IDELA (Save the Children)
Summary: Save the Children engaged me to lead the development of the IDELA Portal, a dedicated online resource for early childhood development professionals and advocates. I managed the end-to-end project—from scoping and vendor selection to content strategy, IA design, and launch—delivering a secure, user-centered platform that met organizational and grant requirements.
Role: Project Lead, Content Strategy & Information Architecture (2017)
Core Skills: Project scoping, RFP development, vendor management, content strategy, information architecture, taxonomy design, data visualization integration, content migration, WordPress administration, user research, governance documentation, training.
Role Overview
I directed the full lifecycle of the IDELA Portal project, coordinating strategy, structure, and execution. Working closely with Save the Children’s internal teams and an external digital agency, I ensured the platform supported diverse user needs, enabled access to research and tools, and met the organization’s long-term sustainability goals.
Key Responsibilities
Project Scoping & Leadership
Defined project goals, requirements, and grant deliverables, translating them into a clear and achievable roadmap.
Developed and managed the RFP process, evaluating agencies and selecting a vendor aligned with timeline, budget, and technical priorities.
Coordinated across program staff, technical teams, and external partners to keep the project on schedule and aligned with strategic objectives.
Content Strategy & Information Architecture
Led a comprehensive content audit to transition offline documents and research into a structured digital library.
Designed the site’s information architecture and taxonomy to support intuitive navigation, filtering, and resource discovery for varied audiences.
Conducted user interviews, card sorting, and usability testing to validate key structural decisions and ensure a user-centered approach.
Design Review & UX Collaboration
Worked closely with the agency to review wireframes, prototypes, and visual designs, ensuring accessibility, clarity, and alignment with Save the Children standards.
Provided detailed feedback on IA, content display patterns, and page-level layouts to optimize resource engagement.
Content Migration, Documentation & Training
Collaborated with subject matter experts to prepare and migrate content, adapting academic and policy materials for online audiences.
Created WordPress training guides, workflows, and governance documentation to support long-term maintenance by program teams.
Impact
The IDELA Portal launched as a secure, mobile-responsive knowledge hub that strengthened Save the Children’s capacity to share tools, research, and insights. Key outcomes included:
A flexible, taxonomy-driven resource archive designed for educators, policymakers, and researchers.
Members-only sections to securely deliver restricted content to partners.
Integration of Tableau data visualizations, enabling users to explore and interact with assessment insights.
A scalable, maintainable WordPress system documented for efficient long-term use.
The platform met all technical, user experience, and budgetary goals while establishing a sustainable digital foundation that continues to support IDELA’s global mission.
