Reach - Media Development Collective

Building Digital Communities

More than a decade ago, with the advent of easily accessible digital technology, international development organizations began looking for new ways to incorporate digital tools into their programming for improved outcomes.

These efforts were initially very successful; substantial progress was made in various sectors such as health and agriculture, more communities around the world were connected, and underserved populations were reached in previously unattainable ways. Some digitally enabled programs, on the other hand, failed – and often for reasons that were both predictable and preventable.

The Digital Communities for Development course integrates best practices into building digital community programs by combining practical expertise in building digital communities, UNESCO’s “Principles for Digital Development,” and insights from 5 digital communities in MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa. This course is designed to provide key insights for CSOs who want to create digital programs to reach their constituency and need assistance understanding common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Benefits:

Consider the big picture of what it takes to build digital communities.
Build a solid foundation of what digital communities are.
Learn from case studies about the various ways to build digital communities.
Be able to assess the costs and needs of a digital program.
Determine any gaps in your current strategy and how to close them.
Understand how to scale the digital community.
Learn how to quantify impact in digital communities.
Enhance your knowledge and skills with hands-on coursework.

This course is perfect for:

NGOs and Civil Society Groups who want to build digital communities or have existing digital communities that they wish to expand.
Corporate Organisations that would like to build digital communities around their outreach strategies.

Outline:

This training is customised to meet your specific needs as well as the needs of your organisation. Case studies of existing digital communities that have been successfully implemented are included in the course, as are industry best practices from strategic communication specialists.

Module 1: Introduction to Digital Communities
Module 2: Digital Communities Frameworks
Module 3: Designing for the User
Module 4: Understanding Existing Ecosystems
Module 5: Content and Moderation
Module 6: Data Driven Approaches

MODULE 1: Introduction to Digital Communities

Value Propositions: What are digital communities and what do they deliver?
Digital communities and common pain points.
Is a digital community the right path to your desired change?

MODULE 2: The Digital Communities Frameworks

Unpacking the UNESCO framework on building digital communities.
Other Frameworks.
Building for sustainability.

MODULE 3: Designing for the User

User Identification and UX Design.
Audience Research.

MODULE 4: Understanding Existing Ecosystems

Context Analysis.
Open Standards, Data, Innovation.
Collaborative Approaches and Partnerships.

MODULE 5: Content and Moderation

Content for Community Building.
Moderation for Community Strengthening.
Re-using and Improving Content and Conversation.
Social Listening Tools and Targeting.

MODULE 6: Data Driven Approach

Data for Insights.
Data for Advocacy.