3. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
CURRENT STATE OF OUR CITIES
• 84% of cities face significant
financial difficulties
• 92% expected to have trouble meeting
citizens’ needs
• 60% of city workers retiring in
next 5 years
• The existing method of solving problems
is not working
Source: ICMA
4. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
OPPORTUNITY NOW
interest
in public
service
open
data
social
web
We recruit fellows to
apply the principles of
web 2.0 to solve our
cities challenging and
complex problems.
We take advantage of the
evolving nature of the web
and growing enthusiasm
for public service
opportunities.
6. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
2011 PROGRAM TIMELINE
January The CfA Institute
February City Tour
March – September Development
September Beta Launch Conference
October -
November
Wrap Up & Hand-off
7. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
We recruit leading web
and tech professionals,
as well as recent
graduates from top-notch
schools who have a
passion for public
service.
2011 Recruitment
362 Applications
20 Fellows
5.5% Acceptance
2011 CFA FELLOWS
12. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
WHAT THAT MEANS
• Incomplete views of student attendance
• Skewed information of performance
• Missed connections between activities
• Difficult to understand holistic
educational experience
28. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
Civic
Leaders
THE SOLUTION: CIVIC DASHBOARDS
Catalog the tools they are currently using and tie them
together (mailing lists, etc).
Tools
Identify and aggregate information streams relevant for
local civic leaders (blogs, etc).
Information
29. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
Civic
Leaders
THE SOLUTION: CIVIC DASHBOARDS
Catalog the tools they are currently using and tie them
together (mailing lists, etc).
Tools
Identify and aggregate information streams relevant for
local civic leaders (blogs, etc).
Information
Connect civic leaders to each other and the city
government to institutionalize learnings.
Network
38. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
THE START: CIVICCOMMONS.COM
Starter Projects
San Francisco’s
“Enterprise Addressing
System”
Federal IT Dashboard
Roadmap
The ED Search
Fellows Start
Secure Funding
Launch Independent
Organization
44. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
CITY EVALUATION CRITERIA
• Ready to work with our fellows on a new kind
of solution; commitment to innovation and
collaboration
• Identify projects that result in cost-savings,
transparency, and public participation
• Strong internal champion
• Funding secured within city; Potential outside
funding sources identified
45. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
MODEL CFA PROJECTS
• Harnessing the Power of the People
– Connecting and empowering citizens to solve
problems
• New Business Gateway
– Quick and easy online permitting to stimulate
local economy and economic development
• Workflow Transparency
– Workflow transparency in managing city assets
46. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
BRING CFA TO YOUR CITY
• Not a city employee?
– It’s OK!
– Go to codeforamerica.org/cities/bring to tell
your elected officials about our program and
that you want CfA in your city.
• City employee?
– Go to http://bit.ly/CfA2012Start
– Begin the discussion today!
49. @codeforamerica codeforamerica.org
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
• Bring CfA to your city
– codeforamerica.org/cities/bring
• Join CfA Labs
– labs.codeforamerica.org
• Spare some change
– codeforamerica.org/donate
• Pass on office supplies
– codeforamerica.org/supplies
Code for America was motivated by the fact that our cities are in crisis. Budget deficits, aging workforce, and outdated technology. After talking with people in cities, we realized that the current way cities solve problems isn’t working. And the hope that there had to be a better way…
And we think there is – now, especially. There are powerful trends in society and technology that could be leveraged for city governments. First are the developments in the web to be more interactive and open, which organizations have used to be more innovative, efficient, and dynamic. Second is the increased interest in public serviec, with record levels of volunteerism and engagement. We think we can couple these forces to create a new kind of public service – a fellowship for techies to help city governments.
High school students in Boston engage in various educational activities – in school and out. For example, students not only go to school in the morning, they partake in an after school program – say a college prep group – and then they stop by the library on the day home. Each of these activities fit within the larger picture of his educational performance. And each come with important data and metrics. But that information, currently, is siloed.
In Boston, there are multiple databases across multiple departments that describe student activity. From the library, to transit to community centers, students are engaging in a host of services. The problem is that these databases don’t talk to each other. For instance, parents have to fill out health forms multiple times across activities in different areas of the city, teachers are unable to see extra curricula activities, and school admins, like counselors, can’t see patterns across the student body for grades, language,a after school programs etc.
