City Caucus' Daniel Fontaine thinks that the Vision Mayor and Councillors "don't want a single legacy from the previous regime to be successful."
The truth is out there. A 311 system has been created for Vancouver, and in fact is already in use – SINCE FEBRUARY 16, but somehow, there is a conspiracy behind the system’s implementation.
At least, that is what you might believe after reading this post by Daniel Fontaine of City Caucus. Daniel was of course the former Chief of Staff to Mayor Sam Sullivan during his single term in office, which is when the 311 motion was passed by the NPA majority council.
This is the query that Fontaine puts forth:
“When you compare this to how every other major city in North America promotes their 311 service, you have to ask why the City of Vancouver remains mum.”
Well yesterday, I decided to make few calls to City Hall to track down why 311 hasn’t been “officially announced by the City of Vancouver.”
Well, after speaking to a few city staff in both the Business Planning and Services department which handles information technology issues and the Corporate Communications team, I got an answer.
Now come closer, and be quiet. I’ll whisper it in your ear. But first, put on your tin foil hat. You ready?
Kinks.
Just as Frances Bula reported in June (in a post appropriately entitled “311 system working out the kinks veeeeery slowly), the system is still working out a number of technical issues that make a hard launch with a robust communications strategy something that cannot happen quite yet.
In talking to staff, I was pointed to this article from American City & County magazine, which details some of the issues and possible problems that constituencies might encounter in the early phases of a 311 introduction. Consider this excerpt from the article:
“CRM was devised for businesses, and it was in corporate habitats that it worked out most of its kinks before state and local governments tapped it to run 311 call centers. Governments, however, still have plenty of issues
that might conflict with CRM systems.Before considering a CRM system, governments should conduct an operational business analysis, or OBA, says Steve Stroud, 311 program manager for the City and County of Denver. First, analyze how efficiently each department operates and how it is organized before trying to match needs with technology.”
Well, in consideration of the fact that over the past few months, the City has been undergoing the most massive internal restructuring in its history with the Vancouver Services Review, it is understandable that the complete roll-out of 311 has been delayed.
More important to consider, however, is this particular paragraph from the above-linked article, which details how 311 services are incremental rather than full-service from the initial launch:
“But an efficient 311 does not have to go live with every last bell and whistle turned on. “There are different flavors of CRM and 311,” Stroud says. “You buy the software and you focus on just the parts that you need to roll out just on day one, and that allows you to gain efficiencies and savings over six months to a year, and then you come in and you may add transactions such as marriage licenses and permitting. But if you phase in the components that you want to turn on, you have total control, and you can make yourself as bulletproof as possible. If you’re on a shoestring and you try to do everything, you’re at risk at every level.”
Couple this with considerations like:
- Databases must by in sync with the new system
- Staff throughout departments need proper CRM training
- The fact that the City’s own documents present a phased approach to adding services to 311
and there is your myriad of reasons for the City of Vancouver not plastering 311 notices on the sides of buses and placing posters above urinals.
Lastly, with the Olympics two and a half months away, and the City in the grips of an early budget process with huge decisions about service cuts and taxation levels to consider, it is absurd to suggest that there is willful sabotage going on with regards to 311.
Peevishness is something that I attribute more to your post than to the Vision Vancouver Mayor and Council on this particular issue. Daniel, your guy lost, and the party he was leading up until June, 2008 was decimated. That alone is enough vindication for Vision Vancouver, making your accusation of the Mayor and Council not wanting “a single legacy from the previous regime to be successful” absolutely ludicrous.
Paranoia will destroy ya!
