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Metadata

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Purpose: Generally introduce the importance of project and knowledge management, including some basic information about key tools like Box and the Global Help Desk, and also including more in-depth training on MyRA

Content: Introduction to Box, Salesforce, Chatter, Global Help Desk, and MyRA with MyRA exercise

Length: One hour

Learning goals: Know how to use Box, Salesforce, Chatter, Global Help Desk, and MyRA, and/or know where to go to learn more about the above

Created on/by: unknown by Lindsey Shaughnessy

Last edited on/by: November 1, 2021 by Lindsey Shaughnessy

Notes/guidelines: This version of the presentation was modified for online delivery during 2020/2021 training

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IPA Project & Knowledge Management �(with MyRA!)

Research Staff Training

November 2021

Lindsey Shaughnessy, IPA

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We have talked about the MMDs…

How do you know when to implement them? What resources are there are to help you?

Did someone else implement MMDs �on your project before you arrived?

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Learning Outcomes

  • Appreciate the importance of knowledge management
  • Understand the basics of using Box
  • Understand the basics of Salesforce, Chatter, Global Help Desk
  • Understand how to use MyRA for your project
  • Practice using MyRA!

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Session outline

  • Why knowledge management?
  • About Box
  • About Salesforce, Chatter, and the Global Help Desk
  • About MyRA
  • MyRA exercise

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Why knowledge management?

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What (project) knowledge do you need to manage?

  • Information/documentation: data, code, deliverables, logs
  • Resources: budgets, people, assets, infrastructure, time
  • Risks: safety and security, ethics, finances, relationships, data quality and reproducibility (and loss), fraud, theft, acts of nature
  • Communications and expectations: PIs, partners, donors, policymakers, colleagues
  • 🡪 Tasks and timelines: Emails, calendars, meetings, deliverables, Gantt charts, Asana, Box, Drive, Salesforce… MyRA?

And we recognize that this is spread out all over the place!!!

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What happens without knowledge management?

For example…

  • You forget to renew your IRB
  • You have no idea who is working on which version of the survey form
  • You can’t find the backcheck data or corrections from any survey wave
  • You lose access to encrypted files on Box, or even all files on Dropbox
  • You waste time reinventing the wheel and making the same mistakes

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What happens without knowledge management?

  • Chaotic transitions/handovers
  • Repeated mistakes and errors
  • Duplication of effort
  • Missing or poor documentation / code
  • Lost files (missing or encrypted incorrectly)
  • Lost valuable knowledge (project level and globally)
  • Serious IRB and/or stakeholder consequences

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About Box

making the most of IPA’s file management software

in brief!

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What is Box?

  • Enterprise-grade cloud-based file storage system
    • Box Sync for syncing files
    • Box.com for additional features (explained shortly)

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  • IPA’s institutional file storage system
    • With unlimited storage and versions for all IPA users
    • Deleted files can be restored by IT team

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  • PII must be encrypted through separate Boxcryptor software

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Who has to use Box?

ALL files must somehow make their way onto Box

  • This includes research files/data, grants, operations, etc.
  • Of course, directly using Box works
  • PIs are permitted to use Dropbox if you first make a SkySync request to automatically sync files between Dropbox and Box

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Cool stuff in Box

  • IPA_Resources (Research team uses the Global Help Desk)
  • Country Program Resources and Projects
  • Grants

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  • Unlimited version control, storage, and trash recovery
  • Favorites
  • Comments and tasks
  • Security access/permission by types, groups
  • Permalinks
  • Search
  • Version control
  • File locks

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Box version control

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Box Favorites

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Box comments and tasks

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Box collaborator permission levels

FYI: Incomplete action list shown here!

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Box permalinks

e.g. https://ipastorage.box.com/ipa-resources

Maintained even when you move locations!

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Box Search

  • Box Search is powerful
  • Be sure to use filters:
    • By folder
    • By file type
    • By date
    • By size
  • Use wild cards (e.g. random*)

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Box file locks

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How to keep learning about Box

  • Litmos: MIST onboarding to Box, Salesforce, etc.
  • Box Guides: The Basics of Box
  • Box support: All IPA staff have direct access to Box support; contact them directly via phone (+1-877-729-4269) or email (support@box.com)

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Learning check

Can you use Dropbox at IPA?

