On the first Saturday of every month, the CirclesUBI HQ in Bali buzzes with energy as the dedicated folks that act as outreach team members in Denpasar, Tabanan, Jimbaran and Gianyar congregate for sharing lessons learned in the field.
This month the highlight was a deep dive FGD (Focus Group Discussion) facilitated by our Monitoring and Evaluation specialist Nurvit. The objective was clear: to fully capture the aspirations, pain points and motivators for what we call “Local Champions”, Circles users that are evolving as local Circles influencers in their respective villages or neighborhoods. This exploration was important as these key actors in the CirclesUBI ecosystem have the potential to substantially expand the reach of CirclesUBI in their areas.
The FGD encouraged groups of participants from different areas to describe the people that they felt were the most influential Circles Users in their areas and consider their personas. The questions explored included, "What (personal & Circles use) challenges do these users face?", "What keeps them motivated?", and "What solutions have you found to overcome their challenges?” What boosts their motivation (to share Circles benefits with others)?" After agreeing on the Local Champion Characters by each group, a picture of them was drawn as the discussion turned to exploring the details of these users’ characteristics. Insights emerged, challenges were identified, and insightful solutions proposed.
After mapping out the local perspectives, each group was invited to share their findings with the room. What did we learn? CirclesUBI seems to be an excellent tool for empowering communities to do charity for the most vulnerable in a community; it builds a sense of togetherness, helps promote small micro-businesses, and builds connections, but in areas with poor internet signal use and adoption is challenging.
To determine commonalities, for Bali wide considerations, the various groups’ insights were voted upon by all attendees so a weight for each finding could be determined to inform ongoing strategy for outreach. Each of the 30 people in attendance first gave their say on what they felt the most prevalent challenges were, and then, what they felt the best solutions to overcoming them would be.
Following the FGD, the discussion shifted to the ways we can collaborate to enhance the user experience for CirclesUBI on the ground. Suggestions included supporting localized micro networks, fostering collaboration and resource sharing between users and exploring more ways that shop owners can restock their stores using CirclesUBI. Gamification through referral rewards and loyalty incentives, was also highly recommended. The importance of expanding the range of goods and services available for exchange with CirclesUBI was something that came to the forefront as a key driver in enhancing the platform's value.
A la Alam Santi, the gathering also included some fun-filled team and insight building games centered around the theme of CirclesUBI. In this day’s game, outreach team members played the roles of outreach team members, village members and ‘naughty’ Circles users that had not adopted the vision of CirclesUBI and were simply in the system to gain prizes. The players representing outreach team members ran around the room trying to capture the ‘naughty’ users, while the other participants - depending on the role they were assigned - either helped or hindered the chase. These kinds of crafted group exercises bring energy, excitement, and sense of comradery to what is otherwise a long day of intense discussion, while acting as a subliminal reminder of the responsibility of the outreach teams.
The day concluded with a moment to celebrate the successes and dedication of the outreach teams. The participants of the dynamic gathering arrived as individuals representing different regions and left with new shared insight, geared up to make CirclesUBI more impactful than ever. A big shout-out to everyone that attended and made the day so memorable!
To growth, unity, and the impactful possibilities that CirclesUBI brings!
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