My Volunteer Experience - Jacinta Jiawei Qi

Creating community service information data presentations involves several key steps. Jacinta began by cleaning and validating raw CSV files extracted from Google Analytics 4 and SAcommunity, utilizing both Excel functions and manual cross-checking to transform the data. Once cleaned, the data was compiled into comprehensive Excel files and summarized to highlight key trends.  

Volunteers and interns have access to the Connecting Up Digital Learning Platform providing live webinars and recorded webinars, workshops and webcons presented by subject-matter experts to understand more about a range of technology topics for the not-for-profit sector.

Relevant training sessions were selected, attended, summarised and assessed by Jacinta to look at how these sessions can enhance her volunteer experience have included:

Microsoft Power Platform - Build your first app in a day

The Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of tools that enables end users to develop applications, automate workflows, analyze data and create custom solutions. Throughout this lecture, Jacinta gained proficiency in utilizing Power Apps, which is a tool designed to build applications that steamline approval workflows, facilitate model comparisons and so on.

• Computer Status Tracking Application

Imgage: Cerfificate of Completion: Microsoft Power Platform - Build your first app

• Certificate

Jacinta was awarded a certificate of completion, which acknowledges the topics covered during the course. Furthermore, she actively applies the skills acquired to enhance the operational efficiency of Infoxchange. 

 

Data Catalyst Network (DCN)

The Data Catalyst Network (DCN) aims to break cycles of disadvantage through the innovative use of data. The DCN is made up of close to 50 organisations working with data from the not-for-profit community sector, a partnership between Infoxchange and the Paul Ramsay Foundation. Volunteers and Interns have the opportunity to attend these stakeholder meetings to understand how data is being used across the sector.

Image: Webinar of How to get better decisions from you data

How to Get Better Decisions from your Data

The presentation focused on the business capability that defines metrics addressing the need of stakeholders and communications effectively with IT and the data team.

The reason why metrics is complex relied on several reasons, such as used by various stakeholders and various systems or heavily scrutinized. Common problems could also be found such as difficult visualisation, difficulty in understanding the metric and time pressure to get the report.

Therefore, it is essential to ensure clear communications among stakeholders and data analyst. Analyst should also keep in mind to anchor the metric to the original purpose. 

The lecture also included a practical eample focusing improving the client satisfaction. It emphasized the importance of the "4W" structure—What, When, Where, and Which—to help data analysts align more effectively with the underlying business question. Related metrics and data selections such as client data, timesheets or replies would be followed getting the results and analysis.

Co-designing Safe and Inclusive Data Practices for AI and Beyond

The workshop was designed to explore how nonprofits can process data processing that are safe and easy, especially in emerging AI techniques.

We went through three interactive and engaging session during the meeting, including what is the meaning of data, what is important for shareholders as well as how to improve the process to make sure the data engagement was easy and safe. From these sessions, we get to connect with people in different industry areas and share our ideas collaboratively.

One session question especially stood out to me, as it addressed the balance between using the same data templates for consistency and managing the different interests of various stakeholders. This discussion gave me a clearer perspective on how to communicate more efficiently while appreciating the diverse viewpoints of stakeholders.

By attending the workshop, I learnt how to engage stakeholders, including clients, staff and management as well as what they need from the organization’s use of data and  process data that is safe and easy especially in AI techniques.

 

Imgage: Volunteer Friday Group 2024
Volunteers Rex Porter, Dylan Reed, Jacinta, Navodani Thennakoon and Alex Thi Ngoc Bich-Nguyen. 

Supervisor and Peer-to-Peer Learning and Discussion Sessions

In the office, the volunteers and interns joined the supervisor-led and peer-to-peer learning sessions focusing on improving the efficiency in reporting, discovering meaningful contributions among colleagues and so on. This reflective learning approach not only enhanced my technical skills but also promoted teamwork and continuous improvement. 

Interns Mahir Numayeer Islam, Meixuan Liao, Shrushti Rajendra Ladage, Deekshitha Goud Podeti, Volunteers Dylan Reed , Rex Porter, Chris Baldwin and Jacinta.

Telephone Techniques - 9 July 2025
Telephone techniques focusing on the email and communication techniques were established to assist Data Analytics team members when it comes to customer service and professional tones when talking to the customers. By applying, the organization was aboe to confirm and update the council dataset information, and finally introducing and presenting the data reports to council stakeholders. 

During this session, I participated in several mock telephone talking sessions with Dylan,  covering various scenarios, including those with and without prior email communication. From these experience, I learnt how to communicate professionally with the customers and gained insights on what the customers or stakeholders of the SA community directory focused on. 

Image: Cake & Connect, a break from the screens with IX's staff and current interns and volunteers Navodani, Alex, Julia, James (Web Developer), Aaron, Eric (Account Manager), Chloe (Marketing Coordinator), Rex, Mihir, Jason, Eily, and Kurinji)

Cake and Connect - R U OK? DAY on 10 September 2024

In preparation for R U OK Day, the volunteers and interns welcomed the opportunity to come together over cake and meaningful conversations. It served as a gentle reminder to check in with people around us and ensured the mental and emotional well-being.

The volunteers and interns valued the relaxed environment, where they inquired about each other's feelings and shared ideas on healthy habits they can incorporate into our routines to improve our overall well-being. This simple yet impactful approach fostered a sense of connection and reinforced the importance of being mindful of one another’s health.

Reflections
Through my experience at SAcommunity, I worked on cleaning and validating council reports and creating visual dashboards in Power BI to present service data for Burnside City. This project enhanced my abilities in data extraction, validation, and visualization, furthering my insight into tools such as Power BI and Canva. I discovered the significance of precision and the worth of thorough analysis when presenting data to council stakeholders, making sure that insights are both relevant and practical.
 

What's more, various training programs such as Data Catalyst Network and workshops expanded my understanding of data security, AI integration and business intelligence in the non-profit sector. I’ve acquired practical techniques for improving data management and security measures, enabling me to effectively support not-for-profits.