diff --git a/articles/2021-02-17-syncing-options.md b/articles/2021-02-17-syncing-options.md index 61dcc98b3b7..e0ad727a551 100644 --- a/articles/2021-02-17-syncing-options.md +++ b/articles/2021-02-17-syncing-options.md @@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ designing your data integration. These include: <!--truncate--> For a -[recent project in Cambodia](/blog/2021/02/09/interoperability_for_case_referrals), +[recent project in Cambodia](https://www.openfn.org/spotlight/2021-02-09-interoperability-for-case-referrals), OpenFn is being used by social workers to automate case referrals between the software systems Primero and OSCaR. In the design phase, we evaluated these two syncing options. Below, we'll explain what each one is, the differences between diff --git a/blog/2020-05-31-the-new-openfn-blog.md b/blog/2020-05-31-the-new-openfn-blog.md deleted file mode 100644 index e5a84838706..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-05-31-the-new-openfn-blog.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,26 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: 'Announcing the new OpenFn Blog' -author: Taylor Downs -author_url: https://github.com/taylordowns2000 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/taylordowns2000 -image: /img/team-no-td.jpg -featured: true ---- - -For the last few years, several OpenFn contributors and I have been blogging -over at Medium. I'm still going to write there from time to time as part of the -[OpenFn Founder's Blog](https://www.medium.com/@taylordowns2000), but today, I'm -excited to announce the launch of our own, new, more tightly integrated blog. - -<!--truncate--> - -![team](/img/team-no-td.jpg) - -It will give us more flexibility to tell the stories of our clients journeys to -scale, and all of the contributors to the OpenFn blog can post in the same -place. You can still follow us and receive notifications by subscribing below, -and we hope you'll do so. - -For now, happy integrating! - -— Taylor diff --git a/blog/2020-06-04-Building-Integrated-Systems-That-Just-Work.md b/blog/2020-06-04-Building-Integrated-Systems-That-Just-Work.md deleted file mode 100644 index 8df4f9c6e9b..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-06-04-Building-Integrated-Systems-That-Just-Work.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,119 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: 'Building Integrated Systems That Just Work' -author: Taylor Downs -author_url: https://github.com/taylordowns2000 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/taylordowns2000 -tags: [tips] -image: /img/roads.jpg -featured: false ---- - -OpenFn provides the "Rosetta Stone" for your technologies and integrates any -app. - -<!--truncate--> - -![roads](/img/roads.jpg) - -_This article was originally posted by Taylor Downs, Head of Product, on -[The OpenFn Founder's blog](https://medium.com/@taylordowns2000) as "Making -technology work better in the social sector."_ - -#### We're building a tool that will make integrating critical social-impact technologies trivial. - -The words “integrating” and “trivial” are not often written in the same sentence -— and for good reason! Non-technical readers click away when they read the -former, while developers see the latter and think it’s nonsense! (i.e., -Integration is NEVER trivial.) This doesn’t leave a lot of you left here on -sentence number 5. Thanks for sticking it out, and let me reward your patience -by explaining why this is such a big deal and what we need from you to make it -happen. - -By leveraging technology, we can make social programs more effective. Bigger, -better, more complete solutions to issues of poverty, public health, and human -rights are not only possible, but seem to be right on our doorstep thanks to -tremendous advances in information technology in the last 25 years. Thousands of -tools have been developed to address all sorts of needs across international -development. While the tools and use-cases vary tremendously, there’s always one -ugly, expensive, technically complex constant lurking in the background. - -(Enter “integration” stage left.) - -Just as “no man is an island”, no single piece of technology can stand alone. We -rely on integrations every day. Many applications are so tightly integrated that -we hardly notice. Gmail and Google Contacts almost behave like a single app. If -you’re lucky, Gmail and your calendar are also integrated. If you sync a folder -on your computer to Dropbox, there’s a nifty integration between your local -operating system and Dropbox.com. All of these integrations save precious time — -they cut out a tedious manual step like uploading a copy of each photo you save -on your computer to a website. - -Now imagine running a pediatric HIV clinic in Kenya. Beyond email, a calendar, -and Dropbox, you rely on a fingerprint scanner to to quickly access patient IDs, -a smart-phone based data collection app for new patient intake during home -visits, an electronic medical record system to manage patient data securely, and -an automated SsocMS service to notify workers and patients of upcoming visits. - -#### We should take a moment to be thankful for the progress we’ve made in “ICT4D”. It’s amazing that these technologies exist. They save time, money, and lives. - -The problem is that, for lack of a better metaphor, these technologies all speak -different languages. You can ask users to download data from one, make sense of -it, and then upload it to another, but that’s a slow, expensive, and error-prone -task. (Not to mention the non-negligible fact that it’s horribly boring.) To get -the tos working together automatically you’re talking tens of thousands of -dollars, and the integration you’re left with isn’t re-usable once your needs -change. What’s worse is that every time a new technology is implemented within -an organization, consultants and developers must struggle anew to integrate it -with existing systems because there’s seldom the budget or foresight required to -build a truly flexible and future-proof integration. This is the issue we’re -tackling, head on. - -#### OpenFn is a “Rosetta Stone” that makes automating the constant flow of crucial information from one system to another as easy as point-and-click. - -Google.org called OpenFn’s attempt to provide easy and technology agnostic data -integration “the holy grail.” Stu, our own chief engineer had the same notion. -After some hard work, it seems that the platform may really be that powerful, -but also far more attainable. Here’s how we do it: - -We use (1) a universal standard for data storage, (2) standard information about -what kinds of data are expected from “source applications” and “destination -applications”, and (3) a user-friendly interface to generate “jobs”—sometimes -called “automation scripts” or instructions for how to process data. - -#### A job might be to create a new patient record when fingerprints are scanned. Once a job is created, it can simply be “switched on” to run in the background while the human beings at your organization focus on much more important (and interesting!) things. - -For those of you who work in technology, the power of this strategy (namely, -using a universal standard) should be apparent. To integrate a new application, -a small adapter that translates data to JSON and provides a JSON-schema for your -database is all that’s required. Once one API connection to OpenFn is -established, **_your technology is instantly connected to every other technology -connected to OpenFn–and OpenFn can connect any application._** It will start to -snowball quickly, allowing data to flow instantly between hundreds of crucial -applications, and each developer will only ever need to maintain a single -connection. - -![apps](/img/apps.png) - -Dozens of organizations worldwide use OpenFn to scale their interventions by -automating key processes and information flows. OpenFn solutions deliver -critical information, faster and unlock resources for organizations by -eliminating manual, time-intensive tasks. OpenFn connects any app–including -common ICT4D tools like DHIS2, CommCare, Kobo Toolbox, and Salesforce, as well -as databases, custom applications, and legacy systems. Drop us a note if you’re -thinking about how to connect tools at your organization, or if you’re a -developer and wondering how to get your product connected to other essential -tools in international development. - -In the end, we’re talking about making it orders of magnitude faster and -significantly less expensive to integrate key technologies. By automating the -flow of data in social impact organizations we eliminate human error and reduce -lag time—this means better information in the hands of decision makers, faster. -All this leads to one thing: bigger, better, and more complete solutions to some -of the world's biggest problems. - -If you’d just like some more information about OpenFn and how we help leading -impact-first organizations scale their interventions, head over to -[Solution Overviews - OpenFn.](https://www.openfn.org/solutions) To get all the -latest OpenFn updates, like us on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/openfn) -and follow us on [Twitter.](https://twitter.com/openfn) diff --git a/blog/2020-06-04-Technology-Isnt-The-Answer.md b/blog/2020-06-04-Technology-Isnt-The-Answer.md deleted file mode 100644 index 62e588c6083..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-06-04-Technology-Isnt-The-Answer.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,89 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: 'Technology Is Not The Answer, but It Should Not Be The Problem' -author: Taylor Downs -author_url: https://github.com/taylordowns2000 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/taylordowns2000 -tags: [tips] -image: /img/technology1.jpg -featured: false ---- - -OpenFn’s first objective is to knock down the technical hurdles so organizations -can focus on the important contextual stuff. - -<!--truncate--> - -![tech1](/img/technology1.jpg) - -_This article was originally posted by Taylor Downs, Head of Product, on -[The OpenFn Founder's blog](https://medium.com/@taylordowns2000) as "Technology -isn't the answer, but it shouldn't be the problem."_ - -March 23, 2015 — Salesforce Foundation originally published -[this blog post.](https://www.salesforce.org/technology-isnt-answer-shouldnt-problem/) - -Three out of four IT implementations fail. While this is an accepted rate in the -corporate world where CEOs are accustomed to doubling down, conflicting -pressures and tighter budgets in the social-impact space push the chance of -failure even higher. Without good data, decision makers from the field to the -boardroom are hamstrung. Technology alone is never going to solve social -problems, but the inability to get it right has and will continue to sink -promising development programs. We built [openfn.org](http://www.openfn.org) to -address this problem. - -### Here's the context. - -Over the last four and a half years, -[Vera Solutions](http://www.verasolutions.org/) has been designing and building -data systems with Force.com for leading impact-first organizations around the -world. We’ve now worked with 125 clients in more than 40 countries. We’ve -witnessed our partners transform their organizations with good data systems. “É -uma revolução!” said one staffer at PSI Mozambique. We’ve also gained experience -with dozens of other technologies designed to serve social impact organizations. -These tools have enabled our partners to improve their operations in diverse -ways ranging from communicating by SMS with thousands of farmers in Mali, to -collecting loan repayments using MPESA in Kenya, to analyzing household survey -data in India. - -Hundreds of these tools exist, but social impact organizations face three main -barriers to successful implementations: - -1. Picking the right tool is hard. -1. Even if you pick the right tool, a successful implementation of that tool - hinges on solving complex people and process problems. -1. No single tool does it all, so you’ve got to figure out how to integrate more - than one — and they rarely ‘play nice’. - -Figuring out the people and the processes, that’s always going to be the hardest -part to get right — whether or not the technical work presents a barrier. -OpenFn.org’s first objective is to knock down the technical hurdles so that -organizations can focus on that important contextual stuff. - -![](/img/techpic.jpg) - -We see a future where the technical setup of a mobile money platform, a -biometrics tool, even an offline clinic registration platform, feels just like -downloading an app from the app store. - -We’re still a long way from that reality, but we’ve built an -[open-core](https://www.openfn.org/pricing#open-source) integration platform -that’s poised to bring together the “technology for development” landscape with -clicks, not code. Our team of integration specialists and -[Apps page](http://openfn.org/apps) guide users to the right tools based on -their needs, our blog will feature in-depth case studies and implementation -guides, and our jobs engine fast-tracks setup of robust integration and -automation solutions, enabling our users to get data flowing from one technology -to another in just a few minutes. - -### This is where we stand. - -Over the last 6 years, OpenFn has delivered interoperability, data integration, -and process automation solutions to dozens of the world’s leading impact-first -organizations, including UNICEF, Population Services International, Population -Council, myAgro, Lwala Community Alliance, Vera Solutions, Dimagi, and more. -OpenFn solutions strengthen existing digital systems, improve service delivery, -save time and money, and help organizations worldwide scale their processes, -programs, and impact. So far, different organizations have integrated more than -X number of technologies, including Open Data Kit (ODK), Kobo Toolbox, DHIS2, -CommCare, Salesforce, custom databases, and more. diff --git a/blog/2020-06-09-enabling-scale-at-myagro.md b/blog/2020-06-09-enabling-scale-at-myagro.md deleted file mode 100644 index 32d61c69c39..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-06-09-enabling-scale-at-myagro.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,87 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: 'Enabling Scale at myAgro, 6 Years Later' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: - [ - case study, - myAgro, - agriculture, - CommCare, - Salesforce, - Telerivet, - data monitoring, - SMS, - ] -image: /img/myAgro1.JPG -featured: true ---- - -OpenFn is helping small-scale farmers break the cycle of poverty with an -automated savings & supply chain system. Small-scale farmers are feeding the -world, but a majority of them are in an endless cycle of poverty and lack access -to traditional banks and financing. In this post, we highlight our partner -myAgro, an organization leveraging OpenFn automation to help scale its programs -towards its goal of serving 1 million farmers in 2025. - -<!--truncate--> - -![myAgro](/img/myAgro1.JPG) - -### Here's the overview. - -[myAgro](https://www.myagro.org/) has pioneered an innovative bankless savings -plan that allows thousands of farmers to finance themselves and invest their -money in high-quality seeds, fertilizer, tools, and training. OpenFn automates -myAgro’s mobile layaway platform, powering a system where farmers can -incrementally pay for agricultural inputs by purchasing savings vouchers in -local stores—making deposits via SMS. myAgro holds those layaway payments until -planting time, when bulk purchases of seeds, fertilizers, and tools are -delivered to the farmers based on individualized plans. - -### What is myAgro? - -myAgro helps thousands of farmers in Senegal and Mali save money for seed and -fertilizer using what they already have—their mobile phone. With a mission to -move small-scale farmers out of poverty, myAgro leveraged OpenFn to develop a -mobile layaway platform that connects their Telerivet SMS-based savings deposit -system, Salesforce farmer tracking & supply chain system, and CommCare -barcode-scanning mobile app. - -![myagro](/img/farmers.jpg) - -### Using Excel and paper to manage thousands of farmer transactions. - -In 2014, myAgro utilized [Telerivet](https://telerivet.com/), an instant SMS and -voice platform, to capture farmer savings deposits, and paper to track voucher -shipments. They would then regularly export the SMS data to an Excel -spreadsheet, and manually match savings deposits against a database of vouchers -before allocating credit to a farmer’s account and sending a confirmation SMS. -Staff spent 1-2 hours per day (or 261+ hours per year) on this data -reconciliation process, which had high potential for human error. - -### Where OpenFn comes in... - -OpenFn moved this entire manual process over to the cloud, automating the -savings deposit system and connecting a CommCare barcode-scanning mobile app for -real-time farmer order management and inventory tracking. By integrating -Telerivet and Salesforce, myAgro no longer has to rely on data entries and -uploads that would take 1-2 hours each day. - -OpenFn now processes all SMS messages automatically, builds trust by providing -instant confirmation to farmers, and eliminates the chance of human error in -savings allocations. OpenFn helped myAgro transition from managing rows and -columns of data in an Excel spreadsheet to an automated savings and inventory -tracking system that enables real-time program monitoring. - -- In 2014, myAgro serviced 14,000 farmers across 200 villages in Senegal and - Mali. -- With the help of OpenFn, myAgro worked with 120,000 farmers in 2019, and plans - to scale towards its goal of reaching `1 million farmers` by 2025. - -![myagro](/img/myagrograph.jpg) - -Read more about myAgro’s mission [here](https://www.myagro.org/), and stay tuned -as myAgro continues to scale its OpenFn implementation. diff --git a/blog/2020-06-10-iKapaData-Case-Study.md b/blog/2020-06-10-iKapaData-Case-Study.md deleted file mode 100644 index 6209696494c..