Summary of Initial Results of the Web Portal User Survey – David Conrod
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Initial survey results show the enormous value of the information and data resources that exists
and the need to parse this into accessible information for end-users.
Users have stressed the need for relevant information which is immediately understandable and
applicable to the work they are doing. Such information includes examples of best practices and
cases of others working in their communities.
Outcomes of Breakout Session #1: Possible Structure and Functionality of Web Portal
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David Conrod further summarized the initial findings of the USWP Web Portal Survey and
started to outline how these findings will determine the structure and functionality of the Web
Portal.
Conrod stressed the importance of the user experience and shaping the Web Portal brand.
There is a wide range of users and suppliers, and it will be important that the Web Portal
functions across this diverse range of stakeholders.
The Web Portal is a unique opportunity to sit at the nexus of US-based data and end user needs
by providing relevant and accessible water data and information.
The audience and user experience will define the brand. A portal geared towards small
stakeholder farmers is very different than such targeting national ministries in developing
countries. The breakout session participants agreed that the Web Portal is most appropriately
geared towards a middle group of end users, including government, civil society, and private
sector.
Questions raised during the session:
o What will engagement with users look like?
o How does the Portal engage users and how do users interact with the information?
o What are the strengths of the U.S. Water Partnership partners?
o What data and information, existing data sharing tools, and expertise does the
Partnership have to offer?
o Who should be included in determining these answers?
o Who are the users and what do they want?
o What do our partners/data suppliers have?
What is the USWP Web Portal?
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Participants expressed frustration over the widespread confusion over the definition of the Web
Portal and where this definition came from.
The USWP Web Portal has the potential to guide users in navigating existing portals, by data
type, sector, or subject area.
The strength of the USWP web portal will be its integrated nature providing access to trans
disciplinary knowledge and information.
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In spite of the fact that the United States does not yet have a comprehensive portal of U.S.
water data, the USWP Web Portal is an opportunity to bring all existing U.S. based water data
together to solve global water challenges.
As noted in Kevin Gallagher’s lightning talk presentation, there is a wide spectrum of data
integration. This spectrum will be integral in determining the function of the portal.
The most important aspects of the web portal as noted by users in the initial surveys will be
relevance, convenience, and access to expertise.
Ana Prados noted the ESIP Lessons Learned web portal by NASA, as something to use in shaping
the USWP Web Portal.
Suggestions were also made to narrow the initial scope of the portal to focus on one priority
issue area defined by the users. Once the portal is developed around this issue area and all
challenges are addressed, the portal will expand to include other issue areas.
There are a number of existing databases and portals with a mass of water data and
information, and therefore the USWP should not be trying to reinvent the wheel.
o With this in mind, participants suggest the Web Portal become a directory or table of
contents to guide developing world users in the use of existing water data resources and
databases.
Others suggested the portal serve as a lobby function or concierge to direct users to the
information they are looking for.
o User feedback shows that water data users are vastly overwhelmed by the quantity and
format of data available. A concierge function would improve the precision of the
return, providing access to experts in the field who can direct users to the right
information.
o This concierge function would be in conjunction with tags and search options to improve
the user experience.
Discussion of a concierge function and user-provider interface brought to the group questions of
who would monitor the portal and mind the questions posed to experts.
o Operations and monitoring would rely on a dedicated Web Portal team which would
interact with users, engage partners to share and update information resources, and
monitor the world water data landscape to include the most up to date information in
the Portal.
o In addition to the Capital expenditure of creating the initial portal, the USWP Web Portal
will require a large capital investment to maintain and monitor.
o Incentives will be necessary to keep USWP partners engaged and eager and willing to
share their tools, new research and ideas, approaches to data collection and sharing,
and data models and create a self-sustaining Web Portal.
o Opportunities to collaborate with partners across sectors or issues would be an
incentive to participate and contribute to the Web portal.
In its design, the USWP Web Portal should learn from other organizations experiences in data
sharing.
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Human interface: In order to maintain a well-functioning and self-sustaining portal, the USWP
must have dedicated personnel whose sole responsibility is to manage the web portal, evolving
data resources, and users.
Participants suggested the portal include or link to information portals, databases, census tools
(AUS), water trends, costs of water in various markets (Circle of Blue releases a yearly analysis of
US water costs).
In addition to supplying the best of U.S. data and resources, the USWP should also leverage and
learn from other countries’ experiences (i.e. Australia, Canada, etc.).
Other suggestions were made to outsource the creation of content to a computer science
company that operate in the data search world such as Twitter, Wikipedia, Google, Cisco, IBM,
Microsoft World Research, and to focus not just on a specific issue but on a country of focus in
order to tailor the portal to that country’s individual needs and environment (Akvo Flow).
The working group expressed concerns over general quality of existing databases and
information portals, but Conrod relayed users’ confidence in USWP water data and information
due to the credibility of U.S. Water Partnership partners.
Figure out what type of data the USWP has and who has it