasks and challenges faced by each team. This clarity facilitated better communication between trainers and trainees, fostering a more engaging and interactive learning experience.

Adaptability and Scalability: This approach allowed ActionAid Bangladesh to scale their training efforts efficiently. As the organization grows or introduces new user groups, they can easily adapt and create tailored training materials to meet the needs of these new teams.

Employee Empowerment: By providing relevant and role-specific training, employees felt empowered to take ownership of their tasks and responsibilities. They gained confidence in using the tools and resources available to them, which positively impacted their overall job satisfaction and performance.

Consistent Compliance: Training materials aligned with permission levels helped ensure that all staff members understood and adhered to the organization’s policies and procedures. This consistency in compliance reduced the likelihood of errors or policy violations.

In conclusion, curating training materials based on permission levels for different teams at ActionAid Bangladesh was a strategic decision that resulted in numerous benefits. The personalized training improved productivity, security, and communication while empowering employees to perform their roles effectively. This approach demonstrated the organization’s commitment to continuous learning and development, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability within the organization.