January brought new updates to the Every Voice Engaged platform. These changes include the launch of public digital issue guides using our new development pipeline, as well as other security and modernization updates. 

Digital Issue Guide  

As part of our efforts to develop ways participants can experience deliberation outside of a forum, we’ve developed an interactive new format for issue guides online. Participants can now review all the actions in an issue guide, choose their personal top five, consider the drawbacks, and then explore the remaining actions, in addition to be able to read the full issue guide PDF. This provides an accessible, interactive way for participants to engage with a deliberative framework. Participants can save their evaluations and enter their mobile phone number to be notified of public forums when they are available. 

Development Pipeline: 

We have completed a large project modernize the platform’s backend so that it can support a number of feature requests from users (mobile optimization, adding audio/video capability, changing galas to improve functionality), which included designing a global architectural plan for redeveloping the majority of the platform’s user interfaces while simultaneous maintaining all site functionality via the iterative development and integration of a number of microservices. This development pipeline has now been tested, replicated and is being used to launch features like the Digital Issue Guides, and will be ready for use in launching registration and all other future features.   

   

Maintenance Updates 

As part of other tasks agreed to by both parties, including recommended security updates, we upgraded to Kubernetes v1.17 and PostGres 12.4. 
 

The following changes are included in version 1.9.8 of EVE:   

Issue #   

Project  

Codename  

Description   

1   

Moderators and participants can experience EVE outside of a forum  

Bamboo 

Digital issue guides now available for exploration outside a forum 

2   

Other features and enhancements as agreed upon by both parties  

Soil 

Global architecture plan to govern microservices and development pipeline 

4 

Other features and enhancements as agreed upon by both parties  

Other 

Maintenance upgrades