Data Flow Mechanism

Contents

This section explains the basic mechanics of the Wavumbuzi HubSpot API, how it is configured in general, and how it might be better leveraged in future.

1. API Basics

2. Future Opportunities

1. API Basics

The "API" in this context is the connection between the Wavumbuzi database ("DB" herein) and HubSpot. It is a one-way relationship which ensures that HubSpot data is always in sync with DB. An update to any information in the DB which has a corresponding property in HubSpot configured to match it, will trigger that corresponding property to be updated with the new value. These updates can overwrite the pre-existing value (as is the case for a text filed, for instance) or append a new value to the pre-existing value (as you might want to do in the case of a multi-select field).

The configuration, maintenance, and proper ongoing functioning of the API depends of careful collaboration between the Development Team and the CRM Administrator. During preparation for an instance of Wavumbuzi it is a vital step for the CRM Administrator to brief the Development Team on any required updates to the API, and to conduct a check of which DB fields are due to be pushed to HubSpot; what their corresponding properties are; and what values those pushes ought to set.

The majority of DB fields configured to push to HubSpot are contained in the Confluence documents for Student Registration and Teacher Registration. The remainder of fields for which the API is active can be found in this System-HubSpot API document; these fields are gameplay and engagement related and represent a largely unused resource which will be discussed in section 2, below.

2. Future API Opportunities

The API was originally built for Rwanda 2020, and at the time of writing, has been in effect for this iteration as well as 2021 Kenya and Rwanda. As such, the focus has been on getting the most important data to be synchronous in order to use that to inform recruitment activities and communications that take place from HubSpot. However, there lie many opportunities to use the API in increasingly creative ways.

For example, using the API fields documented in the System-HubSpot API document alone, an email template might be built to serve as a periodic reminder to teachers at schools with pending School Join Requests; highlighting through merge fields the number of submissions that cannot yet be attributed to a school until the learners awaiting approval are admitted. In general, personalised communication represents the biggest opportunity area for API development. As a creative prompt in this regard, consider answers to the question "What game data can we communicate to our stakeholders which might help improve their engagement?"