Roles in context
Implementation
Putting together CommsLab takes a village, from online meetings, to writing up work documents and figuring out budgets to visa administration and homewarming at the actual event. Find out more about the different aspects involved.
Planning
Planning part of the implementation phase starts with managing a research project (landscape research) from start to finish, beginning with revising and sending out the Request for Proposal. It includes forming a research team that meets regularly with the convening team at Astraea to share updates and incorporate new insights. The convening team at Astraea here is involved in drafting reports and going through review cycles. Coordination Team coordinates an advisory board and participant engagement, including developing criteria and agreements and organizing engagement activities.
Program design
Meticulous planning and execution of co-design sessions. It involves identifying an appropriate venue and managing logistics, including travel and materials. Specific activities here include identifying, inviting, and confirming participants based on set criteria. Designing also entails refining the agenda, and developing plans for facilitation, documentation, and evaluation. Coordination Team will orient participants to ensure they are well-prepared. During the co-design session, they will oversee proceedings and, afterward, conduct a debrief to gather initial feedback. The Coordination Team is responsible for synthesizing findings from the session to inform activities and decisions leading up to the CommsLabs main event.
Infrastructure
Coordination Team is responsible for setting up tools and platforms (Drupal, Mattermost, Nextcloud and BigBlueButton) to be used as part of the CommsLabs infrastructure, establishing single sign-in-services and testing it all. Specific tasks and responsibilities for the CommsLabs include providing design requirements to the designer for event website, adjusting the event's look and feel on the platforms, setting up surveys to collect organization profiles. Documentation is developed for deploying and managing servers, virtual machines, and platforms, along with creating and updating support manuals. An overall timeline for the web platform is established. Additionally, users are created on platforms and onabaorded with orientation meetings to learn using the platforms for coordination throughout the cycle of the event.
Programme development
Programme development as an activity relates differently with Coordination Team and Activist Advisory Board. Coordination Team takes a step back and makes things available for things to happen. Activist Advisory Board are the actual designers that create the agenda facilitating effective trainer-participant dynamics. Coordination Team facilitates trainer-participant interactions.
Community engagement
Community engagement stage would include and start with inviting participants to the event, developing the programme along with community folks following co-design principles, leading up to the main event.
Learning
Learning ensures comprehensive evaluation and documentation post-event. It involves conducting debrief calls with rest of the roles mentioned earlier to gather feedback and insights, meticulously documenting, and coordinating the program evaluation.