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-06-10-iKapaData-Case-Study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,63 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: 'Automating Real-Time Census Monitoring and Data Cleaning for iKapaData' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: [case study, iKapaData, SurveyCTO, Zoho, Carto, data monitoring] -image: /img/ikapa2.jpg -featured: false ---- - -In 2017, OpenFn has saved the iKapaData team valuable time typically spent on -manual data entry and cleaning processes.The real-time connection has enabled -live data monitoring for the team as iKapaData survey enumerators were -conducting the survey. - -<!--truncate--> - -![ikapa](/img/ikapa2.jpg) - -### iKapaData's essential work in South Africa - -The census plays an important role in public administration by creating a -compiled, numerical profile of South Africa. Enumerators are taught the local -language and local customs in order to effectively achieve information from all -households. This dataset is used as a benchmark in research and analysis for the -public administration to determine policy decisions, budget decisions, and more. -OpenFn enabled a system for iKapaData to ensure this delivery of accurate and -timely information for the census. - -[iKapaData](http://ikapadata.com/) is a survey research and data science company -with an aim to make data accessible, tangible, and actionable. For a census in -South Africa in 2017, they were collecting household data using -[SurveyCTO.](https://www.surveycto.com/) Each enumerator participating in the -fieldwork was equipped with a tablet and an external GPS device for data -collection. - -#### iKapaData had no way to actively monitor data collection activities on the ground. - -As enumerators collected the census data, iKapaData wanted to analyze that -dataset using two reporting applications, [Carto](https://carto.com/) and -[Zoho](https://www.zoho.com/) – each with its own data model and required -formats. To upload the data into the two reporting systems, iKapaData would have -to rely on time-intensive manual data migration, and there was no easy way to -actively monitor the census data collection. - -#### Real-time data integration enabled live survey monitoring and quicker analysis. - -OpenFn automation saved the iKapaData team valuable time typically spent on -manual data entry and cleaning processes. Using OpenFn, iKapaData set up -automated data cleaning and reporting pipelines that: - -- Automatically extracted data from SurveyCTO on a scheduled basis, -- Transformed data to the appropriate reporting formats for data and geo-spatial - analysis and, -- Uploaded key results to Zoho Analytics, while also adding locations to a map - on CartoDB to display the locations already visited by enumerators. - -The real-time connection enabled live data monitoring for the team as iKapaData -survey enumerators were conducting the survey. - -Learn more about OpenFn and SurveyCTO integrations -[here.](https://www.surveycto.com/blog/connecting-with-openfn/) diff --git a/blog/2020-06-25-SwissTPH-case-study.md b/blog/2020-06-25-SwissTPH-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index 767e9772c27..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-06-25-SwissTPH-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,60 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: 'Real-Time Disease Monitoring for SwissTPH' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: [case study, SwissTPH, healthcare, CommCare, DHIS2, data monitoring] -image: /img/swisstph1.jpg -featured: true ---- - -By integrating a CommCare mobile data collection app with a national DHIS2 -reporting system for the ALMANACH health initiative, OpenFn provided SwissTPH -with an automated, real-time connection that enables live disease monitoring -in 2019. - -<!--truncate--> - -![swissTPH](/img/swisstph1.jpg) - -### SwissTPH: A world-leading institute in global health - -The diverse professionals working at [SwissTPH](https://www.swisstph.ch/en/) all -have one common goal: to improve the health of people globally. In Nigeria, -SwissTPH is helping healthcare providers to better screen, diagnose, and treat -sick children through the -[ALMANACH health initiative.](https://www.swisstph.ch/en/projects/project-detail/project-action/detail/project-controller/Projects/project/implementation-of-almanach-in-the-icrc/) -To do so, they are actively researching how to improve both curative care and -the prevention of disease to ensure the best treatment possible. - -SwissTPH is a global health institute focusing on infectious and -non-communicable diseases, health system, interventions, and environment. It -aims to improve population health, nationally and internationally, through a -better understanding of disease and healthcare systems. - -#### SwissTPH had no way to monitor the diagnoses and treatments of sick children in Nigeria in real-time. - -To analyze disease patterns across health facilities, SwissTPH researchers would -have to wait days until staff members exported, cleaned, and uploaded the -diagnoses data collected to DHIS2—a time-consuming data process, prone to human -error. - -#### OpenFn helps to bridge the time gap between data collection and analysis. - -OpenFn eliminates time lags, saving SwissTPH money and time and sending critical -patient information where and when it is needed, faster. By integrating a -CommCare mobile data collection app with a national DHIS2 reporting system for -the ALMANACH health initiative, OpenFn has provided SwissTPH with an automated, -real-time connection that enables live disease monitoring. - -Every day the OpenFn automated reporting solution delivers 300 beneficiary case -updates and logs events with 100 individual “data elements” in DHIS2. The -solution runs on Switzerland-based cloud servers to ensure compliance with -SwissTPH’s data residency concerns. - -_The photo above was originally posted on the SwissTPH News -[site](https://www.swisstph.ch/de/swiss-tph-news/news-detail-d/news/improving-health-of-children-in-nigeria/). -The Almanach tablet-based decision support tool supports health workers in -diagnosing and treating sick children. OpenFn integrates this data with DHIS2 -for real-time reporting._ diff --git a/blog/2020-07-01-KGVK-case-study.md b/blog/2020-07-01-KGVK-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index 7b7fbffc23c..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-07-01-KGVK-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,57 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - 'Enhanced Survey Monitoring and Quicker Analysis for Program Improvement in - India' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: - [ - case study, - KGVK, - education, - healthcare, - development, - ODK, - Salesforce, - data monitoring, - automated reporting, - ] -image: /img/kgvk.v2.png -featured: false ---- - -In the past, it took KGVK months to digitize and analyze survey data before -sharing reports with key staff. By 2019, using OpenFn, KGVK was able to monitor -data in near real-time and better serve the needs of its communities. - -<!--truncate--> - -![kgvk](/img/kgvk.v2.png) - -### KGVK is a non-profit organization with a mission to improve the livelihood of Jharkhand villagers in India. - -KGVK has developed an integrated approach to development called the -[Total Village Management model (TVM)](https://www.kgvk.org/tvm.html). This -approach, adapted to the rural setting, focuses on different key areas: natural -resources management, education, renewable energy, livelihood, women’s -empowerment, capacity building, resource mobilisation, infrastructure -development, and health, nutrition, and sanitation. - -As part of its TVM intervention, KGVK administers an in-depth household survey -to tens of thousands of beneficiaries around Jharkhand each year. This survey -allows KGVK to evaluate access to education, financial services, healthcare, and -agriculture across the villages. - -### Without data integration, it took KGVK months to digitize, analyze, and report on the survey data. - -Using OpenFn to configure a ODK-to-Salesforce integration, KGVK was able to -connect is mobile survey collection tool (ODK) with its M&E database -(Salesforce). The real-time data flow enabled KGVK to build dynamic dashboards -to monitor the village surveys, ensuring faster analysis. With enhanced data -access, KGVK can more regularly evaluate and adjust its programs to better serve -the needs of the Jharkhand communities it serves. - -The photo above was originally posted on the KGVK Achievements -[site](https://www.kgvk.org/achievements.html). diff --git a/blog/2020-07-01-african-school-of-excellence-case-study.md b/blog/2020-07-01-african-school-of-excellence-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index 98619ad7b84..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-07-01-african-school-of-excellence-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,70 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - 'Building an Integrated Data Warehouse to Track and Share Student Performance' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: - [ - case study, - African School of Excellence, - education, - PostgreSQL, - Redash, - education, - data warehouse, - automated reporting, - ] -image: /img/ase.jpg -featured: false ---- - -ASE had a diverse data portfolio spread across so many sources that couldn't -easily be analyzed. Open Function delivered a centralized, single-view solution -for monitoring students and sharing data across schools. - -<!--truncate--> - -![ase](/img/ase.jpg) - -### African School of Excellence is working to deliver quality, affordable education in South Africa. - -In South Africa, school funding and tuition costs often defer students from -reaching their full potential. -[African School of Excellence (ASE)](http://www.ase.org.za/) helps students -access affordable, world-class education by providing affordable world-class -education to everyone through the creation of a self-sustaining network of elite -independent secondary schools at a fraction of the cost. - -ASE focuses their mission on three essential factors: world-class quality, -affordability, and scalability; They believe their students will succeed in -South Africa and internationally when provided attainable education. ASE seeks -to grow an even bigger network of schools throughout South Africa to provide the -tens of thousands of disadvantaged students with elite education. - -### ASE had a diverse, but disconnected data portfolio. - -ASE used Google, Khan Academy, EdAdmin, and a custom built survey app to track -student progress. The data set was rich, but diverse and spread across so many -sources, so it couldn't easily be analyzed. - -### To connect the data sources and enable easy, quick analysis, Open Function Group… - -- Built a data warehouse on PostgreSQL database to centrally capture data across - the organization, -- Implemented OpenFn to integrate the existing siloed data sources, -- Configured an analytics layer using Readash for real-time program monitoring, - and -- Enabled data sharing across teachers, partners, and schools. - -By building an integrated data warehouse , OFG delivered a centralized, -single-view solution for monitoring students and sharing data across schools. -With OpenFn, ASE has access to student data like never before. To learn more -about OFG data warehouse solutions, see -[Solutions](https://www.openfn.org/solutions) or -[contact our team](mailto://admin@openfn.org). - -The photo above was originally posted on the Wikimedia -[site](<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WikiAfrica_Schools_training_African_School_for_Excellence_(23).jpg>) -under "WikiAfrica Schools training Africa School of Excellence." diff --git a/blog/2020-07-01-airport-case-study.md b/blog/2020-07-01-airport-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index d352739ae82..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-07-01-airport-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,62 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - 'Helping an Airport Soar: Synchronizing Asset Data Between the Tarmac and HQ' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: - [case study, airport, CommCare, development, IBM Maximo, automated reporting] -image: /img/airport.jpeg -featured: false ---- - -With real-time data syncs, OpenFn helps this airport ensure top-quality assets -and service for its workers and passengers. This integrated asset management -system saves time and money, and prevents errors by reducing manual, paper-based -data transfer between systems. - -<!--truncate--> - -![airport](/img/airport.jpeg) - -### Airports are complex businesses, responsible for passengers, equipment, employees, and safety. - -Airports all over the world face the challenge of ever-increasing passenger -capacity and airline demand. To meet this demand, they put core infrastructure -and safety (for both workers and passengers) at high regard, and must prioritize -rigorous asset management, repairs, and maintenance. - -An international American airport that serves 18 million passengers and 180,000 -aircraft operations annually manages an extensive network of assets, including -heavy machinery, across a large area with intermittent network coverage. With -OpenFn, an international airport has unleashed the power of -[IBM Maximo EAM.](https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSBLW8/com.ibm.mamc.doc/overview/c_prod_overview.html) - -### This airport was using multiple technologies to get the job done, and had no way to sync information between technologies and service teams. - -To comply with FAA requirements, the airport conducts regular walk-downs in -which field staff rigorously document each asset and flag and photograph -required repairs. The airport uses IBM Maximo EAM to manage assets and schedule -repairs at HQ and CommCare to capture asset and work order data offline on the -tarmac. The staff regularly follows a manual process to transfer data between -the two tools, which is a time-intensive task with high risk for human error. HQ -was also not able to access and analyze information collected in the field in -near real-time. - -### OpenFn integration delivers real-time service updates to the Airport HQ. - -This integrated asset management system saves time and money, and prevents -errors by reducing manual, paper-based data transfer between systems. OpenFn -also enables the field and HQ teams to each use the tool that suits them best: - -- On the tarmac, field staff use an intuitive, affordable mobile tool (CommCare) - to receive new maintenance orders from HQ, document assets, and report and - photograph required maintenance. -- OpenFn automatically forwards updates on assets and required maintenance HQ - staff. -- HQ staff then use a leading industry tool (IBM Maximo) to store asset data, - schedule maintenance, and perform performance analysis. - -With real-time data syncs, OpenFn helps this airport ensure top-quality assets -and service for its workers and passengers. diff --git a/blog/2020-07-08-caris-foundation-case-study.md b/blog/2020-07-08-caris-foundation-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index c5faf35fb83..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-07-08-caris-foundation-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,87 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: 'Tracking Real-Time Progress of HIV-Affected Communities in Haiti' -author: Taylor Downs -author_url: https://github.com/taylordowns2000 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/taylordowns2000 -tags: - [ - case study, - Caris Foundation, - healthcare, - MySQL, - CommCare, - automated reporting, - ] -image: /img/carisfoundation.jpeg -featured: false ---- - -OpenFn data integration has enabled the Caris Foundation to "work towards a -better experience for the patient, for the agent, and for external reporting." - -<!