Transparent and organized governance: GTFC Municipality's Monitoring and Evaluation Platform
Tags: refinehackathon, react, webdev, opensource
Published: 2023-07-04 16:48:23

## What I built 
We are delighted to introduce a project that will revolutionize how the GTFC municipality manages its operational processes: the Monitoring and Evaluation Platform. This platform has been designed as part of the LOG (Local Open GovLab) project, an innovative program under the AfricTivists Strategic Program. Its main objective is to support, equip, train, and guide local administrations in integrating digital tools for budget transparency, open and inclusive governance, access to information, and co-creation with citizen dynamics.

The GTFC municipality expressed the need for a solution that goes beyond a simple showcase website and incorporates various management functionalities, such as meeting reporting, monitoring and evaluation, toolbox integration, mission reports, and much more. It is within this context that we have developed the Monitoring and Evaluation Platform, in close collaboration with the municipal team.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Platform has been developed using the **Refine** technology, which provides a user-friendly and intuitive interface. To ensure efficient data management, we have chosen to utilize **Supabase Data Provider** as the database solution. This allows secure storage and access to information while offering flexibility to adapt the platform to the changing needs of the municipality in the future.

### Category Submission: 

- Best Overall Project
- Most Visually Pleasing
- Most Technical Impressive
- Best Project built using Supabase as the main data provider for the refine app.

### App Link

[GTFC Municipality](https://gtfc-africtivistes.netlify.app/)

### Screenshots 

![Login](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/k7hpbqkzao2slz4roomu.png)

![Home](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/vilg0rvxjgnsjhu60yhk.png)

![Show Agenda](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rkyo5qy6mhfd2hrp35k4.png)

![Create Agenda](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/n1a96u3lyj06eneyf4aq.png)

![Show Report](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/g168w6zdv9tp2rxwj2as.png)

### Description 

One of the first modules we focused on is the Agenda module. This module allows the municipal team to plan and organize meetings effectively. It offers the ability to create detailed agendas, specify discussion points, involved participants, and associated documents. With this functionality, meetings become more structured, and topics to be discussed are clearly defined, fostering productive and targeted discussions.

The second module we have developed is the Report module. This module enables the municipal team to capture decisions made during meetings, define actions to be taken, and assign responsible individuals. Additionally, it provides the ability to record key discussions and highlights of each meeting. This allows for precise traceability of information and facilitates the tracking of commitments made during meetings. This module contributes to better coordination among stakeholders and effective implementation of decisions.

We are aware of the challenges faced by the GTFC municipality, particularly in terms of limited material resources and internet connectivity issues. Therefore, we have ensured that the Monitoring and Evaluation Platform is accessible and functional, even on mobile devices and under varying connectivity conditions. This empowers the municipal team to access and update the agenda and reports from anywhere, simply using their mobile phones.

The development of the Monitoring and Evaluation Platform marks a significant step towards the digital transformation of the GTFC municipality. The Agenda and Report modules form a solid foundation for transparent, organized, and efficient management of municipal activities. It is important to emphasize that the Monitoring and Evaluation Platform is an integral part of the LOG (Local Open GovLab) project, which aims to create model communities for open local governance. This project is designed as an open-source solution, making it reusable by other municipalities seeking to improve their governance, promote transparency, and citizen participation. GTFC plays a pilot role in this project, demonstrating its commitment to innovative and collaborative governance.

### Link to Source Code 
[Github Link](https://github.com/localopengovlab/gtfc-admin)

### Permissive License 
MIT

## Background (What made you decide to build this particular app? What inspired you?) 

When deciding to build this particular app, we were inspired by the vision of transparent and efficient governance within the GTFC municipality. We recognized the need for a comprehensive solution that goes beyond a traditional website and addresses the specific operational challenges faced by the municipality.

Our inspiration came from witnessing the dedication and hard work of the municipal team in managing numerous projects and activities. We saw an opportunity to support their efforts by providing them with a centralized platform that streamlines their processes, enhances collaboration, and facilitates informed decision-making.

The desire to empower the municipal team and enable them to work more effectively and transparently was a driving force behind the development of this app. We were inspired by the potential impact it could have on improving the overall governance and service delivery within the GTFC community.

Furthermore, the feedback and insights shared by the GTFC municipality during our discussions played a crucial role in shaping the app's features and functionalities. Their input guided us in understanding their unique requirements and tailoring the app to suit their specific needs.

Ultimately, our motivation stems from the belief that technology can be a powerful catalyst for positive change. We were inspired by the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the GTFC municipality by providing them with a cutting-edge platform that enhances efficiency, transparency, and accountability.

In summary, the GTFC Monitoring and Evaluation Platform, developed as part of the LOG project, represents a significant advancement towards transparent, organized, and efficient governance. Its utilization of modern technologies, user-friendliness, and adaptability make it a valuable tool for the municipality. Moreover, as an open-source solution, it offers the opportunity for other municipalities to adopt and customize this platform to enhance their own governance processes

### How I built it (How did you utilize refine? Did you learn something new along the way? Pick up a new skill?) 

Utilizing Refine in our project has been an enriching experience. With Refine's powerful set of tools and functionalities, we were able to streamline the development process of our web application. We leveraged Refine's features for handling CRUD operations, authentication, access control, routing, networking, state management, and internationalization.

One of the key benefits we gained from using Refine was its ability to eliminate repetitive tasks commonly associated with building web applications. By providing industry-standard solutions for critical parts of our application, Refine allowed us to focus more on the unique aspects of our project and accelerate development.

Throughout our journey with Refine, we also learned new concepts and techniques. The headless architecture of Refine was particularly eye-opening. It taught us the importance of separating UI components from business logic, allowing for greater flexibility and customization. This approach opened up new possibilities for creating a tailored user interface while still benefiting from Refine's powerful backend features.

Moreover, we had the opportunity to work with React, the underlying framework for Refine. This enabled us to deepen our knowledge and skills in React development. We learned to leverage React's component-based architecture, hooks, and context API to create a modular and efficient application structure.

Overall, utilizing Refine in our project not only accelerated our development process but also broadened our skill set. It enhanced our understanding of frontend development best practices and solidified our expertise in React-based frameworks. We are excited to continue exploring and utilizing Refine in future projects, as it has proven to be a valuable tool for rapid and efficient web application development.

### Additional Resources/Info
[AfricTivistes](https://twitter.com/AFRICTIVISTES) collaborating with GTFC's Municipality,@abdoulayeguene and @dofbi
[LOG Website](https://log.africtivistes.org/)
[AfricTivistes Website](https://www.africtivistes.org)