MAPC PRO
Metropolitan Area Planning Council is a regional planning agency promoting smart growth and regional collaboration for the Metro Boston area.
MAPC Staff Meeting
September 22, 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
- Research municipal needs
- Conduct at least one collective procurement
- 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
Digital Municipal Collaboration (Staff)
By MAPC
Digital Municipal Collaboration (Staff)
Collective Procurement: Now with Digital
