WeChannel
Empowering Iranian Communities through Civic Engagement
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Empowering Iranian Communities through Civic Engagement *
Due to WeChannel being a confidential initiative and its details, insights, and artifacts being intellectual property of U4I, contact me to access a password-protected section with videos and graphics. Or ask for a demo.
Overview
WeChannel is a civic tech platform aiming to empower Iranian citizens to improve their local environments by reporting issues and engaging in advocacy. Designed to crowdsource community concerns, WeChannel’s mission is to foster civic engagement and strengthen independent voices, giving Iranians a virtual space to advocate for solutions to everyday issues impacting their quality of life.
The platform encouraged community members to report issues ranging from environmental pollution, road safety, and public health shortages to urban safety, accessibility, and union rights. By giving citizens a collective voice and facilitating organized advocacy, WeChannel aimed to drive impactful change within local communities.
Role: Product Manager at United for Iran
Duration: January 2019 - July 2021 (2 years and 6 months)
Objectives
Amplifying Independent Voices: Providing a secure and accessible platform where citizens could freely report issues affecting their lives, thereby creating a virtual space for civic expression.
Encouraging Advocacy for Change: Helping users and partner organizations mobilize around reported issues to raise awareness and engage local authorities for solutions.
Results
User Reach: Over 300,000 users accessed WeChannel, with more than 3,100 reports filed across 531 cities in all 31 provinces of Iran.
Advocacy Impact: 312 advocacy actions were initiated by self-organizing citizens or partner civil society organizations (CSOs), with over half of the issues resolved as a result of these actions.
- Moe Ghaffarian, Product Manager
“What truly sets Milad apart is his ability to balance strategic oversight with a willingness to dive into the details. He doesn’t just manage from afar; he gets his hands dirty, working alongside the team to tackle challenges head-on. This hands-on approach, combined with his empathy and ability to influence without formal authority, makes him an outstanding collaborator and motivator.”
Key Milestones
Early Research and User Engagement (Mar 2019): Building a user research team to understand needs and preferences, with insights shaping the platform's design and features.
Technical Challenges and Team Transition (Aug-Oct 2019): Pivoting from an initial technical partnership that delivered an unsatisfactory MVP, we transitioned to a new development partner specializing in human rights documentation apps. This shift enabled us to move towards an agile, user-centered development approach.
Agile Transformation (Jan 2020): Shifting from a waterfall model to an agile methodology, creating a flexible, prioritized backlog to improve responsiveness to user feedback and evolving needs. This transformation allowed for faster feature updates and a more adaptive product roadmap.
COVID-19 Response (Mar 2020): Rapidly adapting WeChannel to support healthcare sector reporting in response to the pandemic, enabling medical professionals to document shortages and advocate for systemic improvements.
Viral Growth and Media Recognition (Aug 2020): Through targeted outreach and strategic marketing, WeChannel achieved rapid user growth. The platform gained attention from both local media and international organizations, with journalists and citizen activists trained in crowdsourcing techniques using WeChannel as a case study.
Expanded CSO Partnerships and Advocacy (Oct 2020 - Jan 2021): Developed features specifically for civil society organizations, allowing them to moderate and lead advocacy efforts for their communities. This transition aimed to empower CSOs with localized management tools, enhancing the sustainability of advocacy efforts.
End of Funding and Project Wrap-Up (July 2021): Despite WeChannel’s success in user engagement and its impact on local advocacy, we were unable to secure additional funding. Efforts to sustain the platform continued, but WeChannel ultimately ceased operations in September 2022.
Access to Additional Content
For those seeking to learn more about WeChannel, including detailed project timeline, product demo, project artifacts, and insights from fieldwork, a password-protected section with videos and graphics is available. Due to the sensitive nature of this content, please contact me directly to request access.