A basic task of a Content Manager is to always seek and find out what users need. The content of a website depends on (a) what is the purpose of the website, and (b) what content, functionalities and features users need or prefer.
The basic purpose of the PCC Cross-Regional Learning Site is to facilitate learning and knowledge sharing between PCC regional centers, such as between Center Directors and between coordinators. This website is not a public website. Access to it is limited to PCC staff and to outsiders the PCC will decide to invite in the pursuit of cross-regional learning.
The important user groups of this website are (a) Center Directors, (b) regional coordinators in CBED, AI and bull loan and (c) regional coordinators in R4D. These three groups form three learning communities or knowledge sharing communities. In knowledge management, they are also called communities of practice (or CoPs) because their members do similar type of work. This is the reason why there are three community areas shown in the left navigation panel. Each community started their respective expertise directories last February 2016 at the KM workshop at Clark Freeport Zone because they need to know the expertise of one another for the purpose of sharing knowledge and solutions among themselves.
CMs drawn from the regional centers also form a community of practice. You also constitute a CoP of the most IT/Internet savvy staff from the regional centers. However, you are not a user group; you are a service group because your job is to contribute to the improvement, updating and maintenance of content of this website. Unlike other websites or intranets which are often managed and controlled by IT staff in the central office, this website employs participatory content management. Content management is shared by the regional centers. Each regional center has at least two CMs duly designated by Center Directors and trained to perform their functions.
In 2016, this website also serves a specific purpose: to facilitate cross-regional sharing and documentation of CBED know-how in preparation for the National Knowledge Sharing Forum in CBED to be held in November 2016, and the Regional Benchmarking Forum on CBED to be held in the first quarter of 2017.
In this lesson, we will learn how to find out user needs.
What to do: (April 18 to May 8, 2016)
A special discussion page has been created, called "Assessment of user needs". It is accessible from the horizontal navigation bar at the top of pages in this site.
Conduct three short interviews to ask users what they need to see, be informed or know from this website, or what is their feedback or suggestions for improvement of this website: Center Director, CBED coordinators (together with AI and bull loan coordinators) and R4D coordinators.
Report your results using the comment box below, using separate comment for each user group.
Enter the label in all capitals "CENTER DIRECTOR" before describing the result of your interview with your Center Director. In another comment box, enter the label also in all capitals "CBED COORDINATORS" and continue by reporting the result of your interview with this user group. In a third comment box, do the same for "4RD COORDINATORS."
Read each other's outputs. If you wish to ask a question, follow up, add more information or otherwise react to other's outputs, use the Reply box under the comment in question.
CM Protocol #4: Content must always respond to needs of users. Do not guess or presume to know what are user needs; determine actual user needs by asking users.
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Did you encounter any difficulty in practicing this skill? What insights or observations did you gain? Any questions or any thoughts on this practice session? Or, do you have any reaction or contribution to any comment below from a classmate? Post your comment or question in the "Comments" box below. If you are answering another's question or reacting to another's comment, use "Reply" under that comment. Clarification: posting comments or replies is not considered as editing because you do not change the texts, layout or functionalities of a webpage.
(go to "Assessment of user needs" page)