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
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.
Uncovering Potential
Identify potential local leaders among engaged players and inspire them to participate in DG East subregional workshops.
Play Online - Change Offline
Encourage citizens to connect and collaborate with civil society groups.
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
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
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
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
Olena Bielik