Client

The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is the focal voice for British Columbia’s Native People. As a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the UBCIC is the prime advocate for the rights of the indigenous people of Canada’s Pacific Coast.

Challenge

UBCIC’s dedicated campaign to promote information-sharing within their communities and with the rest of the world had been stymied for some time by the lack of a public website. It was well-known by the board of directors that developing an effective web presence was necessarily an integral tool in their efforts to reach the world with their message.

JDQ was asked to be part of a team to implement a website that would deliver important information, including easily updated current news, in an engaging and professional manner while reflecting the stature and focus of the organization. It was decided that the content of the website had to be easily accessible and editable by UBCIC’s member organizations. It was also important that a common style be maintained throughout with a friendly interface and a solid back-end link to data. All agreed that a modern architecture and a bold look and feel would aid in the effective evolution of UBCIC’s initiatives.

Solution

JDQ Principal Derek Shackleford worked closely with Brad Hornick, a Vancouver website designer, and the UBCIC executive in the realization of www.ubcic.bc.ca. JDQ was selected for this assignment because of our expertise in the development of web-based applications using Content Management engines, particularly the Marqui CMS web service with it’s powerful template creation utilities. We also had proven success in extending the functionality of public websites and a commitment to non-profits through our Three Spheres of Reciprocity™ initiative.

JDQ’s 3Spheres™ initiative is a philosophy and model for healthy, optimal, ultimately successful symbiotic engagement and development. It is a paradigm for social responsibility and cooperative, mutually beneficial relationships grown from the fundamental understanding that only through the symbiosis of the spheres of Helping, Profiting and Learning can we all thrive. It reflects our obligation to maximize positive impact and minimize negative impact on society. It expresses our values of mutualism, respect & equality. JDQ:

• Worked with the client and web site designer on the development of the website.
• Created the website structure.
• Adapted the core webpage templates to be compatible with the Marqui CMS engine.
• Setup news release and subscription services.
• Facilitated the deployment of the website to the public domain web server.
• Trained UBCIC staff in using the Marqui CMS interface.

Result

As a result of this intervention, The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs’ web presence now boasts:

• An easily navigated architecture.
• A crisp, engaging and contemporary “look & feel”.
• A secure newsletter subscription implementation.
• An easily updated current news section.
• An easily and securely updated web property.

Don Bain, Executive Director of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs says, “It was of great assistance to the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) to have worked with JDQ. As a non-profit organization, the UBCIC must pay great attention to the value of service for each dollar spent. In this case, I feel we received excellent value and I valued the ability for us to work as a team to produce a final product that has only received raving compliments and praise! Thank you Derek and the team of JDQ.”