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USP Twilio.org Project�Kickoff

 

 

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  1. Provide background on US Programs, the Atlanta office, ETO, Twilio, and the genesis of this project
  2. Make collective decisions on timing and next steps for hiring
  3. Align on key meetings going forward
  4. Problem solve key issues that arise in discussion

Objectives of today’s meeting

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Project Overview and Grant Context

This project will design and prototype an SMS-based system that allows newly resettled refugees and caseworkers to more efficiently and effectively communicate with each other.

With this grant, we will design a low-fidelity prototype of the interface and pilot it with ~100 clients in 1 site in the US. The project aims to improve outcomes for both clients and caseworkers.

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Key Stakeholders

  1. Birtukan Assefa and Chris Carpenter (USP Atlanta) — USP POCs
  2. Grant Gordon (Airbel) — Project Lead
  3. Natan Last (Airbel) — Project Lead
  4. Ben Moskovitz (Airbel) — Engineering Management Support
  5. Robin Dunn Marcos and Sandra Vines (USP) — Executive Stakeholder
  6. Abigail Clarke-Sayer (USP) / Daniel Coughlin / Ernest Ostro (IT) - ETO Database & IT POC
  7. Kevin Whinnery (Twilio) — In-kind Engineer
  8. Bobbi Jo (Twilio) — Grants Lead
  9. Amanda Porter, New School Fellow — Project Support
  10. Contractor TBD — SMS Interaction Engineering

And many more!

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US Programs at the IRC: the National Picture, IRC Atlanta, and our Information Systems

From Harm to Home | Rescue.org

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From Harm to Home | Rescue.org

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From Harm to Home | Rescue.org

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From Harm to Home | Rescue.org

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US Programs at a glance

Refugee Resettlement

Economic Empowerment

Immigration Services

Education and Learning

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From Harm to Home | Rescue.org

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US Programs at a glance

Youth Programs

Food Security and Agriculture

Safety and Wellness

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From Harm to Home | Rescue.org

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IRC’s Organizational Strategy

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From Harm to Home | Rescue.org

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ETO: USP’s primary information system

  • Live since 2013
  • 850 total users
  • 300 daily active users
  • 30-40k new clients/year
  • Primary source for demographic & outcome data

MicroE Users

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From Harm to Home | Rescue.org

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Project Calendar: Where We Are Going

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

Kickoff

Generate roadmap and plan

Scope out best practices / aspirational systems

Align on user experience

Hire engineer

Develop wireframes

Plan for ETO integration

Work with Atlanta team on pilot design

Field visit 1 (implement and execute)

Design research strategy for pilot

Tech build

Plan field visits

Field visit 2 (iterate and follow up)

Initiate analysis

Final reporting done

Write analysis and report

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User Journeys

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Wireframes

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Functionality “jobs”: what we build can be grouped into 5 categories

Checklist and nudges

Client record management

Dashboard / analytics

Messaging

Research

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  • Ease of use: has simple design, enabling mass messaging and saving caseworker time
  • Two-way: opens up a line of communication, rather than staying caseworker -> client
  • ETO connectivity: allows us to read from our existing database, so message blasts can be targeted and data entry error is minimized. In the future, allows us to write to it, so messages can be tied to outcomes
  • Cost-effectiveness: cheap, and allows caseworkers to focus on highest-leverage work
  • Language capabilities: cracks the nut (if possible) on the right share between native language and English messages and calls
  • User rights: is thoughtful about log-in credentials and prioritizes security compliance

How will we differentiate what we build from what is already in use

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  • What are we actually solving for? How can we generate user stories that resonate with clients, are feasible, and adequately set up our programmers to implement? �
  • What are the top 3 pain points we aren’t yet considering? Digital literacy? Preference for phone calls? Data security? How do we get around these?

For Discussion: Key pain points and ideal end states

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  • Establish meeting cadence
  • Prep for first design visit
  • Draft JD for contractor and begin search
  • Mock up “ideal” user stories
  • Structure engineering engagement with Twilio

Key next steps

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Day 1:

Case worker assigned refugee family

Twilio Project: Newly Resettled Refugees, Case worker Touch points

1.Assess literacy level of family

2.Meet client at Airport w/interpreter

3.Take client to apartment

4. Show family provided smartphone

�5. Caseworker programs own contact # into the phone AND programs contact number for IRC resettlement team

�6. Already installed on phone is an app that client can use for voice or SMS communication �

Day 2:

24 hour home visit from case worker

1.Review:

  1. Apartment info (lease, etc.)
  2. Info to contact case manager & resettlement team (i.e. use team number for emergency)

2. Clients receive (translated) SMS from resettlement team w/orientation checklist (i.e. sign lease, food shopping)

3. Clients can text back with questions or concerns ��(Text is sent in Burmese, caseworker translates it. ��Keyword triggers: health)

Case worker action

Twilio function

First week:

Case worker finalizes automated call reminders

1.Clients receive (translated) voice messages (night before) & “wake up” reminders for all IRC appointments

2.Caseworker uses client dashboard for status of reminders (e.g., ETO pinged if message listened to / completed)

Second Week: Case worker completes CO

3. Clients receive employment team # and receive SMS updates, reminders from team.

4. Child enrolls in school, triggers alert to student support specialist team.

*If no enrollment, alert to C2S coordinator.

1.Clients meet w/ Health and Wellness team. Team adds contact # into client phone for appointments, client questions, workshops etc.

2. In last Cultural Orientation session, review IRC contact #s in client’s phone:

-IRC case manager

-IRC employment

-IRC education

-IRC health & wellness

3. Case worker can check on all messages sent to and from clients & can generate case notes as needed.

Big design questions:

  1. If client texts back in native tongue, is translation via:
    1. Local Burmese speaker (inefficient)
    2. Google Translate API (feasible?)
  2. Calendar?
  3. Front end ETO integration?