My Volunteer Experience - Navodani Thennakoon | SAcommunity

Submitted by sacommunity on Tue, 08/15/2023 - 13:38

Welcome Navodani!

Navodani Thennakoon joined our Data Analytics Team as a volunteer, whilst she studies her Masters at Torrens University, beginning with the team on the 8 August 2023 and continuing. She attends for ~4 hours a week onsite at the Connecting Up Office around her classes.

Total Hours 162 This Year 6 Joined 8 August 2023 Last Login 12 March 2025

Personal Biography

Navodani is currently studying Master of Business Information Systems at Torrens University. She has completed her Bachelors in Business Management specialised in Marketing at the University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka and she is a qualified Chartered Marketer. She worked as a Sale and Marketing Manager and Development Officer in Automotive Service Industry and Government sector in Sri Lanka.

Navodani has chosen to volunteer with the SAcommunity Data Analytics Team as a Volunteer Information Officer at Connecting Up. Her aim is not only to gain practical experience but also to expand her professional network and establish valuable connections within the industry. Committed to giving back to the community, she is eager to contribute her skills as a volunteer while developing her career.

In the future, Navodani looks forward to become a Data. Her unique blend of knowledge in digital marketing and data analytics positions her to make a meaningful impact to the community by leveraging data-driven insights to drive positive change.

Image: Navodani Thennakoon volunteering at the Connecting Up office with Volunteer Rex Porter (background)

Image: Report for sessions by Organisation - Marion Council - FY 2021-2022

Community Services in Councils Projects

Navodani has selected the City of Marion for her council reports for 2021-2022, a database of approximately 380 community service listings operating in the area, following up on previous reports from Stathis Avramis and once completed will be found >>here. The report indicates the local community service information groups and demands in Marion Council.

Image: GovHack Connections Event 9 August 2023: Pujan Maharjan, Camille Sze Pui Ko, Navodani Thennakoon, Frank Xiufeng Shi, Stathis Avramis and Govinda Gurung

Building Conncetions and Networks

SAcommunity Team members are encouraged to build new connections and create networks through participating in SAcommunity and Connecting Up partner and stakeholder activities, events and meetings as they arise to understand more about the wider organisation's projects, the work they are involved in, and how our activities impact and are impacted by other not-for-profit organisations.

GovHack 2023

The SAcommunity Team has attended and supported GovHack for several years providing open data set for competitors, data mentors and promotion of the event. The annual open data hackathon was held this year on the 18 - 20 August 2023 across Australia and New Zealand and SAcommunity Team members attended the pre-competition 'Connections event' to represent Connecting Up and our commitment to open data through making the SAcommunity dataset available at Data.SA the South Australian government's open data directory.

Image: GovHack Connections Event 9 August 2023: Pujan Maharjan, Camille Sze Pui Ko, Navodani Thennakoon, Frank Xiufeng Shi, Stathis Avramis and Govinda Gurung

Image: Renu Bala, Junior Implementation Consultant – Customer Delivery – CCM & ITS Dept, Infoxchange, Melbourne

Mentor Meeting - Internal Connections and Networks

The SAcommunity Mentor Program aims to further develop an understanding of Connecting Up and Infoxchange, explore career ideas, and build relationships and networks throughout the office.

Mentor meetings are an opportunity for volunteers and interns to select a member of the Infoxchange staff for a learning session in which they can explore their career options by asking staff about their chosen educational and career journeys. Mentees can also obtain advice on professional development, gain perspective on job pathways, and have an opportunity to create new connections.

Navodani held her mentor meeting with Renu Bala, Junior Implementation Consultant – Customer Delivery – CCM & ITS Department Infoxchange, Melbourne on the 19th September 2023, preparing 5 key questions to ask her mentor.

Image: Navodani Thennakoon with Renu Bala

5 key takeaways from our mentorship meeting included:

1) Starting a Career: Internships and volunteer work are crucial to gaining local experience. Even without local experience, leveraging these opportunities can help secure a professional position.

2) Balancing Studies and Work: Prioritize your studies while managing part-time work hours. This balance is essential for success as an international student with limited work hours.

3) Building Data Analysis Skills: Take short online courses related to your field and apply your learning in practical situations, such as through volunteer work or projects.

4) Volunteering Experience: Volunteering can be an excellent way to gain hands-on experience, build confidence, expand your network, and increase career opportunities. It can also lead to paid opportunities.

5) Career Growth in Data Analytics: Keep building your skills, take on both large and small projects, and use online resources (like Connecting Up Training) to learn. Volunteering and continuously improving your skill set are key for long-term success.

13 December 2024 SAcommunity Friday Team:
Rex Porter, Dylan Reed, Jacinta Jiawei, Navodani and Alex

Connecting Up Training & Development

Cybersecurity Fundamentals for not-for-profits
Navodani selected Cybersecurity webinar as it directly relates to her current studies and she is interested in this field.

In today’s world Cybersecurity measures are essential to safeguard both client and the organizational data. The ‘Cybersecurity Fundamentals for not-for-profits’ webinar aimed to guide us through the fundamental components necessary for securing our information.

Organization data is key to any organization. It is important for staff to understand where to store organizational data so it is backed up and how to store physical documents as well.

Key Takeaways:
·         Utilizing Multifactor Authentication for all the organization core systems
·         Educating users/staff about the organization security protocols
·         Understanding of the eight core technical security measures recommended by the Australian Cyber Security Center to protect the organization against a range of risks
·         Making Cybersecurity risk management and governance a priority

Getting started with data: Hands-on with Microsoft Power BI for data visualisation

Navodani recently watched the "Getting Started with Analytics: Tools, Infrastructure & Data" webinar, and it provided valuable insights for NGOs with limited resources looking to embark on their data journey. She learned practical tips and tools to help organizations get started, as well as effective strategies for managing messy data using Google sheets.

The review of real-life case studies, particularly from Good Data Institute projects, highlighted how other organizations successfully navigated similar challenges. This session was instrumental in explaining the analytics process and empowering NGOs to utilize their data more effectively.