IDR bootcamp 2014

Tools & practises

Project management and international publications

(and a case study)

 Maastricht, NL, 4-5 December

Jacopo Ottaviani – @jackottaviani

Land grabbing project

• First IDR round

• April-November 2014 

• 6 publications 

• 4 Languages

What was innovative?

• Bridge between data and reality
• Multi-publication on 6 media, such as Guardian, Folha S. Paulo, DIE ZEIT, Corriere della Sera
• Perspectives on different zoom levels (local/global)
• Cross-platform (online + print)
• Several languages, including Portuguese (spoken in Mozambique)

Reality vs. Data

• Bird's eye view (global, data-driven perspective)
• Humanisation of numbers (on the ground mission in Mozambique, August 2013)
• Data as exploratory means: use of the Land Matrix to localise land acquisitions to explore in Mozambique

LandMatrix.org

Going on the ground in Xai-Xai (Mozambique)

How to go cross-platform?

• Your content can be repackaged
• Different audiences use different means (e.g., radio is still fundamental in some areas in Africa)
• Translate content, if needed
• Videos can be re-used to some degree online & on TV
• Audio can be extracted from videos and pushed to radios

How to publish on so many media outlets?

• 3 options:
  • Simultaneous multilingual publication
  • Different stories for different audiences
  • Hybrid approach (e.g. simultaneous online + radio)

Play chess with them

• Predict them (be strict with deadlines)
• Make their life easy (give them a .zip)
• Tell them from the beginning about your media coalition
• Do not give your stories away

Variables at play

• Define roles a.k.a. areas of responsibility
• Every task has a deadline and a person in charge
• Appoint a project manager (e.g. to solve deadlocks)
• Use a tool for project management
• Consider 3 weeks for outlets to set up your things properly and schedule publication

Trello.com

Thanks! 

Questions?

@JackOttaviani