--truncate--> - -![Caris](/img/carisfoundation.jpeg) - -_This post was published by Taylor Downs, Head of Product, on -[The OpenFn Founder’s blog](https://medium.com/@taylordowns2000/supporting-communities-affected-by-hiv-98eede455050) -as “Supporting Communities Affected by HIV.” Some changes and updates have been -made._ - -### Who is the Caris Foundation and what do they do? - -Supported by USAID, the [Caris Foundation](http://www.carisfoundation.org/) -implemented the -[Impact Youth Program](http://www.carisfoundation.org/pediatric-hiv) throughout -Haiti to improve the health of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) infected -and affected by HIV/AIDS. The foundation began an HIV program in Haiti in 2007 -to support the healthy development of children and families by tracking and -assisting the clinical follow-up of HIV positive and HIV vulnerable pregnant -women, mothers, and children. - -In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the National Laboratory of Public -Health (read more -[here](https://www.fondation-merieux.org/en/news/the-ministry-of-public-health-and-population-launches-haitis-first-national-laboratory-policy/) -as well as other hospitals and organizations operating in Haiti, the Caris -Foundation currently supports 150 hospitals across all 10 provinces, including -support in hard-to-reach districts and remote islands. - -### Operating across 7 regional offices, Caris Foundation’s network provides coverage to over 95% of the Haitian population. - -As part of Caris Foundation’s health worker outreach program, community health -workers ("CHWs") complete daily home visits to children and pregnant women with -suspected lapses in clinical and drug adherence. During these visits, CHWs -provide vital services such as counseling for clinical adherence, nutrition -screening and distribution of essential health supplies like ARV medication, -albendazole, and chlorine for water treatment. These services support -beneficiaries to regularly attend medical appointments, adhere to drug treatment -regimens, receive appropriate lab tests, and seek treatment for new or worsening -health problems. - -### Disconnected systems created week- and months-long reporting lags. - -Caris implemented [CommCare](https://dimagi.com/commcare/) to enable CHWs to -collect data offline via mobile phone when working in remote environments. -However, all data collected for analysis, such as beneficiary profiles, services -received, and follow-up visits, needed to be manually transcribed via paper -copies into the HIV Haiti MySQL database. This process would take a week (and up -to several months) to complete, and sometimes the data collected would never -make it to the database. - -### OpenFn data integration saves Caris Foundation staff thousands of hours, enabling live, automated reporting. - -OpenFn automatically processes and uploads data from approximately 5000 HIV -visits every month. Once in the database, the Caris Foundation is able to track -the progress of mothers and children as services are delivered in the field. - -To date, OpenFn has automatically cleaned and uploaded 100,000+ CommCare -submissions to the MySQL HIV database, saving Caris thousands of staff hours -previously spent on data entry and reporting processes. To quote Jenifer -Fleurant, IT Programmer at Caris Foundation, data integration has enabled the -organization to “work towards a better experience for the patient, for the -agent, and for external reporting.” Read our -[interview with Jennifer here](https://medium.com/@taylordowns2000/system-champions-caris-foundations-jenifer-fleurant-af4a4496d1d2). - -_The photo above was originally posted on the Caris Foundation -[site.](http://www.carisfoundation.org/pediatric-hiv)_ diff --git a/blog/2020-07-13-x-runner-case-study.md b/blog/2020-07-13-x-runner-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index 1fefa2b3a7e..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-07-13-x-runner-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,72 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - 'Better Sanitation for Low-Income Urban Families Using an Integrated Supply - Chain System' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: - [ - case study, - x-runner, - development, - healthcare, - ODK, - Salesforce, - WASH, - supply chain system, - ] -image: /img/x-runner.jpg -featured: false ---- - -In 2017, x-runner implemented OpenFn to connect its existing systems and sync -data in real-time to more effectively manage and monitor waste collection -activities. With this integrated service system, X-runner can deliver high -quality customer service and technical assistance to their customers, with no -time lag. - -<!--truncate--> - -![X-Runner](/img/x-runner.jpg) - -### X-Runner is providing sanitation solutions for better health in informal settlements in Peru. - -Almost 10 million people in Peru, or 30% of the total population, do not have -access to proper sanitation due to increasing water scarcity and constant -population growth. For many, only poorly constructed sanitary facilities are -available, which endanger the health and safety of families as well as the -environment. - -[X-runner](http://xrunner-venture.org/) is a social enterprise that provides a -reliable, safe, and sustainable sanitation service to low-income urban families -in Lima, Peru who are unable to afford toilets. They offer a complete sanitation -value chain by linking a hygienic and waterless toilet for at-home use with a -weekly service that removes and converts the human waste into compost. - -### X-runner used multiple technologies to manage its work. - -X-runner managed its operations through paper forms, Excel spreadsheets, -OpenDataKit (ODK) Collect mobile app, and Google Drive. With so many offline and -online platforms, information was often scattered, making managing customers and -tracking customer feedback difficult and time-consuming. - -### OpenFn helped X-runner build an integrated supply chain system. - -X-runner implemented OpenFn to connect its existing systems and sync data with a -new Salesforce database to more effectively manage and monitor waste collection -activities. With integrated systems the process now works as follows: - -- X-runner service operators pick up waste containers, scan a NFC tag attached - to the container to pull up customer details, log service information via - ODKCollect. -- OpenFn automatically syncs the customer data with Salesforce, updating - customer details and logging the waste collection activities recorded. - -X-runner management uses the Salesforce platform to monitor the waste collection -services and track customer issues. Salesforce reports help to easily identify -issues for X-runner staff to immediately address. - -With this integrated service system, X-runner can deliver high quality customer -service and technical assistance to their customers, with no time lag. diff --git a/blog/2020-07-26-sinapis-case-study.md b/blog/2020-07-26-sinapis-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index 02da57e3686..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-07-26-sinapis-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,71 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - 'Keeping Track of Payments to Help Sinapis Scale Small, Growing Businesses in - Africa' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: [case study, M-Pesa, Kopo Kopo, Salesforce, payments] -image: /img/sinapis.jpg -featured: false ---- - -Integration has saved Sinapis staff hundreds of manual hours and ensures that -all payment information is always accurate up-to-date to help Sinapis to run -programs smoothly. - -<!--truncate--> - -![Sinapis](/img/sinapis.jpg) - -### Sinapis is accelerating small business development across Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda with their innovative training program. - -Sinapis found that small and growing businesses (those with 5 to 250 employees) -account for up to -[67-80% of new job growth](https://sinapis.org/job-creators-why-small-and-growing-businesses-are-essential-to-recovering-from-a-pandemic/) -in their respective economies. To help scale the impact of these businesses in -their communities, Sinapis provides a range of programs to empower -entrepreneurs. - -[Sinapis](https://sinapis.org/) is a nonprofit organization that empowers -aspiring entrepreneurs with innovative ideas by providing training, mentoring, -consulting, and seed capital. Sinapis was one of the first organizations in -Africa to start a program that trained entrepreneurs, including programs on -developing business ideas, how to scale, and tools for accelerating growth. - -### To manage its programs, Sinapis uses multiple technologies to get the job done. - -Sinapis provides a range of online and in-person professional development -programs, mentorship opportunities, and trainings for thousands of -entrepreneurs. Some programs offer elite training at affordable rates, and -others are freely available to those who apply. To manage its program portfolio, -Sinapis uses Salesforce to register entrepreneurs and track program activities. -For payments, Sinapis relies on [Kopo Kopo](https://kopokopo.co.ke/) to collect -M-Pesa and other mobile payment types from enrolled entrepreneurs. Kopo Kopo, -however, was not integrated with Salesforce, so Sinapis staff had no easy way to -track payments and outstanding balances. - -### OpenFn saves Sinapis management time by integrating payments data for real-time account monitoring. - -When payments are made via Kopo Kopo, OpenFn... - -1. Automatically matches incoming payments with existing Sinapis accounts, -2. Logs new payments and updates payment status in Salesforce, -3. Updates account balances to help staff monitor outstanding balances and - overdue payments. - -This OpenFn-powered payment integration regularly saves Sinapis staff several -hours of manual data entry work and ensures that all payment information is -always accurate up-to-date. This helps Sinapis to run its programs more smoothly -and focus on its mission to train 10,000 entrepreneurs. In 2018 and 2019 alone, -Sinapis helped employ 4,863 people and impacted over 24,000 lives by creating -jobs for those in extreme poverty. - -Check out Sinapis’s -[2018-2019 annual report](https://sinapis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2018-19-Sinapis-Annual-Report-Digital-Version.pdf) -to learn more about their impact. - -_The photo above was originally posted on the -[The Star.](http://www.the-star.co.ke/) It features female entrepreneurs in -Kenya undergoing Sinapis's finance training._ diff --git a/blog/2020-07-27-nalibali-case-study.md b/blog/2020-07-27-nalibali-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index b9b090b62a0..00000000000 --- a/blog/2020-07-27-nalibali-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,75 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - 'Connecting Beneficiaries, Data, and SMS to Expand the Reach of Literacy - Groups Across South Africa' -author: Lei Lei Tun -author_url: https://github.com/hninleileitun -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/hninleileitun -tags: [case study, education, odk, Salesforce, SMS, learning management system] -image: /img/nalibali.jpg ---- - -Nal’ibali is on a mission to change education across South Africa through its -reading-for-enjoyment initiative, which promotes reading and writing in mother -tongue languages. To effectively monitor program activities and children reached -across the country, Nal’ibali needed to integrate multiple data platforms. - -<!--truncate--> - -![Nal’ibali](/img/nalibali.jpg) - -### Did you know that South Africa's education system ranks as one of the worst in the world? - -The results of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2016 showed -that 78% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning, which is -the basis of learning. Children who aren’t good readers at a primary school -level are on a trajectory of limited educational progress. Nal’ibali aims to -improve academic success by promoting reading and writing in mother tongue -languages, which is important in a country that has has 11 official languages. - -### Nal'ibali uses language and cultural relevance to develop literacy in a nationwide campaign. - -[Nal’ibali](https://www.nalibali.org/) (isiXhosa for 'here's the story') is a -national reading-for-enjoyment initiative to use the power of stories, either -oral or written and in many different languages, to inspire children to want to -read and write. Since this campaign began in 2012, it has had a tremendous -impact across South Africa through: 11,132 reading clubs (5220 of which are -currently active), 159,191 participants, and 1,419,035 stories distributed. - -### With multiple systems and programs, there was no single-view of children's literacy progress. - -To manage its nationwide literacy campaign, Nal'ibali used a collection of -technology platforms for data collection, reporting, and program management. -Nal'ibali implemented Salesforce for enhanced data management. However, -Nal'ibali still needed to integrate its OpenDataKit (ODK) data collection tools -and online learning management system with Salesforce to track the entire -program journey and progress of a child beneficiary in one, single-view. - -### OpenFn integrates online and offline data sources so that Nal'ibali can monitor children's progress across _all_ literacy programs. - -To integrate siloed data sources and introduce automated SMS to boost reader -engagement, Nal’ibali implemented OpenFn to: - -1. sync all data collection tools across programs and activities for single-view - monitoring, -2. integrate Salesforce with Everlytic SMS to support direct communication with - beneficiaries, and -3. enable live monitoring of its reach through a live, integrated map - visualization that tracks the locations of reading clubs - -These OpenFn-powered integrations save the Nal’ibali team several hours every -month on data management processes and activity reporting. The connected data -systems also ensure Nal'ibali M&E staff can quickly and easily monitor reading -clubs across South Africa, and analyze which campaigns have been the most -effective. - -As Nal’ibali continues to scale its programs and reach, it released a new online -learning site for its readers earlier this year. Check it out the new site at -[www.nalibali.mobi](https://www.nalibali.mobi)! To learn more about Nal'ibali's -impact and mission, also check out -[their main website](https://www.nalibali.org/impact-reach). - -_The photo above was originally posted on the -[Nal'ibali Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/nalibaliSA/photos/a.327956507281170/3081938088549651). -It features children doing role play in order to practice conversation._ diff --git a/blog/2021-02-09-interoperability_for_case_referrals.md b/blog/2021-02-09-interoperability_for_case_referrals.md deleted file mode 100644 index 664864fa6b4..00000000000 --- a/blog/2021-02-09-interoperability_for_case_referrals.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,108 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: Enabling Interoperability for Child Case Referrals in Cambodia -author: Jed Goldstein -author_url: https://github.com/jedbgold -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/jedbgold -tags: [case study, UNICEF, Primero, OSCaR, Cambodia, case management] -image: /img/cambodia_school.png ---- - -Over the past 12 months, [OpenFn](https://openfn.org/) and -[UNICEF Cambodia](https://www.unicef.org/cambodia/) have worked together to -enhance interoperability for the critical software tools Cambodian agencies rely -on to protect and respond to the needs of vulnerable children and women. Key -outcomes achieved so far via this partnership include the implementation of a -secure OpenFn project space with the automated data sharing workflows required -to allow for the Cambodian government and their partner NGO caseworkers to -communicate with one another seamlessly. - -<!