WOC [online] game-based platform for community outreach and civic actors engagement

A joint project by the NGO IPID, World of Communities LLC, and the USAID Democratic Governance in Eastern Ukraine (DG EAST) program. 2020

Project Goals

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    Developing WOC [Online]

    Create an online version of the "World of Communities" board game as an innovative and effective tool for community mobilization and fostering broad civic engagement.

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    Uncovering Potential

    Identify potential local leaders among engaged players and inspire them to participate in DG East subregional workshops.

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    Play Online - Change Offline

    Encourage citizens to connect and collaborate with civil society groups.

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Project Card

Donor: USAID Project “Democratic Governance in Eastern Ukraine”
Grantee: NGO Institute of Political and Information Research
Duration: July 6 – February 3
Budget: $50,000
Grant Agreement: KRA-054-G-020-2020
Grantee Representative: Taras Tymchuk, moc.liamg%40kuhcmytsarat
Grant Manager: Iryna Ivanova, moc.tsae-gdeniarku%40avonavii

Key Development Stages

Technical Documentation Development

March 2020

Hypothesis Testing

April 2020

WOC [Online] Development Begins. DG East Investments

June 2020

User Testing of the Platform

July 2020

Wider User Engagement Campaign

August 2020

Testing Audience Engagement Channels & Formats

Acceleration Marathon, Learning Sprints, Thematic Certification Courses: September–November 2020

Platform Updates & Analytics

UI/UX Improvements, Mobile Version. Audience Insights & Behavioral Research. New Courses & Joint Project Launches: December 2020

Full Beta Version of the Platform

February 2021

WOC [Online] by the Numbers

987

active users on the platform

41

local projects initiated

303

course completion certificates issued

29%

course completion rate

Key Outcome:
New, scalable methods for engaging audiences, tested during the project.

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Accelerator Online Marathon

An online training activity aimed at helping participants implement local mini-projects in real life. The competitive element encourages broad community participation, while the extended duration allows for building strong connections with participants, uncovering their true motivations and needs.
Long-termAugust 18–November 26

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Grant Program: Online Sprint

Grant Program: Online Sprint
These are short educational challenges where participants have a limited time to complete a set number of online courses or tasks, competing as a team for a prize (grant). This format allows for quick testing of teams/organizations on their reliability and potential for future collaboration. It helps to assess how well the team/organization works together, follows instructions, and efficiently uses available resources.

Short-term
December 3–13

Project Participants’ Feedback

The [I Am the Mayor] course is incredibly engaging. It raises profound questions that really make you think. It’s easy to criticize the authorities, but not everyone is ready to take on the responsibility of leadership and shape the future for thousands of people. I’ve got a lot to reflect on, and maybe one day I’ll take that step toward running for head of the community. But for now, it’s too soon—I still have much to learn.

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Serhiy Pavlovskyi

Overall, online learning is convenient because you can work at your own pace, whenever you have time. It's really interesting! :) The experience is very engaging and exciting, but I think it would be even more comfortable in an offline format. The game is so captivating that you lose track of time. Thank you for such an amazing experience! I hope this is just the beginning!!!

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Svitlana Verytelnyk

The online game (in our case, the ActivEast Marathon) managed to engage and capture the interest of many community members in a way that offline events often can't. This was especially surprising at a time when people were getting tired of online activities.

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Stanislav Bohdanov

The game is engaging and useful, and the online learning format is convenient. However, I felt the lack of a mentor or game master who could offer support during the first round. I will definitely use the "World of Communities" game in my work with communities and initiative groups.

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Olena Bielik