This has real and tangible consequences… and most importantly, these presents an opportunity to create technology for a 21st century educational system that is flexible, holistic, and dynamic.
Boston is unrolling student ID cards this year to its high school students that bring together their identification for school, after school programs, and local transit. This card will serve as the link between activities in the real world – one which we can online as well.
For Boston, we plan to build on top of those cards to create a privacy sensitive application program interface – or API -- that will unite this data and enable a whole host of awesome applications. It’s basically a fundamental language that’ll allow those separate databases to talk to each other. In building the api, we’ll be creating a buffer between the individual department data, and publicly available data so that developers can build applications like administrative dashboards, teacher extra curricular assignments or health form storage for parents. We plan to create this system in a nonspecific method where any school district can use it, they just have to write the connectors to their own databases.
For Boston, we plan to build on top of those cards to create a privacy sensitive application program interface – or API -- that will unite this data and enable a whole host of awesome applications. It’s basically a fundamental language that’ll allow those separate databases to talk to each other. In building the api, we’ll be creating a buffer between the individual department data, and publicly available data so that developers can build applications like administrative dashboards, teacher extra curricular assignments or health form storage for parents. We plan to create this system in a nonspecific method where any school district can use it, they just have to write the connectors to their own databases.
For Boston, we plan to build on top of those cards to create a privacy sensitive application program interface – or API -- that will unite this data and enable a whole host of awesome applications. It’s basically a fundamental language that’ll allow those separate databases to talk to each other. In building the api, we’ll be creating a buffer between the individual department data, and publicly available data so that developers can build applications like administrative dashboards, teacher extra curricular assignments or health form storage for parents. We plan to create this system in a nonspecific method where any school district can use it, they just have to write the connectors to their own databases.
For Boston, we plan to build on top of those cards to create a privacy sensitive application program interface – or API -- that will unite this data and enable a whole host of awesome applications. It’s basically a fundamental language that’ll allow those separate databases to talk to each other. In building the api, we’ll be creating a buffer between the individual department data, and publicly available data so that developers can build applications like administrative dashboards, teacher extra curricular assignments or health form storage for parents. We plan to create this system in a nonspecific method where any school district can use it, they just have to write the connectors to their own databases.
For Boston, we plan to build on top of those cards to create a privacy sensitive application program interface – or API -- that will unite this data and enable a whole host of awesome applications. It’s basically a fundamental language that’ll allow those separate databases to talk to each other. In building the api, we’ll be creating a buffer between the individual department data, and publicly available data so that developers can build applications like administrative dashboards, teacher extra curricular assignments or health form storage for parents. We plan to create this system in a nonspecific method where any school district can use it, they just have to write the connectors to their own databases.
For Boston, we plan to build on top of those cards to create a privacy sensitive application program interface – or API -- that will unite this data and enable a whole host of awesome applications. It’s basically a fundamental language that’ll allow those separate databases to talk to each other. In building the api, we’ll be creating a buffer between the individual department data, and publicly available data so that developers can build applications like administrative dashboards, teacher extra curricular assignments or health form storage for parents. We plan to create this system in a nonspecific method where any school district can use it, they just have to write the connectors to their own databases.
For Boston, we plan to build on top of those cards to create a privacy sensitive application program interface – or API -- that will unite this data and enable a whole host of awesome applications. It’s basically a fundamental language that’ll allow those separate databases to talk to each other. In building the api, we’ll be creating a buffer between the individual department data, and publicly available data so that developers can build applications like administrative dashboards, teacher extra curricular assignments or health form storage for parents. We plan to create this system in a nonspecific method where any school district can use it, they just have to write the connectors to their own databases.
To give you an example, imagine that a history teacher is really passionate about local historical figure, John Adams – or she just really liked the HBO mini-series. But she realizes that in Boston, she has real-world connections to that century’s old president. She works a local developer at MIT and creates a checkin system for her students, where they visit mutliple venues about a local historical figure, like John Adams, and they check in at each venue. As the students checkin using their RFID-enabled card or perhaps their mobile phone, the teacher can see the extra curricular activity. On the administrative side, a curriculum developer sees that students who use the application score higher on their history exams, and decides based upon data, to recommend the application for the entire district.
