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Low Level Design

Introduction

About Power Awareness Tool

The Power Awareness Tool 1.0 was launched by Partos in February 2020, as a tool to help make power relations more visible. In 2022, the tool was evaluated, resulting in the improved Power Awareness 2.0 version which serves as the basis for this assignment. The tool gives the different stakeholders the chance to share and monitor their insights on their decision-making practice within their project. It is part of a shared objective of Partos and involved members to actively promote and work to shift power, understand the effects of power dynamics on the decision-making process and create transparency on why, how and by whom decisions are being made. 

The Purpose of Power Awareness Tool

The Power Awareness Tool (PAT) is designed to help stakeholders make power relations within their projects more visible, facilitating transparency in decision-making processes. PAT 2.0 aims to build on the lessons learned from the initial version, offering an improved user experience and more effective insights for stakeholders. By helping users better understand power dynamics and how these affect the decision-making process, PAT promotes more equitable partnerships and empowers stakeholders to take informed action. The digital platform we are developing will bring PAT 2.0 to life in a more accessible and user-friendly format, supporting its core mission.

Key Objectives

  1. Implementing a user-friendly platform: The primary goal is to digitize PAT 2.0, focusing on usability, ease of navigation, and accessibility. This will enable facilitators and participants to interact with the tool in an intuitive way, making it easier to capture, manage, and analyze data related to decision-making processes in their projects.

  2. Core functionality first, with room for future expansion: The platform will begin with essential features to support user needs, but it will also be designed to accommodate future expansion. As users provide feedback, new features and improvements can be added, ensuring the platform remains flexible and evolves with changing requirements.

Functional Overview

Here is a breakdown of the core functionalities that will be implemented in the first version of the digital PAT 2.0 platform:

1. Home Page

  • Multi-language support: The home page will include options for users to select their preferred language, allowing for greater inclusive and wider use across different regions and organizations.

  • Brief tool description: A concise and clear explanation of the purpose of the Power Awareness Tool will be available, helping new visitors understand its value and relevance.

  • Downloadable PDF: A downloadable guide or overview of PAT will be available as a PDF file, providing users with more in-depth information and allowing them to learn about the tool offline.

  • Contact and help options: Easily accessible contact information and help documentation will ensure that users can reach out for support when needed.

  • Demo access: A demo mode will be provided for potential users to explore the tool’s interface and functionality before creating an account. This can also serve as a sandbox environment where users can simulate different scenarios and interactions.

  • Account creation for session facilitation: Facilitators can register and create accounts through the home page, granting them access to all relevant platform features, including session management, report generation, and participant invitations.

2. PAT Application

The core of the digital platform, where facilitators and participants interact with the tool’s decision-making features:

  • Invite participants: Facilitators will have the ability to invite stakeholders and project participants a unique invitation code or links that can be sent via email. This ensures that all relevant parties are included in the decision-making and power analysis process.

  • Create lists of partner organizations and key decisions: Facilitators can set up lists of partner organizations involved in the project, and important decisions to be analyzed. This data will help participants reflect on who holds decision-making power and how it impacts the project's outcomes.

  • Navigate through PAT steps: The tool will guide users through a step-by-step process that helps them document and analyze power dynamics. These steps could include identifying key stakeholders, mapping out power relationships, and evaluating decision-making practices.

  • Report generation and printing: After completing the steps, facilitators will have the option to generate detailed reports summarizing the findings. These reports will be available for download or printing, making it easy to share insights with all stakeholders.

3. Access and Rights Management

Ensuring that data privacy and user access control are handled effectively is critical to maintaining trust and transparency:

  • Role-based access control (RBAC): Different user roles (facilitator, participant, admin) will have different permissions within the tool. For example, facilitators will have full editing and management rights, while participants will only have view or limited input access, depending on their role in the project. Admin?

  • Data privacy: The platform will follow best practices for securing user data. All data entered will be encrypted both at rest and in transit, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other data protection standards. Users will have control over their own data, and the platform will ensure that sensitive insights are only visible to authorized parties.

  • Editing rights for facilitators: Only facilitators will have the ability to edit case information, participant lists, and decision-related data. This ensures that data integrity is maintained and that participants' contributions are not altered by other users.

  • Viewing rights for participants: Participants will be able to view their own contributions and the results of the power analysis, but they will not be able to edit content added by the facilitator or other participants. This access model preserves the collaborative nature of the tool while ensuring data control.

4. Statistics and Analytics

The platform will offer built-in statistical tracking features to monitor the effectiveness and usage of the tool over time. This data can be valuable for both the internal development team and stakeholders using PAT:

  • Usage statistics: Track key usage metrics such as the number of active accounts, the frequency of logins, and the number of ongoing sessions or projects.

  • Participant engagement: Monitor how many participants are involved in each session and their level of engagement (e.g., the number of insights shared, steps completed, etc.).

  • Active accounts: Provide an overview of how many users and organizations are actively using the platform.

  • Reporting outcomes: Analyze the types of reports generated, the common themes emerging from the data, and how insights are being utilized in decision-making. These analytics can help stakeholders understand the impact of PAT in real-world projects and inform future improvements.

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