Comunidas
DevelopmentUX/UI DesignManagement
Service exchange network among nonprofit organizations to improve the community and receive benefits in return.
A global network of individuals and organizations seeking to connect, partner, and learn together to defend and strengthen the civic space and overcome restrictions on our basic freedoms of assembly, association, and expression. Our main goal is to empower Civil Society organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean by coordinating efforts with the private sector, academia, activists, social entrepreneurs, and other key stakeholders.
From the beginning, it was stated that the goal was to achieve the best efficiency based on the contracted resources. Being a non-profit organization, the budget for this project was limited, so tools and solutions were always sought that fit within the existing budget. Time was not a critical factor for completion, but due to certain circumstances during the analysis phase, the development process was accelerated towards the end.
To address this client’s needs, a service exchange platform was created. However, only the initial communication occurs within the platform; the actual service is performed externally. Users provide feedback on the quality of the exchanged service once it’s completed. After an exchange, both users receive credit that can be redeemed for an available voucher. The voucher exchange is managed by a ComuniDAS administrator, who also handles external communication with the information each volunteer company provides on its profile.
For the chat functionality, a mailbox system was implemented, as a full chatbox would have been more time-consuming and costly to develop.
Key challenges for achieving low cost included:
Biggest challenge during the analysis and design of the solution regarding low-cost or free tools for application development.
Choice of environment and database that supports heavy workloads at a low cost.
Short development time from the beginning of the same stage.
From the outset, the goal was to create a system that would help volunteers make exchanges with minimal involvement from “Innovation for Change.” The aim was to have a self-sufficient system that only required staff interaction when necessary. This approach improves the time it takes for an exchange to occur, making the process easier for volunteers and depending exclusively on the interested parties.
