Coris (Backstory)
Case ID: CASE-LLE-2026-003
Executive Summary
A volunteer team in Toronto spent more than 8 months trying to promote and improve a digital democracy tool that helps gather public opinion. They started with excitement and good intentions but got stuck in endless discussions for months. What changed everything was treating volunteers like valued partners instead of free workers, adapting professional project management for volunteer realities, and focusing on reducing friction rather than adding more process. The team eventually made 30+ improvements and fixed 50+ accessibility issues, enabling conversations with City Hall about adoption. However, when they tried to improve their coordination, the added complexity caused people to leave. The project eventually transformed into Coris, a new Toronto-focused tool carrying forward the accessibility and design lessons learned. This case study shows the a community project: the formation, the stagnation, the breakthrough, the momentum, and the evolution.
Insights: Moving community projects from talk to action could mean treating contributors as partners. Help people join in by removing barriers like confusing tools or missing info. In volunteer settings, keep management methods flexible and focus on both results and personal growth—people stay when they feel valued. Clear documentation beats quick wins because teams change over time. Rules like accessibility standards can be chances to grow, not roadblocks. Change works best in small steps, and new tools must prove their worth before replacing what already works. Above all, paid work puts the organization first, but volunteer work must put people first—without that, even the best ideas lose energy.
