Editor's note: This article was originally published in American City & County, which has merged with Smart Cities Dive to bring you expanded coverage of city innovation and local government. For the latest in smart city news, explore Smart Cities Dive or sign up for our newsletter.
When they buy new software and technology, cities and counties need to consider its impact on their residents, says Brenden Elwood, vice president of market research at CivicPlus, a public-sector software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider that offers solutions that empower staff and connect with residents of a community, including custom-branded websites.
“City officials need to ask, ‘Will the investment improve the resident experience and is it a good use of tax dollars?’ From there, other considerations should include staff experience with the software, costs, and assurance from city departments and IT directors,” Elwood explains.
Elwood says it is crucial for city officials to know that newly acquired software will be used over time and that staffers will adopt the new setup. “Great training and support are vital, so it becomes incredibly important that the vendor sales teams understand the real-world applications of the software, rather than being focused on just selling ‘features.’ Overall, the technology needs to be linked to how it can be applied to government operations, the improved experience it brings and how it supports a clear path to making things better.”
Local government administrators need to understand how well the new package integrates with other systems, Elwood says. “This includes confirming that no existing data will be lost or compromised during the implementation of the new system.”
As part of the vetting process for prospective vendors, Elwood urges government officials to dig deeply into the longevity and sustainability of the technology being offered. “This means the software should have a long shelf life, as well as flexibility to integrate with other systems (also known as ‘future-proofing’).” Another helpful factor, explains Elwood, is that government staffers be able to adopt the new software easily and quickly. Lastly, he urges prospective technology buyers to closely investigate the brand reputation of vendors and the systems they offer.
Elwood encourages government administrators to quiz prospective suppliers thoroughly. He explains: “As a decision-maker responsible for making smart purchases on behalf of the residents I serve, it is vital that I ask all potential questions, even the so-called ‘dumb ones.’ This serves a couple of purposes. First, it’s how you make a smarter purchasing decision, and it provides you with insights into what the staff does on their jobs and what tools they need in order to be successful. Second, it brings you closer to the day and the life of your administration team, which is a good thing.”
As government entities consider new technologies and software, Elwood says they should put a variety of skills on the tech-buying team. “From the internal agency side, at the very least, the team should include people who understand technology, data governance, and the agency’s internet network/infrastructure.” He adds that the tech-buying team should include people skilled in integrating old and new systems as well as setting up an application programming interface (API) for the new setup.
Elwood notes the following other skills that should be represented on the team:
an understanding of cybersecurity,
knowledge of internet network capacity,
knowledge of the current landscape of vendors,
familiarity with short- and long-term financial implications of the technology acquisition, and
awareness of the needs of all the end user(s) within the government.
Elwood says if the software under consideration is public facing, then government leaders must ensure that everyone in the community can use it intuitively. In that instance, he adds that community input must be part of the tech-buying decision process. “This means developing a good understanding of who they are, what they want to access and how they go about doing that. Community engagement is critical on this front, and it is crucial to bring the public along on the tech-buying journey.”
Community outreach can be valuable when new technology is being considered, Elwood says. “Engaging the public, whether it be through community surveys, focus groups or town halls, drives awareness among your constituents that their governments care about their input. When residents see their government leaders take action based on their engagement, it builds trust — a phenomenon called operational transparency.”
Elwood says his company has been studying the importance of public engagement for more than two years. “It is the core of our new consulting service we just launched. We want to make sure our customers can gain access to insights from their community members, even the hard-to-reach ones, since this will build a stronger community.”
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