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Learning check

When does Box Sync create a new version of a file?

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About Salesforce

understanding how Salesforce helps IPA manage organizational data

in brief!

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How do I log in to Salesforce?

  • Every full-time IPA staff should have AT LEAST a free Chatter account

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  • Using your IPA email address, you can log in or reset your password anytime at:

​

https://login.salesforce.com/

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  • You can also log in with Okta

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What can I find in Salesforce?

  • People and organizations
      • Staff, PIs, Donors, Policymakers, email subscribers
      • Human Subjects Certificates
  • Projects
      • MyRA information and scores (we’ll cover later!)
      • Connected people and partners
      • IDs, AEA, web presence, research questions
      • IRB, RRC, External Research Authorizations
      • Questionnaires, publications
  • Grants
      • Deliverables
      • Amendments
      • Coming soon: NetSuite integration
  • myImpact
  • Country programs
  • Sector programs
  • Reports and dashboards
  • Chatter
  • Global Help Desk

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What does Salesforce look like?

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What does Salesforce look like?

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Who makes updates to Salesforce?

Depends on your Salesforce permissions!

  • All staff have a free Chatter license
  • All staff should have Global Help Desk access
  • RAs should keep project records up to date, and can check for grant deliverable information
  • RMs can manage projects and grants through entire lifecycle
  • All Country Directors are ultimately accountable for overall project/grant ecosystem

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Learning check

What is an example of something you could look up through Salesforce?

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About Chatter

connecting globally through IPA’s Salesforce-based social network

in brief!

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Cool stuff in Chatter

  • Posts (+files, links, polls), comments, likes
  • Followers
  • Groups
  • Search
  • Bookmarks
  • Influence
  • More: recommendations/all company
  • Note: you can also join GRDS’ Slack to stay in touch with us!

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Chatter posts

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Chatter groups

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Chatter groups

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Chatter bookmarks

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Chatter search

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Chatter influence

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Learning check

What are some Chatter groups you would like to join?

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About the Global Help Desk

how to use IPA’s Salesforce-based Global Help Desk �to find resources and ask for additional support

in brief!

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Salesforce: Help Desk / Knowledge Base

  • Ever had trouble finding what you need? Use the Global Help Desk! You can search and submit tickets without knowing who’s responsible for what.
  • Use the Global Help Desk for:
    • Help desk (support ticketing for MIST and GRDS)
    • Knowledge base (articles, policies, how-tos)

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Salesforce: Help Desk / Knowledge Base

  • How to log in with your Salesforce account?
    • Visit https://povertyaction.force.com/support/s/
    • Or simply click the nine-dot app launcher of the upper left hand corner in Salesforce, and select “Global Help Desk”

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Salesforce: Global Help Desk knowledge articles

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Knowledge Article highlights

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Salesforce: Global Help Desk support tickets

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Learning check

What are two things you can do on IPA’s Global Help Desk?

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About MyRA

an Excel-based tool for managing and visualizing �research protocols and project tasks

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Why are (tracking) research MMDs important?

  • Produce high quality research, standardized across offices
  • Reduce staff inefficiency, duplicated effort, frustration, turnover
  • PREVENT the fires you are putting out daily (Murphy’s Law)
  • Improve relationships with PIs
  • Supports global initiative to monitor compliance with MMDs

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What is MyRA?

  • Excel workbook for:
    • Scheduling project tasks
    • Locating key resources
    • Tracking research MMDs
    • How it works with Box:
    • Projects sync workbooks
    • GRDS pulls data w/Box API
  • Automatically generates:
    • Gantt charts
    • Task summaries
    • MMD health check
  • Global data feeds into:
    • Global dashboards
    • Random audits

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But why is it called MyRA?

  • Managing Your Research Activities = MyRA
  • MyRA is also helpful, like your own RA (My RA)

Good morning, Lindsey!

Your baseline’s health check indicates that you are falling behind on key research protocols!

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MyRA’s “Getting Started” instructions (part 1)

First, make sure to enable macros in Excel!

