HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.30.2024 Joint IT Utility FINALCity of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
IT/Utility Joint
Committee Meeting
April 30, 2024
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Contents
Customer Service Overview + Recent
Changes
Overview of UAP
Overview of Customer Success Portfolio,
KPIs, Goals
Questions
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
First, a Flex
South Bend’s Department of Innovation & Technology just won
the Mission 41K Exceptional Employer Mira Award for 2024!
The Mira Awards is an Indiana Award Program run by Techpoint
recognizing the “Best in Tech” on any given year. It is very cool
that a public sector tech team won this award!
Thank you to the IT Committee for supporting us! We’d like to take a
picture with you after this meeting!
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
About Customer Service & Success
The Team & Recent Changes
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
I&T Mission
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 the region.
As a centralized IT and innovation team, we serve City
departments. In addition to providing core IT services like
hardware, technology support, security, and network
maintenance, we help city teams procure or develop new
solutions, improve processes, use data to forward goals, and
digitize city services.
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
I&T Mantra
Listen First, Build With.
In 2019, our Department chose this mantra because we believe it
represents the human-centered design and collaborative culture
we aim to infuse into all our work.
Reminder: I&T is an internal service department
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Themes for 2024 I&T Reorganization
There are 4 major themes that most proposed changes in I&T
structure and personnel relate to:
1.Addressing capacity gaps in product maintenance &
security
2.Creating a dedicated digital team to address weaknesses in
web and embrace future opportunities in low code and
resident experience/communication
3.Absorbing Commuters Trust into city operations
4.Centralizing frontline customer service workforce
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Re-org Priority: Centralized, Future Forward
Customer Service Team
In 2023, the frontline Customer Service team was (1) not as centralized as it could be for resident ease and (2) not yet evolving with the changing nature of that work
Solution: Centralized Customer Service Team, absorbing 6 Water Works Customer Service Staff, with a 2024-2025 plan to (1) train workers to staff the future City Hall One Stop Shop (2) take payments across city teams (3) deploy a new Case Management model and other modernizations
Given emerging technology and the evolution of customer service support tasks, the team will also receive training in IT project management, product management, digital comms, etc.
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
2024 Org Chart
for I&T
•47 FTEs
•6 absorbed (red)
•7 net new (yellow)
•Title Changes (yellow
outline)
•Note 2023 Q2 change:
•Title change only Design
Specialist > Web
Manager
Chief Innovation Officer
Director, Data &
Performance
Assistant Director, Data & Performance
GIS Senior Specialist
Senior Business Analyst Business Analyst (2)
Director, Civic
Innovation
Technology Equity Manager
Program Manager -
Transportation
Director, Customer
Service & Success
Manager, Customer Success
Case Manager (2)
Manager, 311
311 Liaison (10)
Ops Manager
Project Manager
Chief Digital Officer
Director, Applications
Applications Developer II Applications Developer I (2)
Director, Digital
Services
Web Manager Product Manager
Solutions Designer
Chief Technology Officer
Director, Enterprise
Services & Software
Manager, Enterprise
Software
Software Specialist
Manager, Services
Services Specialist (2)
Director,
Infrastructure
Manager,
Infrastructure System Specialist III (2)
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
2024 Org Chart
for I&T
Zoom in on Customer Service
Changes: Merging all frontline Customer Service personnel on one team will:
-Allow the city to create a One Stop Shop digital and in-person experience
-Pursue centralized/streamlined payments across resident services
-Shift from a reactive 311 model to a proactive, holistic case management model
-Create a foundation for customer service digital innovation while future-proofing our structure and workforce
Chief Innovation
Officer
Director,
Customer Service
& Success
Manager,
Customer Success
Case Manager
(2)*
Manager, 311
311 Liaison (10)*
1 Case Manger + 5 311 Liaisons absorbed
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
History, Enrollment Numbers
UAP Overview
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
UAP = Utility Assistance Program
Future Revitalized UAPOld 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
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Our Mayor Greenlit these 9 Program Changes in
2021
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
What we built: A New UAP Process + Application
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
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
2023 GovTech Best in Indiana App
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Despite Improvement, Outreach was Needed
In 2022, we started a few things:
•Assistance STAT meetings, tracking uptake
of UAP and other assistance programs
•Marketing initiatives with Utility/PW
•Assistance Working Group, training other
social service organization on the UAP app
•Assistance Lead, used AR dollars to fund a
dedicated person to increase uptake of City
programs
•Data-Driven Outreach, results driven
contracting + canvassing to
undersubscribed areas
•UAP Referral Program, giving partnered
nonprofits $ for UAP referrals
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Percent Eligible Households Enrolled (2022)
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Current State UAP Enrollees + Targets
•2,895 accounts enrolled in UAP as of April 29, 2024
•doubled the 2022 numbers, but a long way to go
•We estimate ~15K households are eligible (aka are at 80% AMI
or below for our County), but
•most of our sign-ups are for tier 3 (19.25 off bill, 30-35%
AMI) and 4 ($25.50 off bill, 0-30% AMI)
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Enrollment in April 2024
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
We have work to do…
•In 2023, we diverted some UAP outreach/personnel muscle to
the Affordable Connectivity Plan (ACP) sign-up work
•We want to increase UAP sign-ups in 2024 again
We would love the IT and Utility Committee’s assistance!
