The Ask
As a company with limited experience in software development, we are facing challenges in communicating effectively with our current software vendor, who often uses technical jargon that we find difficult to understand. We need a technical project manager to bridge this gap and guide us through the process. Additionally, before launching our awards platform, we would like to conduct usability tests to ensure it meets user expectations. Finally, we seek support in rebuilding the platform to better align with the needs of our users.
The Observation
When building for a wide set of user segments, focusing on the extreme case can pay a lot of dividends. For Epic Africa, the focus was on the user segment with the lowest digital literacy and internet access. Once the solution worked for this segment, it worked for everyone elseThe Process
Key activities:
- Technical advisory – Made provided a technical project manager to act as a liaison between Epic Africa and the software vendor. The PM acted as a go-between between the two parties and explained what each meant
- Usability testing – Made conducted three sets of usability testing exercises. The locations were Nairobi, Jo’burg, and Dakar
- Redesign and development of the awards platform
Technology choices:
- Award application front-end – ReactJs
- Award application back-end – Python/Flask
- Management Dashboard – Apache Superset
- Deployment – Amazon RDS
- Database – Postgres
The Outcome
With technical support from Made, Epic Africa was able to successfully run the first edition of the CSO Excellence Awards. Our work allowed them to:
- Allow CSOs to conduct a self-assessment exercise based on the organizational pillars of strength outlined by Epic Africa. Organizations got a diagnostic report post-assessment
- Allow CSOs to apply for the award by filling out the application form online. The final process was based on 3 sets of usability tests
- Allow the Epic Africa team to support and follow up with applicants who were stuck. They were provided with a back-end dashboard to do so
- Allow Epic Africa to shortlist applicants moving to the next stage based on how they scored. The initial part of the scoring was done by code and then by the Epic Africa team
In total, there were 972 registrations, 389 completed the first round, and 49 were shortlisted for the final round. Epic Africa now has a rich database of CSOs across Africa. We are working with them on the second version of the awards program.