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MyRA’s “Getting Started” instructions (part 2)

Remember to choose your country office!

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MyRA’s master worksheet

Enter basic info about your project

Find helpful

IPA dept. emails

Save your Salesforce project record link here

Enter names and emails of project staff (to help with task assignments)

Click to create as many checklists as needed: for in-person or phone surveys, for implementations, or blank

Click to update MyRA’s

Gantt chart, task summaries, and MMD health check

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Add checklist: in person, phone, implementation, blank

Choose your country (one time only, to load country-specific tasks!) from the “Getting Started” worksheet

New checklists appear as new worksheets in between the “project_open” and “project_close” worksheets

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Organize your project timeline through Checklists

Automatic:

  • Pre-populates critical tasks related to research MMDs
  • Find links to GRDS Resources
  • Color codes statuses

Customizable:

  • Add custom tasks
  • Set start and end dates for tasks
  • View task status and mark as complete
  • Link to own work to find files quickly

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Visualize checklist tasks automatically by task summaries

Task Summary of Upcoming, Ongoing, and Overdue Tasks

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Visualize checklist tasks automatically by Gantt chart

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Automatically check your project’s MMD Health

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Use “Sections” to simplify visualizations for managers!

Turn “on” Sections on the master worksheet, and Update your workbook to see simplified visualizations such as the Gantt chart!

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Update to new MyRA releases (versions) easily!

  • We make semi-regular updates to MyRA (such as updated checklists or new features)
  • You can always download latest MyRA file from Global Help Desk
  • When you open the new file, just select “Import old MyRA file” and select the location of your previous MyRA file!

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How does MyRA help with knowledge management?

  • Find the right MMDs/resources at the right time
  • Apply best practices for e.g. coding and documentation
  • Save record of critical project files and decisions
  • Keep track of staffing and assignments
  • Smooth out staff transitions/handovers

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Is my project using MyRA?

  • You would probably know if you are working on the project!
  • Find out which projects are using MyRA using Salesforce report
  • Brag about progress with Global and Country MyRA dashboards
  • You should get started by (and we’re about to practice this):
    • Downloading MyRA and making some checklist edits
    • Adding your MyRA file to your project’s Box folder
    • Adding the Box link to that MyRA file to your Salesforce project

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Does MyRA really matter?

  • YES!
  • It will help you locate helpful resources, avoid common mistakes, and organize your project for yourself and others (now and in the future)
  • It will also help you prepare for Research Quality Reviews, for which your project can be randomly selected!

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More on Research Quality Reviews

  • We are currently conducting Research Quality Reviews on randomly selected research projects globally; new projects are selected each quarter!
  • RQR goals are to:
    • Document that all MMDs are completed
    • Provide project teams a push to increase MMD compliance
    • Develop RA/RC/RM skills for data quality
  • General tips for success:
    • Use MyRA checklists
    • Comply with IRB and data security protocols
    • Organize folders/files/versions
      • For surveys AND backcheck surveys
      • Remember our project folder template, also linked in MyRA!

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Learning check

What does MyRA automatically create for you?

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Learning check

Where should you save MyRA?

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MyRA exercise

try out MyRA, save MyRA to Box for your project’s future use

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MyRA exercise

  • Download current version of MyRA: bit.ly/ipamyra
  • Practice filling out MyRA for your own project
  • Upload MyRA to your project’s Box folder
  • Two options for getting MyRA recognized
    • Email your Box link + project name to researchsupport@poverty-action.org
    • OR, save your MyRA Box link directly to your Salesforce project record

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Keep learning!

  • Tech support orientation (including Box and Salesforce): Litmos
  • Research support orientation: Litmos
  • MyRA: Global Help Desk
  • Training materials archive: Box
  • RCT 101X (free): EdX
  • DEDP MicroMasters (free or discounted): EdX

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Keep communicating!

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Do some homework!

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Questions?

researchsupport@poverty-action.org

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Acknowledgements

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  • The original version of this presentation was developed by Lindsey Shaughnessy at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA).
  • Additional revisions were made by Kai Addae (IPA) and Anita Desai (IPA).
  • The latest updates were made by Lindsey Shaughnessy.