Archives: Projects

  • Strategy Consulting: Digitisation and International Cooperation

    July 2015 – September 2016

    Konnektiv was contracted by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung to consult on a digital strategy for all international offices within the foundation. The aim of the project was to ensure that the international structure was fit for digital transformation. We provided knowledge and expertise on central and current aspects of digitisation in international relations as well as developed working methods and structures for the foundation. Building on the current portfolio, Konnektiv identified relevant themes, fields of action, and partners, developed project concepts, and conducted a series of internal courses and trainings.

    In addition, Konnektiv advised on the conception, planning, implementation, and moderation of an annual internal strategy planning conference for the heads of the international offices. Further courses and trainings were developed to accompany the conference on three topics including an introduction to international relations and digitisation, digital mobile communications and digital security, and data ethics and big data. During the consultancy, Konnektiv also conducted a study summarising relevant stakeholders, organizations, and events focusing on digital rights and democracy active in areas where the foundation has international offices.

  • Webinar Series “Education. Opportunities. Prospects.”

    March 2016 – July 2016

    As part of the Focus Topic: Education. Opportunities. Prospects. the DAAD contracted Konnektiv to create a webinar series on the Alumniportal Deutschland, a platform designed to promote networking and sharing of information among Germany-Alumni, companies, universities, and organisations. Utilizing our vast experience within the field of international development and education, Konnektiv advised on the content, recommended and contacted experts, and moderated three webinars.

    The first webinar, How Digital Learning is Reshaping Education, focused on what kind of digital learning opportunities exist, how digital learning formats can improve access to education, and to what extent these virtual formats change traditional learning venues. How to Successfully Manage Integration into Domestic Job Markets, the second webinar, looked at what challenges come along with returning home after studying abroad, how to find a suitable job, and what techniques and strategies help with this process. The third webinar, Empowering Girls and Women through Literacy and Secondary Education, addressed how educational opportunities for girls and women can be improved and the link between access to education and factors such as health care, child mortality, and overpopulation.

    Please note: An account is required to access the webinars, however registration to the Alumniportal Deutschland is available free of charge. All webinars were held in English.

    Konnektiv has collaborated with the Alumniportal in the past, successfully conducting webinars in a similar fashion on the topic of Digital Society for the Goethe Institut.

  • Inclusive Education and ICT

    October 2015 – May 2016

    This study examined the current state of research on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for inclusive education (ICT4IE) in a development context by triangulating research on ICT for development, ICT for education, and inclusive education, drawing conclusions at the intersection of these three fields. Exemplary case studies spotlighted good practices, challenges remaining, and required action for sustainable, relevant ICT4IE policies and practices.  Konnektiv conducted an hour-long Webinar and published a Policy Brief on the topic ICT-Based Inclusive Education, Bridging the Gap: Raising Digital Accessibility for All.  This study was commissioned by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and co-authored by Melanie Stilz and Kersti Ruth Wissenbach.

    Webinar: Webinar on Inclusive Education and ICTs: Raising Digital Accessibility for All

    Policy Brief:ICT-Based Inclusive Education, Bridging the Gap: Raising Digital Accessibility for All

     

  • Training Concept for Computer Science Teachers in Kabul

    November 2015 – February 2016

    To help develop a new national education strategic plan for the Afghan Ministry of Education, Konnektiv was contracted by the GIZ to create a concept for computer science education and teacher training on IT fundamentals. Focusing on three Kabul-based model-schools and in collaboration with local consultant, Karima Qayumi, Konnektiv developed and adapted the concept to international standards. Building off the local assessment, the training concept provided guidelines for improved teaching based on the teachers’ abilities and experiences, the national computer science curricula, and the current situation and provisions at the schools.

  • Digital Portfolio Consulting

    December 2015 – February 2016

    Konnektiv was contracted to contribute to the digitisation strategy of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung in Germany. During a strategy workshop, we surveyed the current portfolio and existing activities, identified areas of action, and collected ideas for future topics. The outcomes were analysed and further desktop research and interviews were conducted following the workshop. Konnektiv developed a concept paper based on the collected results, summarising existing activities, compiling a list of potential future topics and work fields as well as formats and possible partners.

