LocationsHarnessing Collective Intelligence for Change in Jordan: The Journey of "A Problem You Faced Today"
September 22, 2024
From ‘A Problem you Faced Today’ Website
In Jordan, public trust in government institutions has faced significant challenges recently. From 2020 to 2021, trust levels dropped dramatically from 63% to 43% as economic difficulties and limited civic engagement eroded confidence in decision-makers (Arab Barometer, 2021). This growing gap in communication, where many Jordanians feel disconnected from policies that affect their lives, has become a pressing issue.
That is where ‘A Problem You Faced Today’ comes in. It is not just another platform for data collection; it is a space where collective intelligence takes center stage. By empowering individuals to share their daily struggles and experiences, we aim to build a bridge between citizens, the institutions, and the decision-makers responsible for addressing their concerns. This journey is not about creating a solution in isolation but rather about exploration and evolution. As an exploratory tool, we are actively testing its uptake among the community and examining how it can evolve to meet their needs better. Co-creation with the very communities we aim to serve has been the center of our approach, ensuring that the platform grows in response to real, collective insights.
A Community-Led Approach
From the start, we have emphasized the importance of working hand-in-hand with Jordanians to shape the platform. Co-creation is central to our solution. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a random sample of over 50 users to gather feedback on the platform's core concept and features. These conversations were crucial in understanding user perspectives on collective intelligence and how they want the platform to serve them.
Based on this, several key insights emerged about the platform’s usability and user preferences. Users suggested implementing automatic filtering for problem categories and adding a field to specify whether an issue affects an individual or a group. Economic, social, environmental, religious, political, infrastructure and educational problems were recommended before users described their issues to streamline results. Many users appreciated the ability to view others’ problems, though some found the color scheme visually distracting, especially when viewed in sunlight. Mobile site navigation proved challenging for users with limited time, and many found the homepage text overwhelming and ignored it. Younger users were more engaged with the platform than older users, who showed less interest and confidence in using technology. Limiting the problem description to a set number of characters led to users providing brief responses, often skipping subsequent steps.
We also wanted to gain deeper insights, so we organized user-testing focus group discussions. These sessions explored everything from the platform’s purpose to the intricacies of its user interface. We knew that for the platform to be truly useful, it needed to resonate with its users on every level, from ease of use to people's desirability to trust and use it.
Through focus group discussions, we learned valuable insights that led to several design and functionality adjustments. We debated whether user problems should be redirected to relevant parties or if the platform should merely serve as a space for users to vent. The consensus leaned towards redirecting problems to relevant authorities, as this approach was predicted to incentivize more active engagement with the platform. However, this decision remains flexible, and we will continue to evaluate user feedback and data to determine whether the platform should eventually link directly to official bodies or remain more community led. Additionally, while some suggested limiting postings to Jordanians, we included a section for non-Jordanians living in the country, allowing us to address issues collectively rather than by nationality alone. Users also expressed a desire to view and interact with others' problems to some extent, which influenced our design choices.
Accordingly, we refined the platform, responding to feedback and ensuring that the final product was shaped by the people it was designed for. Two rounds of user testing with different user groups gave us a clear understanding of what worked and what needed improvement, such as the design interface, the length of descriptions, the optional data collected, and privacy issues.
Screenshot from our Survey
Continuous Engagement
One key aspect that sets ‘A Problem You Faced Today’ apart is that the people of Jordan are not just contributors; they are active participants in every stage of the platform's evolution. This involvement does not end once the platform is launched. Following the launch, we will conduct multiple focus group discussions to validate our data analysis and explore potential pathways to deliver the analysis to institutions and decision-makers.
The people in Jordan will continue to have a voice in shaping this platform, from its features to the direction it takes in the future. Regular feedback sessions, focus groups, and iterative testing ensure that ‘A Problem You Faced Today’ remains dynamic, evolving as the challenges and concerns of its users evolve.
Leveraging AI
In ‘A Problem You Faced Today,’ we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance our data analysis and provide timely support. Our platform utilizes an advanced AI model to scan user entries for urgent issues such as self-harm or domestic violence. When such keywords are detected, the AI generates immediate referral prompts, directing users to relevant helplines to ensure they receive the necessary support. We hope this proactive approach allows us to address critical needs effectively. We also monitor the number of entries that receive a referral message for analysis.
We are testing our AI model to conduct Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, a qualitative research method that identifies and interprets patterns within the data. We hope this analysis will help us generate insightful themes from the reported problems in detailed reports for UNDP and partner organizations. The AI's ability to process and categorize large volumes of data in real time is complemented by a public dashboard that visualizes the distribution of reported issues and demographic information, providing transparency and fostering a better understanding of community concerns.
We are committed to maintaining high ethical standards and protecting user privacy. Our platform ensures that no identifying data is collected beyond hashed IP addresses used for analytics, preserving anonymity. Users must confirm they are over 18, aligning with ethical research guidelines. Additionally, we offer options for users to decide if their entries are public, and we filter out defamatory content. As we test and refine our approach, including exploring enterprise privacy options, we aim to safeguard user data while leveraging AI to drive meaningful insights and support.
Collective Intelligence
What excites us about this platform is the power of collective intelligence. By crowdsourcing entries from people’s everyday lives, we are curating a living archive of the challenges people face nationwide. Each entry contributes to a larger picture that can drive meaningful change.
Through continuous engagement and the power of collective intelligence, ‘A Problem You Faced Today’ could pave the way for a new era of participatory governance in Jordan. It is not just about solving problems; it is about ensuring that every voice is heard and every experience counts.
As the platform grows, we remain committed to co-creating alongside our community, keeping people engaged and their input at the heart of everything we do. Together, we are shaping a future where artificial and collective intelligence can drive systemic change and strengthen trust between citizens and the institutions that serve them, all while we evaluate and evolve this exploratory tool.