Emergency Management
SMART eLearning
Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) | Summer 2025 - Present | Software, Concept, and Process Learning | Articulate Storyline, Articulate Rise, Microsoft Office, Teams, Adobe Creative Suite, Documentum, SharePoint, ALM, User Testing, Asynchronous eLearning, In-Person Training
Please note: Due to the Orlando Utility Commission's strong commitment to security related to SMART, emergency management, event processes, and data, I am unable to provide extensive detail about my work, media examples, or training showcases. However, I may generally describe my process, accomplishments, and lessons learned.
What is this project?
I engineered a high-impact, 16-course micro-curriculum for the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) titled SMART eLearning: A Smarter Way to Weather the Storm. This initiative directly addresses a multimillion-dollar fiscal risk: OUC averages $10 to $15 million in expenditures per emergency activation, yet historically secures only 66% in FEMA reimbursements due to data entry inaccuracies within the SMART (Staff and Mutual Aid Resource Tracking) E1 environment. This cost translates into higher electricity and water bills for OUC's customers, impacting a large population in Florida. The core performance gap stemmed from the perishable nature of storm-role skills, as employees only utilize the SMART application during annual emergency events (when an event is officially activated - usually during hurricane season). After an analysis of the problem, context, and past trainings, I established, presented, and developed (end-to-end) an instructional solution. My solution provides mandatory, role-specific training for eight critical units, ensuring that each OUC employee feels confident and prepared when they are suddenly asked to step into their storm role, ensuring they possess the precision required to facilitate 100% FEMA cost recovery.
How did I prepare?
Operating as the sole Instructional Designer within OUC Operations, I functioned as a self-contained department, managing the full project lifecycle without the support of a project manager, media developer, video expert, or other team member. This autonomy required me to lead the entire process from conducting technical interviews with Subject Matter Experts to developing engaging media. While I initially used the linear ADDIE framework, I pivoted to the Successive Approximation Model (SAM) to accommodate the project's need for collaboration, iteration, and long-term communication. This iterative, agile approach allowed me to produce rapid prototypes and engage in continuous design-present-refine cycles, ensuring the final product was both technically sound and operationally relevant. Learning about SMART and OUC's emergency management felt like putting a puzzle together. Each meeting, interview, job aid, user guide, and software I interacted with helped me fill in the gaps, giving me a complete picture by the end. This project has emphasized the importance of analysis and research in the early phases of an instructional process. Research serves as the foundation; therefore, by taking time to truly understand the concepts, content, and business objectives, I developed the ability to establish a stakeholder-aligned learning experience.
How did I put my plan into action?
I developed a microcurriculum ecosystem using Articulate 360, consisting of a foundational SMART Literacy course followed by specialized modules assigned to particular storm-role units. A key aspect of my development process was the translation of dense, technical SMART concepts into digestible visual assets. I designed custom infographics and visual analogies to connect complex software concepts and processes to user intuition and experience. I attempted to use examples of similar applications or concepts to connect my audience's mental models to the new content, ensuring deep understanding. My design utilized constructivist strategies, including branched simulations, role-play applications, and reflective prompts, to move beyond memorization and foster higher-order problem-solving and critical thinking skills. I aimed to prepare the learners by providing them with a toolkit rather than a list of correct answers. Due to the consistently evolving nature of SMART, it is essential that users begin to form literacy surrounding its processes and features. This helps secure a foundation that users can utilize to problem-solve in the future. To ensure universal access, I enforced strict WCAG 2.1 AA compliance by integrating professional voiceovers, text-to-speech functionality, rigorous color contrast audits, text size analysis, and more.
What were my results and lessons?
This project served as a masterclass in instructional independence and the importance of just-in-time performance support. I learned that establishing a baseline of software literacy through self-made visual aids and defining the general application before introducing role-specific tasks significantly reduces cognitive load. By inducing intrinsic motivation, framing technical accuracy as a direct contribution to community restoration, I transformed a compliance requirement into a mission-driven effort. The resulting curriculum is not just a set of tutorials, but a searchable, mobile-responsive toolset that empowers users to navigate complex interfaces independently. This experience solidified my ability to lead large-scale design projects that combine technical proficiency and real-world disaster recovery.