CollaborAid will be an online platform where aid providers can connect, collaborate, and share information with each other and the communities they serve. Learn more about our project at www.CollaborAid.org

1. Note: The CollaborAid website is still in early development. The following screen shots are a visual representation of some of the features we will eventually offer. The names, organizations, and content used in this fictitious tutorial only serve to demonstrate how diverse our community will eventually be.

2. When searching for information within the CollaborAid Community, a user can narrow his or her focus by location, time period, and sector.

3. The search preferences correlate to a map interface where our users can find specific communities, projects, organizations, and individuals.

4. Community Profile Pages are a hub of information and collaborative opportunities.

5. Project Profile Pages recap what is being done, when, and how. Any insight gained is included in the lessons learned section.

6. Organization Profile Pages are a place where organizations can promote their activity to the larger aid community.

7. Individual Profile Pages provide space for our users to share background information and current activity. The map icon indicates that the person is a temporary visitor.

8. The map icon indicates the person is an indigenous stakeholder. We will extend our website to this group through technology partners spreading the Internet to the BOP.

9. Community Surveys capture and aggregate snapshots of development indicators. Information is user-generated and the software is designed to adapt to user responses.

10. Video Conferences provide opportunities to connect around certain issues. Users can watch and participate in the discussion, even if they cannot attend the live version.

11. The Homepage updates users about content related to their specific activities and preferences.

12. Aid Assists are a way of tracking helpful individuals within the CollaborAid Community. Incentives will be tied in to encourage this type of collaborative activity.

13. Addressing Concerns of Future Users Does something like this already exist? There are networking websites for development personnel, websites that use GIS to map humanitarian crises, and development information databases. However, no website exists with our functionality. There are several organizations that share similar missions, and we welcome the possibility of partnering with them. Not all communities have Internet connections. Our website will also be available in a low bandwidth setting for slow Internet connections. Additionally, certain features such as the survey software will be downloadable to laptops and PDAs so that users can plug in data points while offline and have them uploaded once they reconnect to the grid. Eventually, we intend to offer the CollaborAid Community on a mobile platform. How can you make sure that information provided is accurate? Only registered members can post information and answer questions. User-surveillance will catch rule violations (intentionally providing misleading information, profanity, etc.) and perpetrators will be removed from the community. It is possible for misinformation to be submitted and we remind our users that similar to Wikipedia, information should be taken with a grain of salt. Tracking the location of volunteers and projects can put them at risk. User privacy settings allow our users to determine who can view their profile content and/or location. Locations can also be plotted in a broader geographic area (i.e. provinces).

14. Like What You See? Let Us Know What You Think Email concerns or comments to feedback@collaboraid.org Endorse Us This is a no-obligation way of supporting our efforts. See our supporters page to learn more. Spread the Word About Us