--truncate--> - -![Cambodia School](/img/cambodia_school.png) - -Case management applications help social service providers coordinate critical -support activities for vulnerable children; ensuring that they can securely -connect with one another and automating the flow of data between themshare and -the launch of these integration features is especially important amidst an -increase in the rates of domestic and gender based violence linked to the -COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the secure workflows the automation -allows—critically, facilitating the complex referral process—brings the child -protection system in Cambodia one step closer to the collective dream of -providing holistic, compassionate care. - -### The Key Partners - -The Child Protection team at UNICEF Cambodia, working in concert with the -country’s Child Welfare Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans -and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) defined the scope of the interoperability -requirements and guided this program’s implementation. Because achieving -interoperability can be complex, OpenFn was brought into the consortium to offer -expert integration insights and to provide the digital infrastructure required -to enable the program’s goals. - -### The Systems Integrated - -The systems OpenFn integrated for the first phase of this project are -[Primero](https://www.primero.org/) and [OSCaR](https://oscarhq.com/). Primero -is an open source software platform that helps social services, humanitarian and -development workers manage protection-related data, with modules that facilitate -case management, incident monitoring and family tracing and reunification. OSCaR -(Open Source Case-management and Record-keeping) is a case management software -system that is used by civil society organizations in Cambodia to manage cases -or children in residential care. - -![Primero OpenFn Oscar Diagram](/img/primero_oscar.png) - -First a definition: “Interoperability”, in this context, is the automated -ability of computer systems to work in concert with (sharing data and -collaborating on processes with) other systems. Defining interoperability is the -easy part; achieving it is another story. “In a complex, interagency project -like this, it’s true that the technologies in play often don’t ‘speak the same -language’, but neither do the partners,” writes Aleksa Krolls, OpenFn’s Head of -Services. “Our job is not only to facilitate the flow of data between systems, -but to facilitate the process by which our partners—human users—communicate -meaning across multiple agencies and people.” - -In this example, OpenFn’s software is acting as the “translator” between the -OSCaR and Primero systems. OpenFn’s primary interoperability objective for this -first phase was to facilitate Cambodian government partners and local -non-governmental organizations in systematic registration and tracking of -children in Cambodia, including facilitating duplicate detection between systems -and enabling easy-to-use processes for updating beneficiary/client details. - -### The work is just beginning - -OpenFn’s work with UNICEF Cambodia and the MoSVY doesn’t end here though. We are -now beginning the process of enabling further Primero interoperability with -software like ProGres v2, UNHCR’s institutional tool, as well as enabling -Primero-to-Primero implementations in the field. We’ll be sure to keep the -community updated as the project progresses. - -Many of the best responses to the critical issues we face as a society emerge -from collaboration and interoperability enables collaboration in the digital -domain. Just as no single actor or organization can deliver all the services -required to protect vulnerable children and survivors of violence, no single -technology can be successful operating in isolation. - -Case management automation allows for a social worker to spend more time being -there for the vulnerable populations they serve and less time copying and -pasting data between the applications they use. This partnership between OpenFn, -UNICEF Cambodia and the MoSVY means that fewer children will need to painfully -re-tell their traumas just to receive the help they need. - -If your organization is in the health and humanitarian sector and is thinking -about automation and interoperability, contact services@openfn.org for a free -consultation. - -**About UNICEF Cambodia:** UNICEF Cambodia’s mission is to promote the healthy -development of children, to defend their rights and help them fulfil their -potential, from early childhood to adolescence. - -**About Cambodia’s Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation -(MoSVY):** Cambodia’s MoSVY is a government agency with a broad mandate that -includes supporting the efforts of social workers across the country. - -**About OpenFn Group:** Open Function Group (“OFG”) helps health and -humanitarian interventions in 40+ countries achieve scale and improve service -delivery through automation, data integration, and interoperability solutions. diff --git a/blog/2021-03-30-digital-global-good.md b/blog/2021-03-30-digital-global-good.md deleted file mode 100644 index 889e2211413..00000000000 --- a/blog/2021-03-30-digital-global-good.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,186 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - Becoming a Digital Global Good, Open Access, and Thoughts on OpenFn’s - Long-Term Sustainability -author: Taylor Downs and Jed Goldstein -author_url: https://github.com/taylordowns2000 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/taylordowns2000 -tags: [announcement, global goods] -image: /img/george-washington-bridge.jpg ---- - -[Digital global goods](https://wiki.digitalsquare.io/index.php/What_are_Global_Goods) -are adaptable, interoperable, open source software or content designed to meet -the data and management needs of country health systems. Incredible software -tools like [CommCare](https://www.dimagi.com/commcare/), a mobile data -collection and service delivery platform, [dhis2](https://dhis2.org/), a health -management information system (HMIS) used in over 40 countries, and -[OpenLMIS](https://openlmis.org/), a popular logistics system, are digital -global goods. OpenFn is proud to now be officially joining them on this list. - -<!--truncate--> - -![Bridge as public good](/img/george-washington-bridge.jpg) - -### The imperative for digital global goods - -The story of digital global goods began in July 2018 when the Secretary General -of the United Nations convened a High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation to -strengthen impact and better direct global efforts in the digital arena. What -motivated this panel’s formation was a growing awareness that as digital -technology reshapes economies and society, it is imperative that the -technologies deployed do not exacerbate global inequities, but instead seek to -address them. - -Co-Chaired by Melinda Gates and Jack Ma, the panel’s -[final report](https://digitalcooperation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DigitalCooperation-report-web-FINAL-1.pdf) -provided recommendations for how the international community could work together -to harness digital technologies for positive change. One of the key action items -that emerged in the report’s aftermath was a call for global investment into the -creation of **digital public goods to help attain the sustainable development -goals. **Specifically, availability and accessibility to digital public -goods—and the data they collect—was introduced as being essential to address -issues of digital inclusion for all regardless of location, race, gender, -religion or socioeconomic standing. - -### What is open source? - -Not all open source projects are digital public goods, but all digital public -goods must be open source. Open source software is code that is publicly -accessible—anyone can see, modify, and distribute the code as they see fit. Many -governments and international NGOs prefer open source software because of -customization and data residency requirements. Since our founding in 2014 OpenFn -has been committed to open-source software development and the source code for -most of the products we’ve built is freely available on -[GitHub](https://github.com/OpenFn). - -Notably, even though open source software is “free” the cost of deploying it and -maintaining it carries costs that are sometimes comparable to commercial -software licenses. -[Digital Square ](https://digitalsquare.org/blog/2020/2/13/openness-and-value-in-the-digital-health-sector)explains -this dynamic further: “The misconception of open source as ‘free’ may be better -understood through the Romance languages. Open source is -[libre, not gratis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratis_versus_libre): free as -in speech, not as in lunch. In the case of many low resource settings, this is -the right kind of free. The need for adaptability is balanced by the ability to -adapt a software.” - -An example of a successful open source software project that is also classified -as a digital public good is [OpenLMIS](https://openlmis.org/). OpenLMIS is the -leading logistics system used to track health products across national supply -chains and while they credit their open source approach as being responsible for -their deployment success to date, they have also experienced challenges related -to their business model. Business model challenges force open source project -maintainers like OpenLMIS and OpenFn to explore different types of revenue -streams that ensure long term sustainability of the projects. - -### How OpenFn’s business model will enable long term sustainability of its open source project - -Historically, lacking grant funding and without outside investors, OpenFn -decided that the best way to continue delivering high-impact implementations and -keep a laser focus on the needs of real-world NGOs that we serve was to build a -licensed, closed-source software-as-a-service (SaaS) product offering (see -[openfn.org](http://www.openfn.org)). This product is dependent on the huge -suite of open-source software that we continue to invest in for the good of the -larger community—“core”, “adaptors”, and almost all of the software we build is -open source—but by licensing our SaaS we’ve been able to create a steady stream -of revenue that is only dependent on real-world customers seeing and paying for -the value they get by using the product. Selling subscriptions to the OpenFn -platform has not only helped it grow into a strong, trusted, enterprise-grade -product, but it has bootstrapped our implementation arm, subsidized our “free -forever” enterprise tier, and funded the further development of our open source -tools. - -Thanks to recent support from DIAL, DFID and Digital Square, OpenFn is now able -to invest more time and energy into our open-source tools—building new software -to compete with and complement more directly our licensed platform and working -to make the existing tools more accessible to a wider audience.The licensed -platform and our open source project have a symbiotic relationship with one -another. Open source innovation drives platform innovation and vice versa. -Crucially, both rely on each other. - -With a more robust [open source offering ](/documentation/deploy/portability)and -a heavy investment in documentation, it will be easier than ever for -organizations to get up and running with OpenFn and then choose whether they -want to scale their solutions on the platform or deploy them on their own -infrastructure using nothing but free open source software (FOSS). - -Some will still choose to use our hosted offering, and we’ll be encouraged to -further differentiate that offering through the value that it provides—\_not -\_merely by virtue of it being proprietary. In fact, we see a future in which -NGOs and governments may shift seamlessly between all of our tools. We’ve -developed them with exactly this in mind, ensuring zero lock-in despite the -varying licenses. - -### What does this mean, concretely? - -In the past it was quite challenging to use OpenFn’s open source tools, and we -feel that they didn’t provide enough functionality, out-of-the-box, to our -users. It’s not surprising to find, then, that almost all of OpenFn’s users were -on the proprietary platform. Going forward our -[open source integration toolkit](/documentation/deploy/options), including -OpenFn/devtools, OpenFn/core, OpenFn/engine, and OpenFn/microservice, will be -more robust, user friendly and accessible. This means that anyone, anywhere can -build integration and automation solutions more quickly and interoperability -solutions will be within reach to organizations with varying technical -capabilities. - -:::caution Microservice and devtools are being replaced by Lightning - -Please note that [OpenFn/microservice](https://github.com/OpenFn/microservice) -and [OpenFn/devtools](https://github.com/OpenFn/devtools) are being deprecated -and replaced by [OpenFn/Lightning](https://github.com/OpenFn/lightning), When -lighting is released. - -::: - -Versatility is a key component of our open source vision. We are constructing a -system that users can grow and mature with. While our enterprise platform might -be right for your organization today, 5 years from now, once your organization -has its own dedicated IT team and server infrastructure, local deployment via -microservice might make better sense. The good news is that OpenFn integration -[portability](/documentation/deploy/portability) will make these transitions -easy. Your integration will run just as well on your servers as ours. - -As the diagram below demonstrates we envision two main pathways for OpenFn -integrations. The tech savvy project manager will configure their workflows via -our intuitive platform, while the power IT user will configure their workflows -from the command line. Regardless of the chosen approach, there is flexibility -to change paths whenever required. - -![Deployment Paths](/img/deployment_paths.png) - -Again, _concretely_, this means our users will have more and better options for -how they run their data integration solutions. While they might use -OpenFn/platform to build and test solutions, they could easily choose to run -those same solutions on their own servers via OpenFn/microservice. Visit -OpenFn’s [Planning for Deployment](/documentation/deploy/options) page to learn -more. - -### Open source is about more than code - -An open source project is nothing without a strong community underpinning it. -Led by a steering committee of stakeholders that represent our different users, -we are activating a diverse community around our products that will help guide -and power their direction. - -This community of “citizen integrators” (people familiar with processes and -data, but not software development—e.g., program analysts, clinic data managers, -operations leads) will provide their valuable and diverse points of view and -will be equipped to design and build robust solutions to automate processes and -integrate systems. - -To join our community please sign up to our -[community page ](https://community.openfn.org/)and feel free to contribute and -ask questions on the forum. - -### If you’d like to learn more about this - -If your organization is thinking about interoperability and would like to learn -more about OpenFn’s platform or open-source offerings please contact -services@openfn.org for a free consultation. - -Also, be sure to stay tuned to our [blog](/blog), or subscribe to our -[newsletter](http://eepurl.com/hcOw8H) to stay up to date with all ICT4D -integration related news. diff --git a/blog/2021-07-30-processes-and-open-source-as-choice.md b/blog/2021-07-30-processes-and-open-source-as-choice.md deleted file mode 100644 index 76ad1b3d37e..00000000000 --- a/blog/2021-07-30-processes-and-open-source-as-choice.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,159 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - Platforms, Processes and Legitimate Freedom at the National Government Level -author: Taylor Downs -author_url: https://github.com/taylordowns2000 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/taylordowns2000 -tags: [deployment, global goods] -image: /img/unicef-cambodia-cc-daravatey-seng.jpg ---- - -In 2020, Robert MacTavish, a child protection specialist at UNICEF Primero lead, -met with the team at OpenFn and laid out a massive challenge facing the Ministry -of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation in Cambodia. He explained -that there was no secure, stable, scalable way to share data between different -case management systems operated by the government and partner agencies. The -result, he went on, was not merely an increased administrative burden but -re-victimization. Children might have to recount their whole case history, -reliving their traumas time and time again in order to register and access each -critical support service they needed. - -<!--truncate--> - -![UNICEF Cambodia (c) Daravatey Seng 2020](/img/unicef-cambodia-cc-daravatey-seng.jpg) - -### Fast forward... - -...to the spring of 2021 and child protection case data is now being securely -transmitted between systems as part of a fully automated, secure referral -workflow running through OpenFn. - -> If you’re not familiar with OpenFn, it’s an integration platform and toolkit -> that has been used in over 40 countries to automate business processes, -> connect disparate systems, and facilitate secure, stable, scalable data -> sharing. Learn more at [OpenFn.org](https://www.openfn.org) - -### A success for the Ministry - -It’s a big success for the Ministry, for UNICEF, and partner NGO agencies using -Primero and OSCaR—the first two case management systems to be integrated. You -can read more about it in the -[Khmer Times](https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50814828/beefing-up-child-protection-case-management/), -the -[UNICEF press release](https://www.unicef.org/cambodia/press-releases/interoperability-between-primero-and-oscar-goes-live), -or -[Primero’s community forum](https://community.primero.org/t/interoperability-in-primero-with-openfn-is-changing-the-way-we-work/360), -but here I want to focus on a slightly more nuanced learning that came from this -[project](https://openfn.github.io/unicef-cambodia/) and Digital Square’s recent -investment in the OpenFn “Open Source Integration Toolkit”. - -### Implementations aren’t always re-usable, but platforms and processes ARE. - -We built OpenFn because we were frustrated by the amount of time and money that -was being spent rebuilding the digital infrastructure required for secure, -robust, long-lasting integrations. Each integration project may be completely -different in terms of _how_ data is processed (i.e., the “business rules”) but -there are some basic requirements and best-practices that can serve as the -building blocks for successful interoperability across almost any set of -systems. That’s no surprise to us; it’s the fundamental premise of OpenFn. -What’s expanded dramatically through our work in Cambodia, however, is our -collection of _**reusable processes**_—how to approach integration long before -you open up a computer—that can now serve as a template for future projects. - -One such process is the “Integration Checklist”, a non-technical checklist that -helps organizations bring together relevant stakeholders and define the value -and rules of an integration. This is no small thing. In the Primero post -mentioned above, Jan Panchalingam, also a Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF, -writes that implementing OpenFn is “changing the way they work”. - -The “aha” moment for those involved in this project was that the artifacts -produced in an OpenFn implementation—actual -[“triggers”](/documentation/build/triggers) and -[“jobs”](/documentation/build/workflows) written with and for the Open Source -Integration Toolkit—publicly memorialize the data sharing agreements between -partners. - -I want to stick with that for a moment: **the implementation _is_ the -agreement!