Presentation given at the 10.24 TechtoGov Fair

1. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
South Bend’s Department
Innovation & Technology
Hello, world! We’re a small city that does big things.

2. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Who we are
South Bend’s Department of Innovation & Technology (I&T)
leverages technology, data, and design to empower a thriving
City workforce and improve quality of life for our neighbors.
Our Mayor asks us to be the best in the state, one of the best in
the country when it comes to government IT, innovation, digital
services and technology equity. Our team is friendly, flexible, and
mission-driven.
Our mantra is “Listen first, build with.”

3. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology

4. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology

5. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology

6. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
The Falcam

7. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
We strive to be leaders in GovTech & Innovation

8. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology

9. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
How we changed policy, reshaped a program, layered
on technology, iterated with the community, and help
vulnerable households in South Bend
The Utility Assistance Program

10. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
After COVID, utility bills racked up

11. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
UAP = Utility Assistance Program
Future Revitalized UAP
Old Version of UAP
1. Wait until September
2. Apply using LIHEAP’s lengthy
application submitting cumbersome
documentation that isn’t relevant to
UAP
3. Wait 2 months
4. Call the city to seek assistance
5. Call Real Services after being redirected
6. Wait another month
7. Without any notification or receiving an
enrollment letter, the participant
receives the UAP benefit
1. After learning about the UAP program,
the participant is able to apply the same
day with an intuitive application that
takes less than 20 minutes and requires
no documents.
2. Wait 1 week
3. The participant receives an enrolment
letter notifying them that they’ve been
enrolled UAP and suggesting other
social assistance programs they’re likely
to be eligible for
4. They are automatically, easily re-
enrolled every year

12. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology

13. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Our Mayor Greenlit these 9 Program Changes

14. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
What we built: A New UAP Process + Application

15. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Our team worked with
nonprofits, neighborhood
organizations, service
organizations to make sure our
application and process worked
for our residents.
We also created a results-
driven contracting model with
community partners to make
sure uptake was healthy.
We prototyped the application with users

16. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology

17. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology

18. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
We Leveraged All Parts of I&T to Overhaul UAP
Low accessibility addressed with
SU UX testing sessions
Spanish language option
Results-driven contracts for outreach
Shorter application
Low impact addressed with
Increased discount $
Increased eligibility to 80% AMI
Expanded eligibility to renters and owners
Tethered eligibility to other programs
Burdensome administration addressed with
Automatic re-attestation
Utility billing system integration
Email and phone notifications
Annual audits, no documentation requirements
Lack of strategic direction addressed with
Automated reporting on program use and health
311 integration and ownership
“Assistance Stat” Program
Product management
Innovation + Tech +
Engagement = Impact

19. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
We just won an award!

20. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Read more about us!
• You can read a Princeton case about the creation of our
Department
• Link to the Department’s Medium Blog
• Article about the Utility Assistance Program by Harvard

21. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Our Opportunities 2023 -2024
• Chief Digital Officer
• Product Manager
• Solutions Designer
• IT Project Manager
• Program Manager – Transportation
• Manager, Customer Success
• Manager, Enterprise Software
• Software Specialist
All linked to here.

22. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Why work for us?
“South Bend is a sizeable (100k+) city, but it’s not too big that the
City teams cannot actively engage with the citizens that we serve, and
the work we do has measurable differences on people’s lives. Also, for
a City of our size, we can regularly hang with larger cities across the
country by the high quality of the tech projects that we are working
on.”
— Shawn Delahanty (Director of Enterprise Services & Software, 10+
years at the City)

23. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Why South Bend?
“I love the genuine sense of civic pride I find throughout the
community! So many people genuinely care about building a stronger
community and city, and that’s exciting to be part of both as a
resident and through working with the City.”
— Elijah Grammer (Innovation Fellow, 1 year at the City)

24. City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Keep in touch!
Denise Linn Riedl
CIO, City of South Bend
driedl@southbendin.gov