📝 Meeting Minutes 2023-12-13

Meeting Information

Meeting Date/Time	2023-12-13, 16:00
Meeting Purpose	Starting the project
Meeting Location	BRS office
Note Taker	AM

👥 Attendees

People who attended:

• @AM

• @CM

• @JH

🚀 Actions Items

• Use Teams for communications.

• Weekly meetings at Teams (@AM and @CM). Set the date and time.

For @CM:

1. ✅ GitHub for Project Artifacts: Utilize the BRS GitHub repository for storing project artifacts. Ensure that @mazurov is added to the organization. (@CM)

2. Trello for Project Management: Implement Trello for project management purposes. (@CM)

3. ✅ Publish JavaScript Code: Publish the existing JavaScript code for the initiatives search and map on GitHub. (@CM)

4. Data Upload for Inventory: Resolve the issue related to data upload for inventory with Kai. This involves addressing the challenge of direct upload to the CRM, especially considering the CRM is located in the DMZ. (@CM)

For @AM:

1. Project Understanding: Draft a project understanding document to clarify the scope and objectives of the project. (@AM)

2. Update Initiatives Search Form: Enhance the initiatives search form by adding the ability to search by countries. (@AM)

3. Update Initiatives Map: Explore the possibility of adding a timeline and heatmap feature to the initiatives map. This enhancement is currently under discussion. (@AM)

4. Study Gef CSV Format: Conduct a comprehensive study of the Gef CSV format and analyze how it can be integrated into the existing initiatives database. Relevant sources for reference (@AM):

   • GEF Projects Database

   • Minamata Convention Projects Overview

❓ Questions

• Is the plan to load initiatives from external sources, and is the CSV from thegef.org one of the intended sources? Additionally, are there any other potential sources under consideration for this data integration?

🗣️ Discussion Items

Project Overview

The project aims to collect data about known plastic waste initiatives, present it at the portal. The portal will allow to search for initiatives and inventories, and show enhenced reports on it.

It should be provided tools to upload data from external sources.

Initiatives

1. Initiatives Data Integration: The process of entering initiatives into CRM by BRS is underway. We have existing sample code for a search form and map, which can benefit from improvements, such as the addition of features like country-based search and a timeline on the map.

2. thegef.org CSV Integration: We are exploring the inclusion of projects from thegef.org CSV “database” into our CRM. It is essential to determine the best approach for loading this data into the CRM. The CRM databases should be flexible enough to accommodate these new data points effectively.

3. Current implementation: Search Form and Map

Current portal with the search form and map

Inventory

1. Inventory Data Management: We possess Excel files containing inventory data from various countries, all following a specific format. Our goal is to load this data into a database, ideally within the CRM. Designing an appropriate database schema is important.

2. Data Formats Variation: Some countries have their own data formats, which differ from the Excel format. We must find a suitable method for loading these diverse data formats into the CRM.

3. User Data Upload: Initially, there was a plan to allow users to upload their data through a new portal. However, this plan presents technical challenges due to the CRM API being located in the DMZ. As a solution, we may need to consider alternative databases, but this would require backend development to facilitate data storage. JH suggests that, for countries, using Excel files might be a more practical option. Further discussions with Kai are needed to finalize this approach.

4. Flexible Database Schema: The database schema for inventories should remain flexible to accommodate potential variations in inventory data.

Other

• Unified UI Migration: There is documentation related to migrating to the Unified UI in CRM. While this is not directly related to the current project, it could be valuable if we plan to work extensively with CRM in the future.

Agenda Items

1. Project Introduction and Objectives:

   • Overview of the project.

   • Key objectives and expected outcomes.

2. Team Introductions:

   • Introduction of team members and their roles.

3. Project Scope and Deliverables:

   • Detailed discussion on the scope of the project.

   • Outline of primary deliverables and milestones.

4. Timeline and Milestones:

   • Proposed timeline for the project.

   • Key milestones and deadlines.

5. Resources:

   • Allocation of resources and tools required.

6. Technology and Tools:

   • Discussion on the technology stack to be used.

   • Tools for communication, project management, and development.

7. Risk Management:

   • Identification of potential risks.

   • Strategies for risk mitigation.

8. Communication Plan:

   • Communication channels and protocols.

   • Frequency and types of team meetings.

9. Stakeholder Engagement:

   • Identifying key stakeholders.

   • Plan for regular updates and feedback loops.

10. Documentation and Reporting:

    • Requirements for project documentation.

    • Reporting structure and frequency.

11. Action Items and Next Steps:

    • Assignment of immediate action items.

    • Schedule for the next meeting.