CLOSING REPORT
C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2021
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS:
Robby S–Chair Johan T–Vice Chair, secretary Kevin M–Trustee liaison Gustav E, Bob S, Tom T, Casey A, Wesley, Chris, Milton, Eoghan, Brandon O, Cathal, Parthi T, Daniel S, Kini F
Over the last 2 years our small but dedicated committee has met twice a month to continue work on previous referrals including the database, meeting finder and an application for the fellowship. We have also approved a number of sites for linking to the CA.org website and continued to support committees with guidance where needed. We have created a PI liaison position to bring share information and work in cooperation as many of the PI initiatives overlap our committee. Over the next year we hope to strengthen the interactions with the other World service committees to be able to continue to grow together in this new technological era. We have had members serve on the long-term Planning committee to learn what is needed for the future of the fellowship and how we can best support the Future of C.A.
We have over the last 4 years worked on a database that would hold the data collected for meetings to feed into a meeting finder plug in, in preparation for launching a CA App and as we have learned more about what has worked. With a few Areas beta testing the plug in we have looked for the best way to gather the information needed from the over 8000+ meetings around the World. In the last 2 years we have done multiple calls out to the fellowship to try and gain new members with Front or Back-end experience but have not had much luck. With 2 coders the process has been quite a task to accomplish in their spare time. In the last few months, we have made some progress as we have been able to gain access to open-source coding that may save the fellowship time and money and will be meeting in the next month to discuss the capabilities.
We hope to have a beta version ready for the fellowship to start inputting their meeting information by World Convention of 2022, with a full version to follow. Please send the information for your Area webmaster and/or IT chair in your quarterly reports to the trustees and we will advise the best way for the meeting data to be input.
CAWS WSIT Committee’s STATEMENT OF PURPOSE STARTS WITH:
The purpose of the committee is to serve as a resource for the C.A. service structure in areas of emerging technologies. In addition, we facilitate and assist Areas and Districts in approving their local websites, so that they may have a link directly from the C.A. web properties. The IT Committee, on an ongoing basis, works on adapting available technologies to better carry the message of C.A., while always keeping in mind the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts of C.A., C.A. policies, privacy, and security.
This makes our work broad and inclusive, just like our fellowship. We have included work for databases, apps, websites, referral forms, information systems and structure.
The committee has further worked on a variety of issues during conference and will continue to work on during the year before the next conference, see summary below.
Unified Database for CA Meetings
Starting in the year 2017 the CAWSITC began efforts to build a unified database of CA meetings and tools surrounding this database to administrate and distribute meeting data.
There have been three key objectives with this endeavour:
1. Simplifying administration of meeting lists for areas.
2. Providing tools for areas to help addicts more easily find meetings.
3. And finally be able to provide interfaces (like an app) where all our meetings are searchable.
Since then, we have approached this issue by attempting to build the entire solution ourselves within the committee. We greatly underestimated the workload and have only been able to launch a beta in a few areas. Due to this fact we have now changed our approach.
We are looking at instead utilizing existing software to reach our goals. Code4Recovery is an open-source project that provides similar tools to what we have been attempting to build. We are currently speaking with the developers and trying to establish how well their hard work could serve our use cases.
Adopting Code4Recovery tools would allow our areas to administrate their meetings in google sheets and in turn setup a feature rich meeting list on their web pages with ease.
It would also allow CA to develop tools to ingest the data from these public google sheets for a unified database and distribute or analyze the data as we need. This would for one serve the use case of a mobile app for finding meetings, and down the line it is easy to imagine how this could further serve our members and addicts in other ways.
They also provide a phone app which possibly could allow us to avoid spending a huge sum of money on developing one in-house.
This approach would also make our architecture more tolerant of failures and open source minimizes dependencies on people in the committee.
As referred prior we will also be looking to add a sobriety calculator, links to C.A. sites and Literature on the application.
Benefits of open source include a multitude of developers working on the back and front end making sure bugs and other issues are worked through and fixed. It’s a collaborative effort that draws on the expertise of a number of contributors with different backgrounds. One the main benefits is that it is free or of little cost to the fellowship.
Information system for Cocaine Anonymous
We as a fellowship owe it to our members to provide a helpful and effective channel for communication. However, we understand that most service is made by our members in their spare time, and at times we as a service body works less effective than if we had the possibility to pay for the services needed.
The work on our app and the database for that has raised additional possibilities for the fellowship. The app is going to be a great tool for individual members searching for meetings, sobriety calculator, some readings and so forth. But it also opens up for new possibility.
The app, when launched could give all users the possibility to be part of a group or district/area. And of course, say ok to get information from the fellowship. This creates a fantastic opportunity for the fellowship. We can send information to our members!