Recommendations for partners, outreach, events, etc. very
welcome!
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
What we’re up to!
Customer Service & Success
Goals & Portfolio
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Customer Service & Success Portfolio
Initiative Description Partners Timeline
Case Management – New Residents Pilot, testing, projects, SOPs for
streamlining new resident experience
Change Agents Training, Data &
Performance
2024
Case Management – Vulnerable
Households
Pilot, testing, projects, SOPs for
streamlining vulnerable household
experience
Change Agents Training, Data &
Performance
2024
Cash-taking Kiosks Deploy cash taking kiosks to City
locations
Marketplace.city, various City Teams 2024
Payment Process Centralization Take on OVB payments OVB, Neighborhood Services, enFocus 2024
Colfax office “Beta” OSS New ipad stations, CX flow, payment
intake, process improvements
ESS 2024
Paper form modernization/overhaul Creating digital version of paper only
or in-person processes
Digital Team (Apps, DS), Legal, Utility 2024
Drive thru winddown Engaging with the small number of
users of the drive thru to support
them before it closes
Civic Innovation 2024
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Customer Service & Success Portfolio (cont.)
Initiative Description Partners Timeline
Queue management/scheduling
system onboarding, testing
Centralized queue management and
scheduling platform for OSS and City
Teams
Marketplace.city, Building, OVB,
Business Licensing, other teams
2024
OSS Space and CX Design Overall flow, feel, experience for new
City Hall
Building, OVB, Business Licensing,
other teams
2024 - 2025
External GenAI Chatbot Chatbot for City Services, information NA Postponed
Digital OSS A digital complement to in-person
OSS; an account-based experience for
residents to see their services,
requests, information, etc.
Digital Team (Apps, DS)2025
Streamlined Translation Services Internal Process for quick review of
GenAI created document translations
Digital Team (Apps, DS), La Casa,
Mayor’s Office
2024
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
This is a glimpse at
Long Beach, CA’s “One
Stop Shop”.
SBStat 2023
Projected vpw by operation
Business Unit Lobby
Reception Storefront Payment
Dropbox
Document Pick-
up/Drop-off Appointments Ad hoc
table
Building 12 18
EEE 11
Engineering 15 35
Human Rights 10 10 17
Neighborhood H&H 7 5 5 14
Neighborhood S&E 22 16 2 10
OVB 13 4 3
Water Works Utilities 532 115 94
Zoning 16 8
Total 64 581 121 26 195 3
We started working
with City Teams to
strategize the
streamlined physical
and digital “One Stop
Shop” customer
experience
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Goals + KPIs
Goal KPI/Measurement Instrument Why?
Decrease Call Volume, Increase
Online Use
Lower # calls, Increased % of
requests online
Saved time, efficiency
Increase Auto Pay for Utility % customers in auto pay Saved time, efficiency, better CX
Increase UAP sign-ups % eligible UAP uptake Prevent shut-offs, economic
shocks
Stand up case management SOPs
for New Residents
# referral partners, reported
improved experiences
Better experience for movers, less
calls, saved time
Stand up case management SOPs
for Households in Need
# referral partners, reported
improved experiences
Connect resident in need to more
resources, streamline their
experience
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Goals + KPIs (cont)
Goal KPI/Measurement Instrument Why?
Great customer service
interactions
4.5+ Post-call or post-visit ratings Everyone should have a great
interaction!
Reactive >>> Proactive Activities Increase ratio of proactive
activities (ex: making calls,
attending events, CX
improvement projects) to reactive
activities that should become
more self service, more
automated (answering traditional
311 calls)
The future of government
customer service is proactive
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
A final ask
We are engaging with recent residents who have moved into the
City in the last 1-2 years! We are asking for their feedback as we
redesign our new resident onboarding process.
Please help us recruit! Direct them to this form:
southbendin.gov/newresident <<< We are hosting a focus group
session at Mayor’s Night Out next week, 5/9 at Washington High
School
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Any further questions?
Please email CIO Denise Linn Riedl at driedl@southbendin.gov
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
Extra slides and details
Appendix
City of South Bend
Innovation & Technology
More Reading – I&T Reports & Background
•You can read a case about the creation of our Department
•Link to the Department’s Medium Blog
•Transparency & Performance Page