Project summary
OVD-Info has designed a data-driven primary constituent accountability project. We work with 5 main constituent groups within the scope of the RR initiative (activists, journalists, donors, readers and the OVD-Info staff). As part of the project, OVD-info collects feedback from various constituent groups through a wide variety of tools, including: F2F interviews, online surveys, bots, and analytics from our website traffic, social media, etc. We use different tool based on the way we engage with each constituent group, though most of the feedback and data we collect is entirely anonymous and at times hard to identify which constituent type it comes from.
Almost all of the quantitative information and data ((including number of calls on our hotline, number of likes on Facebook, average donations, etc) we collect is fed onto a dashboard we have created to help us track, interpret and analyse how we are doing on key indicators . An expert board of advisors (OVD-Info staff working on various things) has been set up to lead on the analysis and interpretation of this data, to then make changes. The qualitative data is analysed separately and followed up accordingly.
Feedback-related challenge
During the course of our project, we have faced several issues. The first one is involving the whole team in the accountability processes. We have implemented some mechanisms – and it was made by the project team. However, we believe that this is what should be included into the mindset of the team. And we were not able to promote it to the team. The second issue related to closing the feedback loop, when it comes to quantitative feedback. Based on the analysis we do, we can implement many minor changes, which makes a user experience of our primary constituents better. But it is that small, that we have some doubts whether we want to communicate it back – since the number of such messages would be very high and may decrease loyalty of our PC’s to us. Also, some feedback we collect is quite sensitive and private and not everything can be transparent for publicity – from privacy point of view, as well as security.
About Resilient Roots
The Resilient Roots initiative tests whether organisations who are more accountable and responsive to their primary constituents are more resilient against external threats. We are working with 14 CSOs – among which is OVD-Info – across a range of locations and issues to support them design and rollout year-long accountability projects. The initiative is coordinated by Civicus. Technical support is provided by Keystone Accountability and Accountable Now along with our regional partner for Latin America, Instituto de Comunicación y Desarrollo (ICD).
What was the impact of this LabStorm? Read the recap here.