All levels of service can communicate to all levels of services. A group can talk about service commitments, an area can talk on an upcoming convention or World Services can communicate on this that goes on throughout the world.
Fact is, we get access to an information channel that is personal, optional and specific to our fellowship. We do, however understand that we have a long way to travel before this is a reality. But it is an interesting opportunity.
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU).
Whenever a service addresses European Citizens or organizations, the GRPR rules apply, regardless of where in the world the service or data is located.
Cocaine Anonymous needs to evaluate our online presence for services and personal information that relates to, or can be accessed from the EU. Aspects of the lawful basis for use, transparency, Data security, Accountability and governance, and Privacy rights should be considered.
To accomplish this, legal expertise as well as knowledge of IT and our fellowship and its services are needed. Failure to do this work could cost WSOB, WSBT and even individual areas. WSCITC will work this year on developing guidelines and suggestions, consulting with the WSO and Trustees.
CA Website
There has been some discussion about interest in updating the CA.org website. Although we don’t have a direct role in managing the website, we are working to prepare a set of suggestions of specifications for design, coding and maintenance of the site to deliver to WSOB by the end of 2021, to help them facilitate a plan or supply to potential vendors.
Along those lines, and in conjunction with the completion of the App and turning it over to the WSOB as well, we are looking to submit a referral suggesting that the WSOB create a Director of IT role to oversee their tech assets and serve as a liaison to the WSCITC to formalize oversight and the complex relationship of all tech assets across the Fellowship.
IT Workbook
The Committee voted to commence a complete review and revision of the IT Workbook, to include recent technological developments that range from meeting technology (like Zoom) to Finance Tech (like use of Venmo and PayPal and Stripe) and other innovative tech. We will work to partner with our fellow committees on tech that interacts with aspects of their roles
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SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE MOTIONS:
The majority of referrals that have come to the WSCIT committee have pertained to the Application and have been responded to and kept in our agenda until the app is ready.
REFERRALS THAT WERE FORWARDED TO OTHER COMMITTEES:
IT 2020-01, delegate@caflorida.org
Regarding the developing of the CA App, please consider adding the capability for users to make “in-app” purchases of CA e-books and e-literature.
Response: No, we decided not to include it in the scope of the app due to it is available through amazon kindle and other platforms.
REFERRALS STILL IN COMMITTEE:
IT 2018-1 FROM KERRY-JANE G. CAUK AREA
I struggled with the approval guidelines as laid out in the ITC guidelines (and PI handbook as the information is currently duplicated there). As a result, our CAUK delegates had not been aware of the WCSWD website launching due to me misinterpreting the guidance. I believe this document (or something similar) might help and be a useful starting point/addition to the ITC Guidelines?
Response: Included in updates of our Guidelines
IT 2019-2 FROM AMBER H. LONDON AREA
Over the years, a number of members have stated they would like just one WTF to make looking for a meeting simple for the newcomer. Could you please ask the IT committee to create a universal electronic WTF by postcode, city, country for the whole of fellowship to use quickly no matter what area/region or districts you are from.
Response: Included in the scope of the app
IT 2019-3 FROM MICHAEL M. LONDON AREA My experience of using the where to find meetings search engine is very fragmented and hard to use and is confusing for the newcomer. My suggestion is that there is just 1 where to find search engine worldwide like the one used in AA. Also, on the AA search engine there is a map that appears showing the exactly location of the meetings using a red
Response: Included in the scope of the app
IT 2019-4 FROM AMBER H. LONDON DISTRICT UK
Universal World/European Where to find (like A.A.) i.e. type in postcode. Day time and nearest meeting comes up in seconds. Response: Included in the scope of the app IT 2020-01, delegate@caflorida.org Summary of Referral Regarding the developing of the CA App, please consider adding the capability for users to make “in-app” purchases of CA e-books and e-literature.
Response, No, we decided not to include it in the scope of the app due to it is available through amazon kindle and other platforms.
CLOSED REFERRALS:
None
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COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AT END OF THIS CONFERENCE:
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Position |
Name |
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Chairperson |
Wesley B. |
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Vice-chairperson |
Tom T. |
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Secretary |
Daniel S. |
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Member |
Robby S. Melissa L. Parthi T. Bob S. Gustav E. Milton L. Johan T. |
CLOSING COMMENTS:
The WSCIT Committee would once again like to thank the Fellowship for allowing us to serve over the extended time between conferences. We look forward to working with all of you in the year to come to help the fellowship move further into the online era and for you to be able to find a meeting near you on a C.A. mobile app soon.
Respectfully Submitted:
Robby S
IT Committee Chair