MAPC Executive Committee

September 16, 2020

Ryan Kelly, Digital Services Manager

Tim Reardon, Data Services Director

Digital Municipal Collaboration

MAPC
Municipal Collaboration Program

Now With

More Digital

MAPC is dedicated to lifting the administrative burden from municipalities to help them procure – and save on – a full range of apparatus, equipment, and services.

We BELIEVE there is OPPORTUNITY to  
 

through that work, We can

 

HELP MUNICIPALITIES BUY TECHNOLOGY AND ADOPT BETTER DIGITAL PRACTICES

MAKE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES MORE EFFECTIVE AND MORE EQUITABLE

What do we mean by MORE

EFFECTIVE & EQUITABLE SERVICES?

Better Data = More Effective government

Data Standards allow municipalities to "compare notes' and track progress

Automated processes allow staff to focus on the things that really matter, rather than mundane paper-pushing.  

By starting with user needs, rather than vendor products you get more responsive results

Cities & towns should always own and have access to their own data

Better processes = More Equitable

Contracting standards can mandate access to data, including access for people with disabilities

Access to information yields more informed community engagement

"Build with, not for" means that user needs are centered in the development process and the results serve the community better

Transparent procurement can open up opportunities for local and minority-owned vendors, not just the 'big players.'

Digital Municipal Collaboration
Startup Phase

  1. Research municipal needs
  2. Conduct at least one collective procurement
  3. Develop a business plan

What we have heard

Are we spending too much on I.T.?

My I.T. team is on the verge of retirement!

How do we find out what has worked for other towns?

Our town needs better broadband internet

What permitting software should we use?

How much ARE we spending on I.T.?

Next Step: Issue Collective procurements for Technology Municipalities Need

Current Opportunity

In looking at previous applications we have seen some common needs:

Community Compact IT Grant

State Grant Opportunity Open through October 15th

Municipalities are eligible and multi-jurisdictional applications are encouraged.

33%

20%

11%

Network Infrastructure

Including Fiber / Broadband

Licensing / Permitting or "front door" applications

Finance / Accounting systems

15%

Document or Record Management

Current Opportunity

Could help answer core questions

  • What is being purchased, and for how much?
  • What vendors are being used?
  • Are the customers (staff, residents) satisfied?  

Why this is a good first step:  

  • There are existing data standards for procurement & contracting;
  • There are many capable vendors;
  • The current systems are not working!

Collective Procurement of Procurement Software: MAPC ourselves also needs software to improve our finance systems in relation to procurements. Purchase has potential to be a collective purchase.

In July:

Issued a Request for Information (RFI)

Received 7 Vendor Responses  

Too Much Paper-Based Work!

Potential OPPORTUNITY : "Yelp" for Government

Let's collect the data on municipal expenditures and outcomes. 

  • Clearinghouse of information about what's been purchased, how much it cost, and how well it worked
  • Potential partnership with nonprofit organizations (Code for Boston) and academic researchers (Boston Area Research Initiative).

 

Not just "Buy Now" but also "Customer Reviews"

Want to work with us?

rkelly@mapc.org

Executive DISCRETIONARY Fund Deliverables

Business plan / roadmap

One or more new collective procurements

Promote and distribute procurements

Establish a clearinghouse

Documented user stories

Modern Digital practices mean less reliance on a single staffperson or expert -- focus on the users

Extensibility between vendors "Loosely coupled" Systems

Executive Discretionary Fund PRoject
Task #1

https://airtable.com/tblSvHlu8wuQ2K7XO/viwZaFS8rnbHBoH2V?blocks=hide

Top Categories of IT purchases

Network

Permitting

Document management

Financial Processing

Documented User Stories

Task #2

Buy some stuff together

One of more new collective procurement

Hope to have to good lessons learned

Have some practices to share 

Feds work

Open

User Design

API loosly coupled

Team over product

Deliver business plan / roadmap and cost anaylsis

Task #3