** - -:::success - -By **operationalizing a data sharing agreement** through OpenFn, these -organizations now have machine-readable granularity, full revision history, and -proof-of-processing for their contract. - -::: - -A huge portion of the work required to make the case management systems -interoperable was done on calls, walking through different referral flows and -privacy requirements and getting buy-in from various stakeholders and legal -entities. Now, the output of those crucial conversations are not just notes or a -signed MOU and careful task lists for system admins, they are a series of -scripts that are stored and actually enacted, faithfully, automatically, and -many times every day by the OpenFn platform–automating data exchange between -partner agencies. - -By implementing OpenFn—defining the case referral process and the requirements -of the agreement in machine-readable levels of specificity—they’ve actually -removed huge amounts of ambiguity and helped standardize the data sharing -agreements between partner ministries/organizations. - -And the reusability of these processes isn’t just theoretical. They are already -being applied in three other big UNICEF implementations as we speak. The next to -go live will be in Thailand. - -UNICEF and the Thai Ministry of Public Health are working to enable social -protection caseworkers using the Primero app to access relevant patient medical -history securely, via OpenFn and a ministry-managed API gateway. By -foregrounding the checklist, and making sure all the stakeholders in these -sensitive data-sharing agreements are on board with the concept that this -implementation is a way of formalizing and enforcing data sharing agreements, -the teams have been able to move much more confidently through the initial -prototyping process. At OpenFn, we plan to continue to build out the open source -process documentation that goes alongside the software—making it easier for -folks everywhere to achieve durable interoperability and manifest their data -sharing agreements. - -### One more thing. On the subject of open source. - -**Open source is about freedom of choice, not money.** - -For the moment, in both Cambodia and Thailand, the implementations are running -on OpenFn.org—our proprietary cloud-hosted service—but in both cases they’re -already evaluating plans to migrate these implementations to make use of the -FOSS-only deployment pathway we provide in the Open Source Integration Toolkit. - -I think that’s hugely important. A cloud-hosted service might be the best option -for a given ministry during prototype, pilot, scale-up, or even national-scale -deployments—oftentimes they’re less expensive and more secure—<b><i>but for -systems as important as these, it’s absolutely critical that they’re not locked -in.</i></b> - -Governments must be free to export that implementation and run it on completely -open source software that they can debug, on whatever servers they’d like, with -support from whatever vendors they choose. - -This is what recent investment in the Open Source Integration Toolkit, from -Digital Square, the FCDO, DIAL, and our team here at OpenFn has made possible. -From software, to documentation, to process and implementation guides like those -mentioned above, the goal of the toolkit is to build up the integration -capability of the sector at large. Ultimately the toolkit will ensure that -OpenFn implementations aren’t forever reliant on a single company. It will -increase the substantive freedom of governments to make long-term plans and take -long-term ownership of their integration solutions, without having to re-code -the wheel. - -### To take action - -To join our community please sign up to our -[community page ](https://community.openfn.org/)and feel free to contribute and -ask questions on the forum. - -If your organization is thinking about interoperability and would like to learn -more about OpenFn’s platform or open-source offerings please contact -services@openfn.org for a free consultation. - -Also, be sure to stay tuned to our [blog](/blog), or subscribe to our -[newsletter](http://eepurl.com/hcOw8H) to stay up to date with all ICT4D -integration related news. diff --git a/blog/2021-10-20-the-case-for-health-information-exchange.md b/blog/2021-10-20-the-case-for-health-information-exchange.md deleted file mode 100644 index c03e2898252..00000000000 --- a/blog/2021-10-20-the-case-for-health-information-exchange.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,63 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: Making the Case for Health Information Exchanges -author: Aicha Diallo -author_url: https://github.com/daissatou2 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/daissatou2 -featured: true ---- - -I attended the OpenHIE Academy Live Event last week and learned about the -function and application of the OpenHIE Architecture framework and its -components. What's a health information exchange, and what does it mean for -people in everyday terms? - -<!--truncate--> - -A health information exchange allows for health data to be entered once and -reused across different systems by defining standards and communication -protocols that enable many systems to work with the same data. - -![OpenHIE Framework](https://wiki.ohie.org/download/attachments/41943663/openimis%20hie%20arch.png?version=1&modificationDate=1573566637897&api=v2 'OpenHIE Framework') - -We can imagine various real world use cases for implementing a health -information exchange architecture. My cousin Mariam’s experience with healthcare -in Conakry serves as an example. After visiting three clinics and hospitals in -Conakry, Mariam was diagnosed with kidney stones at the fourth one. All of the -data that was collected in the first three clinics were not accessible to her -doctor at the fourth one. At each clinic the same data was collected and doctors -relied on Mariam to provide her medical history. They asked about past visits, -previous diagnoses, prescriptions, lab results, etc. Her medical history was -spread across paper and electronic systems, in her home, at different -pharmacies, and in labs. Imagine how much faster she could have been diagnosed -and treated if her healthcare workers had access to a comprehensive view of her -medical history. - -A health information exchange would mitigate these issues and allow data to be -stored in a single database. All authorized stakeholders would be able to access -and update this single health record and Mariam wouldn’t need to stress about -her paper prescription she lost from years ago. **Patient data is only one piece -of the puzzle and other important health data such as information on facilities, -providers, and supplies can also be managed in the health information exchange -system.** - -### OpenFn's Role - -Two key components of a health information exchange are **interoperability and -data standards.** The OpenFn Integration Toolkit is a tool for interoperability -solution design, implementation, and adherence to data standards in health -information exchange–key for organizations seeking to securely increase -interoperability across systems and partners, reduce costs, strengthen health -systems, and improve service delivery. Released this year, the Toolkit is a -digital global good that helps health and humanitarian organizations and -governments automate key processes and integrate critical information systems. -It was developed in partnership with 45+ social sector partners, incorporating -resources and learnings from dozens of implementations to deliver a suite of -open-source documentation, implementation tools, and a templates library that -fast-tracks interoperability and automation projects. - -For more information visit the links below: - -- https://academy.ohie.org/ -- https://docs.openfn.org/documentation/ - -— Aicha diff --git "a/blog/2022-06-28-Data-Integration-to-better-safeguard-the-world\342\200\231s-wildlife.md" "b/blog/2022-06-28-Data-Integration-to-better-safeguard-the-world\342\200\231s-wildlife.md" deleted file mode 100644 index c8b3415edaa..00000000000 --- "a/blog/2022-06-28-Data-Integration-to-better-safeguard-the-world\342\200\231s-wildlife.md" +++ /dev/null @@ -1,48 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: Data Integration to better safeguard the world’s wildlife -author: Alexa de Vegvar -author_url: https://github.com/alexadevegvar -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/alexadevegvar -tags: - [ - case study, - WCS, - wildlife, - Kobo Toolbox, - PostgreSQL, - MSSQL, - ] -image: https://consosci.org/Portals/0/OpenContent/Files/1839/ci_98723211_Medium.jpg -featured: true ---- - -Since 2020, the Wildlife Conservation Society (“WCS”) has leveraged the OpenFn Integration Toolkit to collect, clean, and integrate critical data for critical conservation programs targeting the world's largest wild places. WCS and its partners work at the frontline of conservation, and with support from OpenFn, they can automatically and seamlessly integrate and quickly analyse the masses of data collected across dozens of countries. - -<!--truncate--> - -### WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, and collaborating with local communities and indigenous people. - -Climate change is happening right before our eyes. The [2019 Union Nations SDG Report](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/) found that as many as one million animal and plant species are in danger of extinction. Ergo, this also puts the people who highly depend on them at great risk. The earth’s demolition statistics are alarming, with “greenhouse gas emissions [having] doubled, raising average global temperatures by at least 0.7 degrees Celsius.” Less than 25% of the world can still be considered “wilderness”, urging that we must mitigate and avert these disasters without hesitation. Wilderness areas act as critical buffers against climate change, and as time goes on, these areas are diminishing due to global warming, leaving us vulnerable to climate disasters. - -### WCS works with multiple data platforms and dozens of partners worldwide and needs an integration solution to enable interoperability and scale. - -With projects in nearly 60 countries and across oceans, WCS aims to re-establish a world where wildlife and people thrive in healthy lands and seas. WCS partners work on the frontline of conservation, ranging from Indigenous and local communities to national and local governments. Using mobile survey tools like [KoBo Toolbox](https://www.kobotoolbox.org), WCS field staff can complete and submit data collection forms to track the well-being of local communities they support, local governance, reforestation activities, natural resource use, and other conservation and social science research data. WCS sought out OpenFN to integrate its data collection sources with one database for centralised analysis of all this information. - -### OpenFn automates data pipelines from field to office, ensuring WCS decision-makers and researchers can access timely, accurate information. - -WCS implemented OpenFn to automate a standardised data flow between numerous wild meat consumption surveys and an MSSQL database to enable cross-partner data sharing and critical data analysis for a [€45 million initiative](https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/10598/New-45-million-initiative-seeks-to-curb-unsustainable-wildlife-hunting-conserve-biodiversity-and-improve-food-security.aspx). The initiative aims to curb unsustainable wildlife hunting, conserve biodiversity and improve food security. - -Since then, WCS has implemented OpenFn to support its partners from [Conservation Social Science Partnership](https://consosci.org/) (“ConSoSci”). ConSoSci uses OpenFn to deploy and analyse research data collected in the field rapidly. One OpenFn solution auto-scans social science Kobo ToolBox surveys to then automatically: -1. Build [PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/) and [MSSQL](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-2019) databases and -2. Integrate the databases, making the field data quickly available for analysis and eliminating multiple manual configurations and data integration steps typically handled by a software engineer. - -![OpenFn integration](https://consosci.org/portals/0/ConSoSci%20Toolkit.png) - -OpenFn’s solution saves ConSoSci partners time and money, enabling researchers to access reliable data from multiple sources more quickly and effectively. They can then analyse this information to help address critical gaps in social science capacity, implementation, and accessibility in conservation. - -Thanks to the OpenFn Integration Toolkit, WCS has the digital infrastructure to efficiently scale its data collection, analysis, and sharing solutions to enhance interoperability across its programs and partners. OpenFn automatically syncs hundreds of records across dozens of WCS sites daily, enabling the WCS Conservation Technology Team to redirect its focus to its core work–empowering researchers working to mitigate continued environmental damage. WCS believes that “by discovering how to save nature, we can inspire the world to protect it”, and OpenFn is committed to helping conservation stakeholders automate this discovery process worldwide. - -To explore WCS and ConSoSci OpenFn solutions, check out the open-source code on GitHub (github.com/OpenFn/consosci). Next up for WCS are integrations between Kobo ToolBox and Asana. Stay tuned for more! - -### Call to Action -If you have questions about our WCS partnership or integration toolkit, head to [community.openfn.org](https://community.openfn.org) to connect and talk to like-minded social-sector integrators and OpenFn staff. We hope to see you soon! diff --git a/blog/2022-10-06-Monitoring-program-enrollment-in-Brazil.md b/blog/2022-10-06-Monitoring-program-enrollment-in-Brazil.md deleted file mode 100644 index fc8a283e439..00000000000 --- a/blog/2022-10-06-Monitoring-program-enrollment-in-Brazil.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,116 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: - Automated data exchange to enhance education program monitoring across Brazil -author: Aissatou Diallo -author_url: https://github.com/daissatou2 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/daissatou2 -tags: - [ - case study, - Brazil, - education, - SFTP, - Amp Impact, - M&E, - Salesforce, - workflow automation, - ] -featured: true ---- - -[Itaú Social](https://www.itausocial.org.br/en/) is one of the largest -organizations in Brazil dedicated to improving Brazilian public education. The -foundation manages programs to train education professionals, strengthen civil -society, offer online education to students, and conduct search in the education -sector. Itaú Social has trained 112,000 professionals and benefited 7.6 million -students across Brazil, according to Itaú's 2021 integrated annual report. - -<!