Why Global Hand's second iteration?
There is often a disconnect between the corporate world and the NGO sector that results in frustration on both sides of the equation. If corporations want to engage financially, there is usually little difficulty, but if they wish to engage with human resources, freight or goods, challenges result. In response, Global Hand therefore broadened its platform to help people partner on all these fronts. The result was a new version of the site, released in December 2005: Global Hand 2.
It introduces several features.
Click here for a guided tour of new features in Global Hand 2 (Flash presentation)
Download a PowerPoint introduction (6.2MB in size.)
1. Greater range of services
Global Hand 1 invited people to offer and request goods.
Global Hand 2 invites people to offer and request:
- funding
- human resources
- freight
- goods, as before
2. Greater flexibility
New technology helps us make the new version more flexible for you to use.
- Navigation should be easier with this new system.
- A more powerful search tool has been introduced to make it easier to find information.
- The site will, as development unfolds, intuitively help direct you to topics of relevance to those you are exploring. Watch this space.
3. Greater adaptability
The look of the site can be changed so that its functionality can be used, by key partners, with their own “skin”. The Global Hand range of services remains available, but the adapted version has the “look and feel” of the partner agency and can, to a degree, be modified for its functions. More information…
4. Greater language options
The new version has greater capacity for other language options. At present, it is fully functional in English only, but a Chinese prototype has been partially developed already and, in the future, the site will be available in other languages. Again, watch this space.
GLOBAL HAND’S ONGOING FEATURES…
- STANDARDS: The Global Hand community considers the development of standards long overdue. We are more than familiar with the patterns that see containers stuck in ports, insensitively chosen product cause cultural offence, inappropriate product wreak economic damage, and so on. To help safeguard the process, Global Hand is working on international standards through interaction with colleagues in major NGOs worldwide.
- INFORMATION: It can be difficult to find one another in this industry, so our library of information continues:
- to help organisations partner. Information is searchable by need type, region offered etc.
- to provide a range of information on volunteering, freight and logistics and further related services.
- to build its “Yellow Pages” for Relief and Development organisations.
The main difference is that it has greater flexibility than Version 1.
- FORUM: Discussion circles allow users to interact on issues of mutual relevance. Any number of these can be set up to allow specialisation with special interest groups.
Questions? Feedback? comments@globalhand.org