  • Innovative Digital Formats for Information Tours

    October 2015 – January 2016

    The Goethe-Institut Visitors Programme organises information tours to Germany on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office and in cooperation with the liaison offices of Goethe-Institut abroad. The invited guests visit various locations in Germany with the goal of participating in diverse exchanges in order to promote knowledge and mutual understanding, helping to develop long-term cross-border cooperation. Konnektiv was contracted to assist in improving the internal processes and design of the information tours by examining how they could be supplemented and enhanced through the use of digital elements. This process entailed surveys and interviews of the program coordinators, software-architects, and guides, as well as shadowing three guest visits. The results from these activities served as a basis for developing recommendations for digital improvements on various levels, some of which have already been implemented.

  • Development of a Community-Centred MOOC Platform

    Since December 2014

    Konnektiv programmed an open source WordPress-based template for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) focussing on community exchange rather than one-to-many content delivery. The MOOC template, originally programmed for GIZ for the MOOC Economics of Land Degradation, has since been modified, updated, and customized multiple times for other MOOCs including:

    Sustainable Code: The community tools developed by Konnektiv are not only suitable for MOOCs or eLearning, but also for other community platforms. The following sites (among others) are using the Konnektiv community-technology outside of learning environments:

    • Innovation Factory (community portion developed by Konnektiv is not publicly accessible)
    • YouMatch (community portion and member zone developed by Konnektiv are not publicly accessible)

    The source code of the MOOC template is open source and published in the WordPress plugin repository. This makes it possible for others to implement MOOCs without the involvement of Konnektiv, such as the Oppiva MOOC.

  • Webinar Series “Digital Society”

    February – December 2014

    As part of the Year of Science: Digital Society, the Goethe Insitut contracted Konnektiv to create a webinar series for the Alumniportal Deutschland, a platform designed to promote networking and sharing of information among Germany-Alumni, companies, universities, and organisations. Konnektiv undertook the content design, selection of experts, and moderation of eight webinars. Various facets of the digitisation of society were highlighted from the question of the digital divide and access to digital knowledge, to new ways of funding cultural projects and the emergence of new vocations. Further topics included eCommerce, data protection and security, and eLearning.

    Click here to access the webinars through the Digital Society group on the Alumniportal Deutschland.  Please note: an account is required to access the webinars, however registration to the Alumniportal Deutschland is available free of charge. All webinars were held in English.

    After successfully completing this project, Konnektiv was contracted by the DAAD to produce another series of webinars on the topic of Education. Opportunities. Prospects. for the Alumniportal Deutschland.

  • Online Communities of Practice

    Since July 2013

    Konnektiv has consulted GIZ and other clients on setting up (mainly internal) online communities of practice. This process entails some or all phases of the platform development including: information gathering and interviews of the target group, conceptualization, community structure, design, programming, and implementation of the platform, technical training of editorial teams, first or secondary-level support, and maintenance. Communities developed include:

    • Social Media Community, an internal platform on digital topics (conceptualization, structure, programming, implementation, secondary support, consulting); the platform has since evolved to GIZ.digital using Konnektiv’s community-centred MOOC platform
    • Cre8ideas, an idea generation platform (programming, implementation)
    • Communications Worldwide, an internal platform for corporate communications of GIZ (programming, implementation, consulting)
    • Corporate Sustainability Handprint Portal (programming, implementation, consulting, training)
    • Global Learning Database for the Alumni Network Health and Social Protection

    All code is provided to our clients and licensed as open source (GPL), so that it can be shared among the communities and further developed in the future.

     

  • Study: Social Media and Political Participation

    August – December 2013

    This study provided an overview of a number of potential uses of ICT in political participation in the development context. The potentials, limitations, and risks of using social media to improve citizen participation were identified. Ten case studies were presented to demonstrate the bandwidth of use of social media for political participation offering insight into different forms of citizen to government and government to citizen interaction.

    Engaging our broad network of international experts, each case study was authored by individuals directly involved as creators or users of the projects featured from various countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The study provided an assessment on the impact social media can have on the work of German development and included recommendations on how to create effective and sustainable processes and integrate social media activities in existing good governance projects.

    Click here to download the paper. This study was commissioned by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and published in March 2014.