--truncate--> - -| ![Itaú Social Impact](/img/itau_social.png) | -| :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------: | -| <b>Itaú Social's impact on Brazilian education in 2020. Source: [Itaú Social's website](https://www.itausocial.org.br/en/)</b> | - -Itaú Social manages multiple programs, requiring collaboration with dozens of -stakeholders and education projects across Brazil. To better monitor impact -across its portfolio, Itaú Social began partnering with Vera Solutions in 2018 -to build a centralized M&E information system using Amp Impact, Vera's packaged -impact measurement and portfolio management app built on the Salesforce cloud -platform. For more on the Amp Impact solution, check out the Vera Solutions -[case study](https://www.verasolutions.org/portfolio/itau-social/?locale=en#:~:text=Founded%20in%201993%2C%20Ita%C3%BA%20Social,research%20in%20the%20education%20sector). - -To analyze impact across its immense network of partner organizations, programs, -and students, Itaú Social staff spend lots of time and money to manually export -and load data between multiple partner data systems and its M&E Amp Impact / -Salesforce solution. Exchanging data via manual, human-dependent processes also -increases the risk of human error, impacting data quality and data security -vulnerability, and makes it difficult to track data loading errors. - -Using OpenFn, Itaú Social has automated its most critical data exchange -workflows across partner systems, minimizing the need for staff to manually -migrate data to its M&E system. OpenFn enables automated data sharing, cleaning, -and reporting, thereby increasing efficiency and data quality of these -workflows. This has ultimately helped Itaú Social achieve faster, data-driven -decision-making and better outcomes for students across Brazil. - -![Brazil Students](/img/brazil_students.png) - -### Two source systems–one destination. - -OpenFn is helping Itaú Social consolidate data from two source data systems into -Amp Impact / Salesforce. - -| ![Itaú Integration Diagram](/img/itau_integration_diagram.png) | -| :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------: | -| <b>The current implementation integrates data from an API and SFTP server with Salesforce.</b> | - -#### Source 1 - Web API: - -Itaú Social uses an internal, custom-built system to collect and store important -information about partner organization registration and about enrollment data -for the students they serve. Using OpenFn's universal adaptors, OpenFn -automatically connects via this system's REST API. - -#### Source 2 - CSV File Exports saved on an SFTP Server: - -Itaú Social uses another system for its Polo distance learning platform called -CrossKnowledge Learning Suite (CKLS). CKLS does not have an available API, so -its administrators export program enrollment data every week and upload the CSV -export files to an SFTP server for OpenFn to extract and transform. - -#### Destination - Itaú Social's M&E Information System: - -Itaú Social implemented Amp Impact and Salesforce in partnership with -[Vera Solutions](https://verasolutions.org/), a social enterprise providing -cloud and mobile solutions for social sector organizations, to better track its -impact, streamline its operations, and create feedback loops for data-driven -decision making. - -To automate data exchange with the two partner source systems, OpenFn extracts -relevant data from the custom app API and the SFTP server, transforms the data -values and applies data cleaning rules to normalize the data, maps the data to -the Amp Impact data model, and finally syncs it to Salesforce. These workflows -run on a scheduled basis using the OpenFn hosted platform (see -[openfn.org](https://openfn.org)). - -**This OpenFn-powered solution has empowered Itaú Social to:** - -1. securely automate exchange of critical data across partner systems -2. deliver centralized data access and reliable data for enhanced program - monitoring to program staff and decison-makers -3. automate aggregation of program data to calculate indicator results -4. provide a more holistic picture of student enrollment and journeys across its - multiple programs - -As Itaú Social scales its digitcal ecosystem and programming, it is considering -extending its OpenFn implementation to integrate even more data sources with its -M&E system. - -If your organization is interested in automating its data exchange or reporting -workflows, you can check out the -[OpenFn Documentation site](https://docs.openfn.org/documentation/) and post -your questions on [OpenFn Community](http://community.openfn.org). To learn more -about Amp Impact for enhanced impact measurement and portfolio management see -[verasolutions.org](http://verasolutions.org). - - diff --git a/blog/2023-03-01-open-human.md b/blog/2023-03-01-open-human.md deleted file mode 100644 index 2e661698736..00000000000 --- a/blog/2023-03-01-open-human.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,128 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: 'OpenHumans (A Travelogue)' -author: Joe Clark -author_url: https://github.com/josephjclark -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/josephjclark -image: /img/team-no-td.jpg -featured: true ---- - -I am in the wrong hemisphere. - -Six months ago, I joined OpenFn, intrigued by the mission to automate workflows -in critical, but often neglected, humanitarian processes. For personal reasons, -I didn’t really plan on being here long - but I thought I could help out for a -while. - -"Hey," says CEO Taylor Downs, one winter’s morning. "Do you want to come to Cape -Town with us?" - -<!--truncate--> - -![Bo-Kaap](/img/bo-kaap.webp) - -I am not well traveled - I’ve never left Europe, let alone stepped foot on -African soil. So I enthusiastically agree. - -And I’m not the only one. Between us, we have traveled 40,000 miles to be in -District Six, Cape Town - from London, Dakar, Arusha, Riga, Nairobi. It has -taken us over 150 hours to get here. - -Right now we are gathered around this table, in this hot little room, scribbling -our truths onto this oversized piece of paper. We are, in our own little way, -trying to make the world a better place. - -Suddenly the fan stops, the lights go out, the projector goes dark. - -Load shedding just struck. - -But the conversation doesn’t even waver. Eyes briefly flick to the light -fixtures, but we remain focused on refining our mission, putting an edge on our -purpose, comparing visions on how, where and when we can make a difference. - -We have traveled all this way to figure out how to best work together. - -If we don’t get this right, we can’t achieve our mission. We are digital nomads, -spread throughout Europe, Africa and North America. We rarely meet in physical -space. Technology enables us to collaborate, but it brings its fair share of -challenges too. - -"Sitting down all day is _dangerous_," says Taylor. "We have to make this -_count_." - -It has taken weeks of preparation and worry to get here. I’ve been arranging -travel, visas, domestic stuff, vaccinations. Since covid broke out, for three -years now, my partner and I have worked from home, in the same small flat, -always together. I fight back tears as we kiss goodbye on the doorstep, and -start my long journey. - -![Obligatory team photo](/img/team-cape-point.webp) - -It's an overnight flight. I do not sleep. I hit Cape Town tarmac at 7am, -scrabble for a data connection at 8am, collapse into Stu's car at 9am. I watch -the city, the townships, the shanty villages, the mountains; a new world drifts -silently past the window. The environment is beautiful, the poverty is -heartbreaking. - -In Simon’s Town, as I shake hands with my colleagues for the first time, we -learn things about each other that months of video conferencing could never -reveal. - -By the end of the first day I am already exhausted, overwhelmed, burned out from -adrenaline. - -Over the weekend, we walk, we swim, we kick a football, we drive, we eat, we -immerse ourselves in penguins (did you know Cape town has penguins?). - -At an artistic retreat in Scarborough, we sculpt from clay, eyes closed, hands -busy, minds focused. A safe space, our guide tells us nervously, unsure how to -break an ice that has suddenly formed in 30 degree heat. - -It is at the same time austere and liberating, creative and claustrophobic, -individual and collective. We swap chairs and work on each other’s sculptures - -nervously, at first, unwilling to do harm, but soon embracing the opportunity to -co-imagine, to co-create. - -In the end it is a joy from which, I think, we all emerged changed. - -“It was a little too woo-woo for me”, says Taylor, tears still drying in his -eyes. It is the most reassuring thing I have heard in days. - -![Taylor, laughing in the face of danger](/img/taylor-baboons.webp) - -Later, as the sun sets behind us, on a Cape Town beach, we share our stories. -Between us we barely have a single thing in common - be it language, religion, -education, gender, background, hobbies. But maybe, it emerges, there is one -thing - just one slender thread - which connects us after all: a determination -to fight inequality. - -We are not righteous. We all know we can’t save the world. We are not in the -business of toppling regimes, redistributing wealth, healing the sick. We do not -bear torches. - -But we do have a contribution to make. Automation is our thing. We believe that -we can improve critical business processes in the “developing world” - the -places that big tech doesn’t care about - by taking away tedium, building trust -and transparency, and reducing errors. - -In the office, unfazed by power cuts, we explore working practices, discuss -cultural differences, deepen our respect. - -We learn how to talk about and discuss our data integration technology - -something so abstract that often even highly technical people don’t get it. We -learn how our technology helps the people Silicon Valley overlooks. We share -stories, explore ideas, learn about ourselves and the business. - -On the penultimate day, I find myself overwhelmed with grief. Soon we depart to -different corners of the world, vanish behind our screens. Yes, I miss my big -monitor, my safe space, my family, my drinks cabinet, my PlayStation, my wok. -But I know that this special, sacred shared time is ending - and later I will -miss the company of my colleagues more than the comforts of home. - -Somewhere during this long pandemic, between fleeing an unsafe office and -thriving in isolation, I Iost something. I forgot something important, something -about connecting to people, something about society, the world, my place in it. - -In Cape Town, and with the humans of Open Function, I found it once more. - -![An OpenHuman at Camps Bay Beach](/img/joe-beach.webp) diff --git a/blog/2023-04-13-lightning-beta.md b/blog/2023-04-13-lightning-beta.md deleted file mode 100644 index bcd4c5df7f1..00000000000 --- a/blog/2023-04-13-lightning-beta.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,93 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: OpenFn Lightning Beta -author: Amber Rignell -author_url: https://github.com/amberrignell -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/amberrignell -featured: true ---- - -It's been a wild year and we're excited to announce the next generation of -OpenFn's digital public good for workflow automation, **OpenFn Lightning ⚡** - -## We've just "soft launched" OpenFn Lightning and here's what you should know - -Lightning represents our commitment to open source and the DPG community. It is -a fully open source web application designed for governments and NGOs who need a -flexible solution to **integrate and connect _any_ system**. It reuses our -existing tried and tested technology whilst lowering the technical barrier to -building robust workflow automation solutions and integrations through a more -intuitive, user-friendly UI. - -<!--truncate--> - -**Read more about Lightning on our -[docs page](/documentation#openfn-v2-lightning-).** - -:::info - -At the time of writing, Lightning is still in beta and has some rough edges. 95% -of OpenFn users are still building workflow solutions on the v1 (available at -[openfn.org](https://www.openfn.org/signup)) but we'll be ready for a full -migration later this year. - -It's free to use during the beta, but we'll soon be providing a paid, -enterprise-grade hosted service like you've become accustomed to on OpenFn.org. - -::: - -## Register for an account and share your feedback - -Register for a free account at -[app.openfn.org](https://app.openfn.org/users/register). Help us out by carrying -out our [user test](/blog#take-10-minutes-to-carry-out-our-user-test) (~10 -minutes) and adding your questions and comments to the Lightning thread on our -[community forum](https://community.openfn.org/t/the-lightning-beta/297). - -## Take 15 minutes to carry out our user test - -Get your thinking hat on! We need you to click around OpenFn Lightning and -figure out how it works. - -** 1. Start recording your screen, and speak out loud as you work through tasks -2 and 3.** - -Use [Loom](https://www.loom.com/looms) to more easily share your recording - you -can create an account for free. - -As you record, make sure to tell us: - -- What you see -- What you're doing -- What you're thinking -- What you expect - -For example, start off by saying "I've just started recoding my screen, and now -I'm going to start the first task. (…) I've registered for an account and I've -just been taken to the workflow page. I can see …" - -** 2. Register / Login on -[app.openfn.org](https://app.openfn.org/users/register).** - -Take 2 minutes to click around the app and view all of the different pages. As -you click into them, tell us where your attention is drawn and what you think -each page might be for. - -** 3. Using the [quick-start guide](/documentation/tutorials/tutorial), -figure out how OpenFn works and what you can do in the application.** - -** 4. Now, in your own words, explain to someone how to build a workflow.** - -What is a workflow and how do I build one? - -What are jobs, trigger and adaptors? How do you run a job? What is the input? - -Why can OpenFn be used for? What might discourage you from using it? - -** 5. Send the recording to our product manager Amber at amber@openfn.org.** - -_•Note: the recording will only be used internally. If you wish for it to be -deleted once viewed please state so in the email._ - -If you would rather give your feedback in person, or have questions around using -Lightning, please book office hours with our product manager Amber via the -following link: https://calendly.com/amber-openfn/30min. diff --git a/blog/2023-06-01-open-function-group.md b/blog/2023-06-01-open-function-group.md deleted file mode 100644 index 4560e7940fa..00000000000 --- a/blog/2023-06-01-open-function-group.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,143 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: 'Open Function Group receives impact investment' -author: Taylor Downs -author_url: https://github.com/taylordowns2000 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/taylordowns2000 -featured: true ---- - -The team behind OpenFn has secured a $2M investment from the -[Steele Foundation for Hope](https://www.steelefoundationforhope.org/) to help -us scale our impact. - -> **tl;dr:** OpenFn, the open source -> [Digital Public Good](https://digitalpublicgoods.net/) (DPG), -> [Global Good for Health](https://digitalsquare.org/digital-health-global-goods), -> and increasingly important part of the digital public infrastructure that's -> relied on by governments and NGOs around the world, is now in a better -> position than ever to serve our growing community of global users. - -What follows is a description of what the company behind it is doing and -why—specifically in terms of what it will mean for the future of the OpenFn DPG. - -<!--truncate--> - -## Some context - -<details> - <summary>What is OpenFn?</summary> - <div> - <img src="/img/openfn-color.png" width="100" /> - </div> - <div> - OpenFn is workflow automation platform in use in over 40 countries by - governments and social-sector organizations to automate critical business - processes that run across multiple systems. - </div> - <br /> - <div> - You are on our blog & docs site. If you're new to OpenFn, you may want to - start on our homepage: <a href="https://www.openfn.org">www.openfn.org</a> - </div> -</details> - -<img src="/img/ofg.png" width="300"/> - -**Open Function Group** is a public benefit corporation and we are the primary -stewards of the OpenFn DPG. Historically, most of our revenue came from selling -software licenses and doing implementation work around a proprietary web -application built on top of the open-source OpenFn integration toolkit. We have -reinvested our earned revenue over the years into the development of this free -and open source (FOSS) toolkit. In recent years, since committing to making the -next version of our flagship product fully open-source, we’ve also received key -grants, donations, and pull requests to strengthen the toolkit and this next -version, OpenFn/Lightning, directly. - -<img src="/img/sffh.png" width="400" /> - -The **Steele Foundation for Hope** is a foundation that invests in lasting -solutions for some of humanity’s hardest challenges. They believe that advances -found through technology and innovation are key to improving quality of life for -less fortunate people around the world. They share our vision for a diverse, -thriving ICT4D sector with local ownership of solutions and distribution of -power, and we are incredibly excited to have their backing for this next stage -OpenFn’s growth. - -## What we're doing - -Making our flagship product fully open-source is important to our long-term -strategy for impact at scale. Even when governments and NGOs choose a managed -OpenFn offering, they need to know that they're not locked in. They've got to -own their solution, and that means having the substantive freedom to implement, -deploy, run, maintain, or easily migrate off OpenFn when and however they want. - -At the same time, customers running critical workflows on OpenFn only chose our -technology in the first place because they're confident that it's well built, -well maintained, and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. In other words, they -want robust software that's supported by reliable businesses—in that sense, they -do not want us to do anything that might threaten the long-term sustainability -of the company that built it. - -Donor funding to enhance our open source software and documentation has been -absolutely pivotal to date, and we’ll continue to receive grant funding for -this, **but the investment from the Steele Foundation allows us to do something -different.