Inria new intranet team: Research Support Department Inria Award 2014

‘I was the only person attached to a centre. Thanks to my knowledge of the way research teams work as well as of the local intranet, I was able to contribute a view of what was happening in the field to this national project. I worked in all the various fields – editorial, definition of the functional specifications, ergonomics and especially user support. The Sophia Antipolis centre played a pioneering role. We were the first to test the Intranet’s new functionalities by reworking the content. Today, I support the Centre’s contributors in enabling them to perform their task of running the site by updating the content. Preparing people for this change has also meant a lot of work for me. It was essential to reassure them and give them clear explanations so they could soon start using the tool. There is still a lot to be done, but one can take pride in what has been accomplished’.

‘Being pragmatic, giving the teams a clear vision of each stage and accelerating the completion of an initial version of the Intranet – these are the principles that guided me. From the outset, I have worked to ensure that the project is constructed on a solid basis, shared with the DSI and the DRH , to which new building blocks will gradually be added. This iterative approach has proved successful. In addition, the new intranet is the culmination of the ‘co-construction’ working method, getting the various departments, contributors and testers involved. Caution and patience were needed since the intranet affects the daily lives of all of those employed working at Inria. In the end, the intranet is a tool constructed by and for them. I find it very exciting that we have managed to mobilise so many colleagues at our workplace for a task that has proved to have taken such a long time, but the project has given us much satisfaction, this prize being the culmination’.

‘As the Technical Project Manager, I had three major tasks to perform. These were to ensure that the servers hosting the intranet would be ready on time, to test the system and monitor the work of the technical service-provider. I also intervened as a point of reference for the other team members in all technical issues. Discussions with colleagues who had come from a variety of different backgrounds were particularly enriching. We were borne along by the same desire to see the successful completion of the project, because we were aware that lots of people were counting on it. This prize is the true recognition. We met the deadlines, and the technical aspects were up to the standards required for the projects. I am proud of what we have accomplished, but other challenges await us, especially additional work and increasing the capabilities of the solution, based on new technology’.

‘I witnessed the first proposals to revamp the intranet as long ago as 2006! The project has had time to mature, placing the user at the heart of the program. My role with the 250 contributors we trained was to ensure that the tool was used correctly and the procedures were introduced appropriately. I was available to discuss how users felt about it and to share the importance of the tool for their own work in terms of productivity and the acquisition of skills. I continue to offer support through running a very active group on “Iris”, Inria’s internal social network. User convenience is my main preoccupation. As manager of the ergonomics and graphics aspects, I supervised the design of a user-friendly, intuitive interface, reinforced by the latest, elegant graphics, with the accent on web accessibility. The project has been recognized as being of public utility, if I am to believe the award.'

‘I joined Inria in late 2012 with the task of steering the Intranet revamping project. Through a desire to introduce co-construction, I brought users and contributors together at every stage of the design, because an intranet involves some technical input and a lot of human input! More particularly, I monitored the editorial and analysis and organized the information into sections, rewriting content, checking the various departments and the information publishers so as to facilitate access to what the user needed to know. At the same time, Nathalie Lémy and I held meetings with the 250 contributors who had access to the back office, by organizing training sessions at each of the centres and in all the departments. These support initiatives continue to this day. This prize is a reward for the three departments and the centre involved in the project as well as for all its contributors. Without them, the intranet would very soon be outdated’.

‘Within the DRH, I was responsible for all the HR information on the new intranet (recruitment, careers, training, pay, leave, etc.). My rather atypical career path has given me a fairly wide knowledge of the institution because I worked in HR for several years, as well as in communications and in a human-machine interface research team for two European projects. I also created my own consultancy and did R&D in software ergonomics and human factors. For 10 years, I performed and directed research for a large number of clients. I placed this experience in the service of the intranet re-launch project by regularly conducting individual and group tests with users. This work was essential for upgrading the tool, modelling it and formalising the users’ usage strategies. I am enthusiastic about working in the field and I have appreciated the trust shown in me in bringing the project to fruition’.