This is one example, we're looking forward to what our fellows an the larger developer ecosystem we cultivate thinks up. The possibilities are endless.
Seattle and Philadelphia came to us with a similar problem: they wanted a better way for civic leaders to engage with their constituents. They realized they have lots of energy and enthusiasm in their cities – people are wanting to get involved – but they lacked effective tools for communication and coordination. Here’s why…
We like to think there’s this neat organization between government, civic leaders, and citizens. Government is empowering the leaders who organize the citizens to strengthen their communities; everyone is know, information is shared, and it’s always sunny. It’s not…
In reality, the picture is far less neat. Citizens, civic leaders, and the government are scattered across the plane in terms of location, access, and information. So what ends up happening is an uneven and ineffecient civil society.
Local leaders have access to some citizens and great groups, but some are always missed.The government knows of some leaders and connects with them, but some are always missed. City departments inidividually share information with known contacts, but its often hard for city staff to know who is where and for what issues Disconnected and disorganized, the civic leadership and the city government are unable to maximize their ability to reach and support their citizens. And as cities cut budgets, they need to rely more and more on communication with and among civic leaders to solve community problems.
So first what we want to do in these cities is identify those civic leaders and talk to them. Find out what they are doing and what they need to be more successful. And we also want to identify them so that they city is better able to connect with them.
Next we want to catalog the tools they are using currently and develop mechanism for those to interact and to record information so knowledge isn’t siloed.
Those tools will only be as useful as the information civic leaders have to act on, so we’ll also want to pipe in relevant local news/data streams, so they can know what’s happening involving their constituents.
Finally, we’ll want all this to be networked and connected to the city so that other and future civic leaders and benefit from each one’s experience, and so that the city can be able to support endevours with resources, etc, when the need arises.
To give you an example, take a common function like new zoning regulations for a city block. The city needs to notify residents and civic leaders in order to get comment, ideas and thoughts about the new proposed changes. But, who does the city person talk to? Who do they reach out to? Who are the civic leaders that might want to weigh in?
That city official can simply draw a boundary and get information from current places like twitter, neighborhood listserves and blogs that affect that area. They’ll get a list of contacts, city-wide, that are available and can be contacted. The city official could also search for people based upon topics or issues, like trash, recycling, dogs, parks, etc.
(set 1: multicolor dots) Government around the country are investing lots of time and money in new information systems. Right now, this largely happens in isolation
(set 2: blue dots) As you’d expect, governments typically build & buy similar kinds of tools
(set 3: w/ orange lines) Civic Commons intends to build connections among governments, to make the most of opportunities for sharing and collaboration.
(set 1: multicolor dots) Government around the country are investing lots of time and money in new information systems. Right now, this largely happens in isolation
(set 2: blue dots) As you’d expect, governments typically build & buy similar kinds of tools
(set 3: w/ orange lines) Civic Commons intends to build connections among governments, to make the most of opportunities for sharing and collaboration.
(set 1: multicolor dots) Government around the country are investing lots of time and money in new information systems. Right now, this largely happens in isolation
(set 2: blue dots) As you’d expect, governments typically build & buy similar kinds of tools
(set 3: w/ orange lines) Civic Commons intends to build connections among governments, to make the most of opportunities for sharing and collaboration.
This is not a new idea. There are already great examples of governments coordinating on tech projects, sharing code, and learning from one another (Bryan give examples here)
CC was founded by several organizations with a shared interest in the development of a common platform for civic technology collaboration (OCTO, CfA, OpenPlans, O’Reilly)
We are engaging many stakeholders, including the people in this room.
We're very excited to share this information with you on our 2011 City Projects. Hopefully this gives you a better idea about what we have been working on. We'll be taking questions on these projects @ the end of the call...but now we'd like to announce the process and timeline for selecting our 2012 Cities. I'll turn this over to Alissa, our City Program Director to walk you through this.