** It allows us to expand key aspects of our _business_ that may -ultimately help us reduce our reliance on donors and drastically expand the -social impact of the free and open source digital public good we provide. - -Two major initiatives that are already underway are a UX redesign focused on -new-user onboarding and the development of a new channel partner certification -program. Through the latter, we've seen staff at two different partner -organizations get certified and one has gone on to deliver an OpenFn -implementation with the Ministry of Health in St. Lucia, automating a vaccine -reporting workflow involving DHIS2 and a custom ministry database. - -## What this means for the DPG - -So what does an investment in Open Function Group mean for the future of the -OpenFn DPG? - -First, it means we have the ability to set and execute on a longer-term strategy -for the product—one that we feel will allow the impact of the DPG to grow -exponentially by decoupling adoption from the growth of our own core team. A -large portion of this investment will go directly into the design and -implementation of features in the Lightning code base, made in conversation with -our open-source steering committee for the immediate benefit of the whole -community. - -Second, we'll be able to back up that new product strategy with serious capacity -building and business generation initiatives that grow the implementer -network—this means that there will be more capable OpenFn implementers within -governments, NGOs, and for-profit consultancies all over the world. - -Finally, as we iterate on and improve our software-delivery-as-a-service -(hosting, deployment, maintenance, support) model, we’ll achieve greater -financial stability, safeguarding the continued development of the DPG for years -to come. - -## One more thing - -This is a significant moment for the OpenFn community. On behalf of the team at -Open Function Group, I want to thank all of our users, contributors, -implementers, and partners. Your work, and the hope that you put in ICT4D is why -we're doing what we're doing. - -Whether you're a longtime forum user or are yet to make you first post on -[community.openfn.org](https://community.openfn.org), now is the perfect time to -make some noise. - -- Ask a question about the data model. (Or the business model!) -- Share about or get advice on your upcoming implementations. -- Ask about the open source steering committee. -- Request a new feature for Lightning. -- Learn how to build new adaptors. -- Report a bug. -- Tell us why you love OpenFn or what you hate about it. (OpenFn is only here - because of _you_ and the importance of your work.) - -Your use cases, workflows, adaptors, features, frustrations, feelings of -delight... they have driven the product forward for the last 9 years and we -can’t tell you how grateful we are for your continued support and willingness to -contribute. Thank you. - -— Taylor diff --git a/blog/2023-08-14-OS4H-case-study.md b/blog/2023-08-14-OS4H-case-study.md deleted file mode 100644 index 0589a6cbcda..00000000000 --- a/blog/2023-08-14-OS4H-case-study.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,86 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: 'Open Solutions for Health delivers workflow automation for the St. Lucia Ministry of Health' -author: Aissatou Diallo -author_url: https://github.com/daissatou2 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/daissatou2 -image: /img/os4h-team.png -tags: [case study, Open Solutions for Health, OS4H, St. Lucia, MOH, DHIS2, health] -featured: true ---- - -**[Open Solutions for Health (“OS4H”)](http://www.opensolutions.health/)** is an Integrated Systems for Health collaborator and -implementer specializing in providing enterprise support for free and open-source systems -(FOSS). They customize small, mid-range and large open source health applications for Ministries of Health, medical councils, medical doctor practices, health groups and hospitals in the Caribbean. **OS4H is also our first certified OpenFn implementation partner in the Caribbean, trained to deliver workflow automation projects to help their regional partners achieve health systems interoperability.** - - Peter Ricketts, CEO at OS4H, says the Dominica-based team provides sustainable solutions designed to meet the needs of organizations in small island developing states (SIDS) that will strengthen their health management operations. While OS4H specializes in digital health implementations for the Caribbean, their team of IT specialists also works across other sectors, including education and agriculture. - -> “At OS4H, our mission is to improve health outcomes by matching the right technologies to the problems and build the supporting framework around it to ensure it is implemented and sustained over the long run. We believe in making high quality data and information available to those who need it, where they need it, and when they need it in a sustainable manner.” - Peter Ricketts - - - -| ![osh4h-team](/img/os4h-team.png) | -|:--:| -| *Above: Members of the Open Solutions for Health team based in Roseau, Dominica.*| - - -This year, OS4H has been working with partners at the St. Lucia Ministry of Health (MOH) to expand their in-country DHIS2 implementation to monitor key immunization indicators so that they can strengthen management operations against vaccine preventable diseases. Check out [this press release](https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/press-release-for-world-immunization-week-open-solutions-for-health-delivers-again/) to learn more about the project supported by the [Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)](https://www.paho.org/en). - -DHIS2 offers robust dashboard and data visualization options, but St. Lucia’s immunization data was collected in a separate database, along with sensitive patient information that should only be accessed by authorized users. Therefore, to (i) avoid manual data entry and indicators calculations, and (ii) minimize access to sensitive patient data, OS4H sought to automate the reporting of key immunization indicators to DHIS2. After researching secure, open source, and OpenHIE-compliant options for data integration, OS4H decided to deliver this solution using the OpenFn workflow automation platform. - -**In less than 1 month, OS4H successfully designed and implemented workflow automation on OpenFn that integrates the St. Lucia Health Information System (“SLUHIS”) database with DHIS2, enabling regular, nation-wide monitoring of key immunization indicators for MOH staff and epidemiologists.** - -This OS4H implementation consisted of two phases: (1) training on the OpenFn platform and(2) implementation of the automated workflow for St. Lucia. - - -## OS4H is now a certified OpenFn implementer - -At OpenFn, we have a small implementation team that cannot meet the rising demand for workflow automation we’re seeing worldwide. Therefore, we are investing more in partner enablement to help develop the automation expertise and OpenFn implementation capacity of local IT teams solving local problems–like OS4H in the Caribbean. Earlier this year, our core team launched the OpenFn Implementation Partner Program to offer training on the OpenFn Digital Public Good, as well as on our implementation process. - -To quickly learn how to implement OpenFn, the OS4H team completed the OpenFn Partner Onboarding Training to learn about the OpenFn product suite, as well as how to successfully design and deliver workflow automation implementations end-to-end. Over the course of 2 weeks, OS4H team members attended online training sessions and completed “homework” exercises to practice OpenFn fundamentals and prepare for their upcoming, real-world projects. At the end of the training, the OS4H team officially joined the [OpenFn Community](https://community.openfn.org/), received “OpenFn Essentials” badges for OpenFn administration and development, and were prepared to kick off their first implementation with the St. Lucia Ministry of Health. - -> "After adopting the OpenHIE reference architecture, we began exploring the various referenced technologies. Upon review of the interoperability layer technologies, **we quickly appreciated the versatility and ease of use of OpenFn.** -> -> When data transformation is needed, OpenFn utilizes JavaScript, a scripting language that is familiar to most developers in the Caribbean. This meant a **lower learning curve, enabling us to get up and running relatively quickly.** Furthermore, the support from the OpenFn core team allowed us to build in-house capacity for the full delivery cycle of an OpenFn project." - Peter Ricketts - -## Automating indicators reporting for the MOH - -Following the OpenFn training, the OS4H team successfully led the design and implementation of a solution which integrates SLUHIS, the St. Lucia MOH's health information system built on a PostgreSQL database, with their DHIS2 reporting system. - -This process involved consultations with St. Lucia MOH partners to understand the SLUHIS data structure and how to map SLUHIS data points to the DHIS2 data model. Once the data mapping requirements and workflow steps were clearly defined, then OS4H was able to configure the workflow on OpenFn and schedule the automation to run hourly. - - - -![osh4h-flow](/img/os4h-flow.png) - -**How the workflow automation works:** -1. On an hourly basis, OpenFn executes complex SQL queries to extract and aggregate immunization data from the SLUHIS PostgreSQL database. -2. OpenFn next fetches a list of “data mapping rules” from SLUHIS, which inform how municipalities should be reassigned to organization units in the DHIS2 location hierarchy. -3. OpenFn then maps the SLUHIS aggregated indicators results to related DHIS2 data elements to prepare the data for import. -4. Finally, using the DHIS2 adaptor, OpenFn imports data values to DHIS2, updating linked indicators and dashboards. - -As the workflow runs, all activity history can be centrally monitored in the OpenFn platform, and alerts are configured to notify St. Lucia MOH partners if any errors are thrown. - -| ![osh4h-dashboard](/img/os4h-dashboard.png) | -|:--:| -| *Above: Screenshot of the test DHIS2 dashboard for key immunization indicators, which displays data from SLUHIS that is aggregated and updated by OpenFn daily. This image contains test data only.*| - - -For the MOH staff and epidemiologist end users, the DHIS2 immunization dashboards are updated automatically and regularly, ensuring access to timely and accurate information. MOH dashboard users don't need to worry about manual reporting and data analysis tasks. **Automation enables MOH staff to focus on identifying trends and patterns in the administration of vaccines to improve program management operations.** - -These users might not even be aware that OpenFn is engine powering the workflow automation under the hood—for them, the dashboard *just works*. - - -| ![osh4h-meet](/img/os4h-meet.png) | -|:--:| -| *Above: Screenshot from online meeting with Taylor Downs (OpenFn) and Clem Francis (Developer, OS4H) celebrating the successful setup of an OpenFn workflow that automates calculating and reporting aggregated data values for key indicators to DHIS2.*| - -## What's next? -In April 2023, OS4H successfully launched the DHIS2 dashboard solution and handed over the monitoring of the OpenFn automation to the St. Lucia MOH team for the duration of the pilot. In the coming months, the St. Lucia MOH and OS4H will consider adding functionality and deploying the solution on a local, ministry-managed server, using [OpenFn Lightning](https://docs.openfn.org/documentation#openfn-v2-lightning-) (the OpenFn “v2” fully open-source web app) for continued use at a greater scale. - -In the meantime, the OS4H team is continuing to deliver transformative digital solutions for partners across the Caribbean and is lining up its next OpenFn project. - -:::info -If your organization, like OS4H, is hoping to develop in-house workflow automation expertise, contact [partnerships@openfn.org](mailto://partnerships@openfn.org) to learn more about the OpenFn Partner Program and training options. Also check out [OpenFn Community](http://community.openfn.org) and [OpenFn Documentation](http://docs.openfn.org) to learn from other OpenFn partners and implementers from our open source community. -::: - - diff --git a/blog/2023-11-07-Monitoring-child-protection-in-Cambodia.md b/blog/2023-11-07-Monitoring-child-protection-in-Cambodia.md deleted file mode 100644 index aa4edcadadf..00000000000 --- a/blog/2023-11-07-Monitoring-child-protection-in-Cambodia.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,57 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: post -title: - Monitoring child protection in Cambodia with automated data sharing and reporting -author: Aissatou Diallo -author_url: https://github.com/daissatou2 -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/daissatou2 -tags: [case study, Cambodia, child protection, UNICEF, Primero] -featured: true ---- - -In Cambodia, 66 per cent of children experienced physical punishment and/or psychological aggression by caregivers in the past month ([CDHS](https://www.nis.gov.kh/index.php/km/17-cdhs/123-cambodia-demographic-and-health-survey-2021-22), 2021-2022), and 11 per cent experienced online child sexual exploitation and abuse ([Disruptive Harm Study](https://www.end-violence.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/DH_Cambodia_ONLINE_final_JS%20%281%29.pdf), 2022). To strengthen Cambodia’s child protection system so that children are sheltered from harm, UNICEF works with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans & Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), the Ministry of Interior, other Ministries, and in-country NGO partners. This year, thanks to OpenFn-powered automation, these partners have released a new child protection monitoring dashboard that can keep up-to-date with the latest case management information. - - - - -## Launching the Child Protection Information Management dashboard - -In 2021, the MoSVY, with support from UNICEF Cambodia, launched the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS) dashboard to visualize 50 child protection indicators. For the first time, the dashboard provided key child protection related data in one platform, enabling policy makers and service providers to more effectively monitor and evaluate child protection programmes as well as supporting planning and decision making. - -This project was a culmination of work that started in 2018, which included the configuration of CPIMS and development of the monitoring framework for child protection. As part of the CPIMS initiative, UNICEF Cambodia also supported the MoSVY to establish and implement the [Primero](http://primero.org) case management system, a tool that supports government social service workers to facilitate case management for children who are at risk of or experience violence and other child protection concerns in any setting. - - - -| ![cambodia child](/img/cambodia-kids.png) | -|:--:| -| *Knowledge E, 2020*| - -## OpenFn automation keeps the dashboard in-sync -When the CPIMS dashboard was first launched, it was not connected directly to Primero (the system where case information is managed). This meant that the dashboard was not always up-to-date with the case information and “out-of-sync” with what was actually happening in the field. - -To ensure this dashboard is always “in-sync”, UNICEF Cambodia collaborated with OpenFn to implement automated data exchange between Primero and the database feeding the CPIMS dashboard. This automated Primero-to-dashboard workflow runs on a regular basis (according to MoSVY’s reporting cycles), ensuring the latest case management and services data are reflected in the dashboard and eliminating the need for manual data entry or tedious calculation of indicator results. - - - -| ![ona_integration](/img/ona_integration.png) | -|:--:| -| *The current Cambodia implementation integrates Primero and a central PostgreSQL database, which feeds the CPIMS dashboard (built on Canopy analytics tooling).