Civic Technology on the Front Lines
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Talk given at the National Association of Government Web Professionals about civic technology on the front lines.
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Civic Technology on the Front Lines
- 1. Civic Technology on the Front Lines Christopher Whitaker @CivicWhitaker
- 2. @CivicWhitaker Civic Technologist Project Manager Consultant @SmartChicago Midwest Brigade Coordinator @CodeforAmerica Former Field Office Supervisor at the Illinois Department of Employment Security Masters of Public Administration @DePaulU BA Political Science @SamHoustonState 11B @USArmy
- 3. How I got Involved
- 4. The “Legacy” System Runs on DOS Mainframe system – One screen fails, they ALL FAIL Not run in real time Paper reports From 1975 – Before Apple Computer, The Space Shuttle, before Saddam took power in Iraq, and before AOL Put it this way:
- 5. Worst recession since the Depression and our system was surprised to learn who Luke’s father was… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
- 6. Meanwhile…
- 7. You give me a paper… I stamp it, copy it, give you the copy Scan it into system as TIF file Tell system what it is and whose it is System puts it in file Adjudicator pulls it up Takes questionnaire and enters it into text box You employer’s HR company generates a letter through it’s system, prints it I get then your employer’s paper via FAX stamp it Scan it into system as TIF file Tell system what it is and whose it is System puts it in file Adjudicator pulls it up Takes questionnaire and enters it into text box Adjudicator decides your unemployment claim System generates letter in PDF, mails it to you and your employer Employer sends their appeal via FAX generated by their computer system. Fax machine breaks due to overuse
- 9. But it is true...and it not uncommon CGI Federal’s epic failure to launch Healthcare.gov California fired & *sued* SAP after MyCalPays failure Massachusetts fired & *sued* Deloitte after unemployment system disaster A system glitch by an Accenture-built platform caused food stamp payment delays for thousands of North Carolina residents
- 10. Meanwhile…you have these people…
- 12. And don’t forget this team…
- 13. What’s the difference? An ECOSYSTEM built for Civic Innovation City of Chicago seeing DATA AS FUEL An active and ENGAGED civic technology community Real SIGNIFICANT investments by local foundations
- 14. A community that fights for the users
- 15. The CUTgroup
- 16. Collaboration
- 17. The Civic Works Project A Knight Foundation / Chicago Community Trust Grant that will: Build five civic apps focused on non-profit issues Build five civic apps focused on government issues Write 200 Content Pieces Run the Illinois OpenTech Challenge We’ve just received an extension and will be running this for a second year.
- 18. Get involved! To get involved with Code for America Brigade Codeforamerica.org/brig ade To get involved with the Code for America Peer Network Codeforamerica.org/abo ut/peernetwork To get more information about Smart Chicago Smartchicagocollaborative.org
Editor's Notes
- Good afternoon – How’s everyone? So, the first thing I always ask before giving a talk on civic technology and civic hacking is how many of you are developers? Ok, so I’m going to make confession. I’m not a developer. I don’t write code – I don’t know Ruby, Python, and if you let me into the production branch of your app I’m going to break it. I came into the space in the opposite direction.
- In 2008, the bottom had dropped out of the economy. Banks were failing, wall street is freaking out, and job losses were through the roof. At the worst of it, I was hired by the Illinois Department of Employment Security as a program representative to work in a field office. So, I get to work the first day and see a line of about fifty people all lined up before we even opened. Turned my computer on, waited five mins because it’s from 1995 – it’s got a monitor bigger than your hear – and finally pulled up the system I had to use to help people with their unemploymet.
- And I am greeted…by a DOS Screen. It’s green, the text blinks at me.. Turns out…
- I’m using this *wave iphone* In my pocket. Something that’s infinitely more powerful that the system I’m using and I’m using it to watch cat videos. So, I ended up getting involved in Code for America, OpenGov Chicago as a way to see if there was a way to use the power of technology to do my job better. The system that we use did in unemployment did end up getting an update. But not necessarily the one I wanted.