digital ecosystem with Rede Ecovida
[include image - CBA paper]
Description
Developing what we call a "digital services ecosystem" for Rede Ecovida de Agroecologia was our team's first contact with this organization. In this project, we talked with different stakeholders and tried to understand the digital tool needs this community had at that moment. In this first project, we tested the proposed participatory methodology, based on weekly meetings between the development team and users. In an analogy to the language used in the context of CSAs, users in this process can be considered "co-developers".
This project was presented at the N Brazilian Congress of Agroecology, in this paper.
How we did it
Communication
We identified that improving organizational communication within the Network was a priority.
For internal communication, which involves the systematization and sharing of knowledge produced across the Network's various locations, we proposed, set up, and customized the discussion forum.
This customization, besides the visual identity, included configuring the categories, sub-categories, and tags that structure this tool. We also added plugins that add useful functionality for everyday use.
For external communication, we updated the Network's website, opening up space to publish documents, publications, and training materials, as well as to share images and media. This site also hosts the first version of the system manual.
You can visit this site by clicking here.
Document Management
Alongside these tools, Rede Ecovida's OPAC also needed to update its tool for managing certification process documentation. The system that had been running since 2018 no longer received support or maintenance and needed improvements and adjustments. After studying this system and how it was used, we concluded it would be more appropriate to build a new system, and so the concept of SPEco was born.
We chose the Tryton ERP project as the foundation for this system for a few reasons:
- A structure designed for collaboration, with robust test coverage and translations
- An active community, with horizontal organization
- High applicability to the financial management of organizations that make up the Network, such as cooperatives, agro-industries, and commercialization centers
Technologies used
| Function | Tool | Main language |
|---|---|---|
| Forum | Discourse | go |
| Website | Hugo | go |
| Speco | Tryton | python |