*| - -**This solution empowers MoSVY to:** - -1. Securely share cleaned, anonymized, reporting-ready data extracts publicly for better monitoring, trend analysis, programming and planning; -2. Make indicator results automatically available for further visualization and analysis by caseworkers, donors, and partners; -3. Analyze its impact across provinces in Cambodia; -4. Easily scale and expand its reporting by implementing this solution in other countries or integrating data from other partner systems into one database for centralized analysis. - -| ![ona_dashboard](/img/ona_dashboard.png) | -|:--:| -| *Snapshot from the MoSVY Child Protection Information Management System supported by UNICEF Cambodia. The CPIMS dashboard includes data on indicator 4.11a on the number of children supported with case management services, one of the sources of which is Primero.*| - -After the reporting requirements were finalized, this OpenFn integration was configured in less than one day, leveraging the existing open-source [Primero adaptor](https://docs.openfn.org/adaptors/primero). The current implementation integrates one Primero instance and a PostgreSQL database (which feeds the dashboard), but future implementations might integrate data from multiple systems into one database for centralized analysis. - -If your organization is interested in automating its reporting processes, you can check out this project’s [GitHub documentation](https://openfn.github.io/primero-ona-dashboard/) page and -post your questions on [OpenFn Community](http://community.openfn.org). - - -_“We are going to share this brilliant piece of work internally within UNICEF as well as Government partners through MoSVY to promote data use and strengthen case management,”_ said Phanneth Khauv, Child Protection Officer at UNICEF Cambodia. diff --git a/blog/2024-03-21-kenya-travelogue.md b/blog/2024-03-21-kenya-travelogue.md deleted file mode 100644 index fa02021dc11..00000000000 --- a/blog/2024-03-21-kenya-travelogue.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,203 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: 'All-Hands in Kenya (Another Travelogue)' -author: Joe Clark -author_url: https://github.com/josephjclark -author_image_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/josephjclark -image: /img/team-no-td.jpg -featured: true ---- - -We are staring at a concrete block. We are hot, a little bewildered, deeply -impressed. - -Enouce just laughs (he does that a lot) and leads us up a flight of unfinished -stairs, all rough concrete and exposed metal. - -It is light and airy now, the last embers of the summer sun fill the empty -stairwell as we climb. When we return in an hour or so, it'll be pitch dark and -we'll be picking out planets in the clear night sky. - -We are in Kenya for our annual company retreat. We do this at least once a year: -gathering our team from across Africa and Europe to meet face-to-face, -old-school, all-analog (baby). We share a week of smiles, playlists, brainstorms -and understanding. - -| ![Most of the OpenFn team overlooking the Great Rift Valley](/img/team-kenya.jpg) | -| :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------: | -| Most of the OpenFn team overlooking the Great Rift Valley | - -<!--truncate--> - -Actually, specifically right now, we're a little ways east of Nairobi, at the -new [Vijana Amani Pamoja](https://vijanaamanipamoja.org/) (Peace Together Youth) -community centre. - -VAP uses sport to empower and uplift kids and young adults across Kenya. That -means kids get to kick around a football on a decent pitch, but also get -opportunities for HIV testing, vocational skills training, gender-based violence -recovery, and more. They get to spend time with adults who care. - -VAP recognises that the real power of sport is its power to mobilize, to -connect, to inspire. - -Enouce and his partner Nancy built all this from nothing. Well, okay, twenty -years of sweat and toil and giving a damn and strategic partnerships and -fundraising and dreaming big, oh so big. But on this small patch of earth, -Enouce is building a base to shelter kids and help them build better lives for -themselves. - -This is grassroots aid, Kenyans helping Kenyans. - -And they're not even close to stopping. Right now, they are lodging a bid to -host the -[Homeless World Cup](https://www.homelessworldcup.org/stories/more-than-a-game-using-football-to-drive-social-change-in-kenya). -I hope they get it — but there's a lot of work to do. We actually came to play -some five-a-side, but the pitch was dug up for renovation that very morning. - -| ![Taylor Downs (OpenFn) and Enouce Ndeche (VAP)](/img/taylor-enouce.jpeg) | -| :-----------------------------------------------------------------------: | -| Taylor Downs (OpenFn) and Enouce Ndeche (VAP) | - -VAP is one of the reasons we travel all this way, hopping trains and catching -planes from London, Lisbon, Cape Town, Riga, Dakar, Budapest et al; why we put -up with Murder Birds screaming all night long; why we get the vaccinations and -stare down hippos and wonder if we can drink the water from the taps and leave -behind everyone we love. - -We come here to observe, understand and discuss our impact on the world. We come -here to check in on the mission (since you ask — increasing the efficiency of -the social sector: we automate rote tasks, saving time and money for NGOs and -governments across the Global South while increasing the quality of service -delivery). - -And of course, the opportunity to meet each other, to communicate face to face, -is irresistible. Priceless. Our team is totally remote, almost each of us in a -different country, so far apart that we measure it in time. We make the most of -every minute. - -The launch of [OpenFn v2](https://www.openfn.org/blog/lightning-is-here) -(codenamed Lightning ⚡) dominates the agenda, of course. We plan how to bring -our next-gen open source workflow automation software to market; work out how to -talk about it; list what is left to be done. - -| ![Team Meal at Lake Naivasha](/img/team-kenya-meal.jpg) | -| :-----------------------------------------------------: | -| Team Meal at Lake Naivasha | - -We discuss ambitious "moonshot" ideas, dreaming about AI-assisted workflows, -seamless onboarding, live playgrounds. We recap the mission — not that we really -need to — and remind ourselves why what we do matters. We set context for each -other, learn about each other. - -We somehow pack ourselves and our luggage into a van that can't possibly fit us -and yet somehow does (shoutouts to driver and miracle worker Dixon and the hotel -staff that agreed to look after his subwoofers for the weeekend). A two-hour -drive takes almost the whole day. - -We cycle across Hell's Gate National Park (some of us more _up_ than _across_); -we swim in sulphurous hot springs; we feed giraffes, watch fish eagles soar and -dive. We are burgled by a baboon (not even joking) and hippos graze outside our -cabins at night. - -Our CEO Taylor Downs walks around wrapped in a blanket, looking like a late-era -Luke Skywalker, doing chameleon impressions across the grass. - -We order so much Tusker and Stoney that our hotel throws a complimentary -cocktail hour for us. - -| ![Loading the van](/img/dixons-van.webp) | -| :--------------------------------------: | -| Loading the van | - -Everything is great. Co-working in the real is a joy. Decisions are getting -made. Kenya is paradise. - -But something is wrong with this picture. - -Time and again it strikes me that, busy as we are - running around, packing -buses, climbing stairs, cramming meetings - the world around us moves at a very -different pace. - -We drive down red, rocky roads, lined with people just... waiting. No-one -rushes. Staff at our hotel work dawn to dust and beyond — longer than we do. Our -driver takes us to the office and, with nothing better to do, waits around -on-site, washing the bus, chatting with the security guards. - -When Dave Graeber wrote about -["bullshit jobs"](https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/the-bullshit-job-boom), -I don't think this is what he meant. - -There seems to be a lot of spare time here. I wonder about that. We at OpenFn -are obsessed with efficiency - a certain kind of efficiency, anyway. But this -lifestyle doesn't seem to be _inefficient_. Nor is it wasteful. - -If I ever work out what any of this means, I'll let you know. - -Maybe this is the real reason we're here. We spend our lives fighting -inequality, in our own small, specialised way, reducing inefficiency in parts of -the world where every dollar, every drop of water, is precious. - -Maybe the only way to understand our impact is to immerse ourselves in places -like this. Maybe this is how we understand the mission. - -| ![AkiraChix HQ](/img/akira-chix.jpg) | -| :----------------------------------: | -| AkiraChix HQ | - -Hang on, I'm trying to round off this ramble into some kind of point but I -haven't even told you about [AkiraChix](https://akirachix.com/) yet. That's the -best bit. - -The AkiraChix HQ hosts us for our working conference. They are a sort of a -sister organisation for us as we are both funded (in part) by the Patrick J. -McGovern Foundation and Steele Foundation for Hope. - -The heart of AkiraChix is the -[codeHive](https://akirachix.com/programs/codeHive/) program: a one year, -live-in coding bootcamp for young adult women. The students live and learn on -the beautiful campus in the Nairobi district of Karen, learning about front-end -web development, dev-ops, distributed systems, game development, and more. All -accommodation, tuition and food costs are covered. - -When their training is completed they go off and work in industry (they cite an -80% placement rate last year), but also come back to the campus to teach and -support the next cohort. - -We are lucky enough to speak to some of these young women. The students are -quiet, polite, softly spoken, curious. The graduates are bold, outspoken, -switched-on. The difference is night and day, the transformation remarkable. - -This is a lifeline in a world where tech roles tend to be inaccessible and -intimidating to women, where girls are driven away from science, maths and -computing and towards family, fashion and art. It's an endemic cultural problem -in "the west" and even worse in many parts of Africa, where crippling poverty -and inequality exacerbates the problem, chokes the pool of opportunity. - -Maybe the proof is in the pudding. Long before we knew just what AkiraChix were -up to here in Nairobi, we actually hired one of their graduates. Not for the -sake of the mission, not to prove a point, not because someone asked us to: -because she was just that good. - -Speaking of pudding - I have to say, the food they served every day was -_incredible_: colourful, varied, imaginative, playful. A range of dishes, each -perfectly executed. I've never eaten better. Our Frank nearly went vegetarian. -We came from a dozen _major_ cities across Europe and Africa and none of us -could shut up about how good the food in this place was. - -The contrast between the luxury of AkiraChix and the shanty towns of Nairobi is -stark. Kenya can be a Paradise. For me, in my privilege, it was - but I mean for -_everyone_. By driving at this wedge of inequality, by empowering individuals, -civil society and governments with technology — really good, careful, -considerate technology — they can chart their own futures. - -Just like AkiraChix and Vijana Amani Pamoja are doing today. - -The more we can enable organisations like these, the faster we get there. I -can't wait until my next family dinner in a healthier, safer, more equitable, -and _even more_ inspiring Kenya. - -Tuko pamoja. - -| ![Your writer in a silly hat](/img/kenya-joe.jpg) | -| :-----------------------------------------------: | -| Your writer in a silly hat | diff --git a/docusaurus.config.js b/docusaurus.config.js index 3ea339b2b14..9acc96fa06e 100644 --- a/docusaurus.config.js +++ b/docusaurus.config.js @@ -47,11 +47,6 @@ module.exports = { label: 'Articles', position: 'left', }, - { - to: 'blog', - label: 'Blog', - position: 'left', - }, { type: 'docsVersionDropdown', position: 'right', @@ -80,17 +75,13 @@ module.exports = { // docId: 'intro', // label: 'Docs', // }, - { - to: 'adaptors', - label: 'Adaptors', - }, { to: 'articles', label: 'Articles', }, { - to: 'blog', - label: 'Blog', + to: 'adaptors', + label: 'Adaptors', }, ], }, @@ -147,16 +138,6 @@ module.exports = { }, }, }, - blog: { - showReadingTime: true, - editUrl: 'https://github.com/openfn/docs/edit/main', - blogSidebarCount: 6, - feedOptions: { - type: 'all', - copyright: `Copyright © ${new Date().getFullYear()} Open Function Group, LLC.`, - title: 'The OpenFn Blog', - }, - }, theme: { customCss: require.resolve('./src/css/custom.css'), }, diff --git a/src/css/custom.css b/src/css/custom.css index c679b5185c7..4930c472bb3 100644 --- a/src/css/custom.css +++ b/src/css/custom.css @@ -49,4 +49,31 @@ html[data-theme='dark'] .header-github-link:before { .menu--responsive .menu__button { bottom: 90px; -} \ No newline at end of file +} + +.highlights-wrapper { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + + display: flex; + flex-wrap: wrap; + align-items: center; + justify-content: center; + padding: 2rem 0; + width: 100%; +} + +.highlight-card { + flex: 1; + margin-left: 20px; + margin-right: 20px; + text-align: center; + + margin-bottom: 20px; + padding-top: 12px; + text-align: center; + border: solid 1px #c0c0c0; + border-radius: 8px; + min-width: 300px; + max-width: 400px; +} diff --git a/src/pages/index.js b/src/pages/index.js index a4338f3c503..4ef9e65e6de 100644 --- a/src/pages/index.js +++ b/src/pages/index.js @@ -8,6 +8,24 @@ import Particles from 'react-particles'; import { loadFull } from 'tsparticles'; import styles from './styles.module.css'; +const highlights = [ + { + title: 'Job Writing Guide', + link: 'documentation/jobs/job-writing-guide', + description: 'Writing a job for OpenFn? Start here', + }, + { + title: 'CLI Usage Examples', + link: 'documentation/cli-usage', + description: 'See what the CLI can do at a glance', + }, + { + title: 'JavaScript Tips & Tricks', + link: 'documentation/cli-usage', + description: 'Level up your code', + }, +]; + const features = [ { title: 'Docs', @@ -44,7 +62,7 @@ const features = [ }, { title: 'Blog', - link: 'blog', + link: 'https://openfn.org/blog', imageUrl: 'img/undraw_reading_time_gvg0.svg', description: ( <> @@ -293,6 +311,19 @@ function Home() { </section> )} </main> + <div className="container" style={{ marginTop: '30px' }}> + <h1 style={{ textAlign: 'center' }}>✨Documentation Highlights✨</h1> + <div className="highlights-wrapper"> + {highlights.map(h => ( + <div className="highlight-card"> + <h3> + <a href={h.link}>{h.title}</a> + </h3> + <p>{h.description}</p> + </div> + ))} + </div> + </div> </Layout> ); } diff --git a/versioned_docs/version-legacy/about-lightning.md b/versioned_docs/version-legacy/about-lightning.md index 0e073378bf7..e9f57b87ba9 100644 --- a/versioned_docs/version-legacy/about-lightning.md +++ b/versioned_docs/version-legacy/about-lightning.md @@ -13,10 +13,9 @@ connect _any system_. ##### Leveraging the tech powering the field-tested enterprise OpenFn platform... Lightning brings together the tried and tested technology which we have been -using since 2015 (the OpenFn -[Integration Toolkit](/documentation#our-products)) to -manage the orchestration and execution of integrations in a stable, scalable and -secure way. +using since 2015 (the OpenFn [Integration Toolkit](/documentation#our-products)) +to manage the orchestration and execution of integrations in a stable, scalable +and secure way. ##### ...and providing a fully open source web app with a user-friendly web interface. @@ -87,9 +86,9 @@ integrations to make sure no request goes unprocessed. ## Roadmap -See the [Lightning Roadmap](./openfn-roadmap.md) for a detailed list -of features that are in the backlog, planned, and/or in development for the -OpenFn Digital Public Good. +See the [Lightning Roadmap](./openfn-roadmap.md) for a detailed list of features +that are in the backlog, planned, and/or in development for the OpenFn Digital +Public Good. _You can follow our progress and track delivered features in our [changelog](https://github.com/OpenFn/Lightning/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md)._ @@ -114,7 +113,7 @@ You have 3 options for exploring OpenFn/Lightning: [github README](https://github.com/OpenFn/Lightning). Go through the -[self-paced user interview](/blog/2023/04/13/lightning-beta#take-15-minutes-to-carry-out-our-user-test) +[self-paced user interview](https://www.openfn.org/blog/2023-04-13-lightning-beta) to learn how OpenFn Lightning works _and_ help us out with feedback in just 15 minutes. @@ -377,11 +376,11 @@ features in our roadmap (we’re still in beta). Later: nothing - if a feature has proven important to our platform users, it will be available in Lightning. If there is any feature you require in Lightning -to be able to switch over to it, speak up! You can reach out to our team via the +to be able to switch over to it, speak up! You can reach out to our team via the [OpenFn Community](https://community.openfn.org/). #### When will Lightning Beta be ready? Lightning is currently in Beta. You can register for an account on -[app.openfn.org](https://app.openfn.org/). Lightning will be released -in Q4 2023. +[app.openfn.org](https://app.openfn.org/). Lightning will be released in +Q4 2023.