MWDigest (June 2016) - Municipal World's monthly digital digest by Municipal World

June 2016

The Service Imperative

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Internet Voting

Innovations in Municipal Service Delivery Coming Events

As citizen expectations for online services continue to rise, a new study confirms that local governments still have a passion to serve

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MWDigest is a monthly digital publication, highlighting and supplementing content available to Municipal World magazine subscribers. For information on advertising and submitting content for this publication, please contact Anthony Gibbons at 1-888-368-6125 ext. 206.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Service Imperative Service delivery is recognized as vital by government leaders across the country; however, how to best communicate with your community is changing rapidly. Read about a new study that reveals local government leaders’ increasing focus on online customer service, with an eye to the future.

Internet Voting While online voting is often advocated as a way to increase voter participation, security concerns are often downplayed as no longer relevant. This excerpt from the June 2016 edition of Municipal World provides a closer look at the facts and helps debunk some of the popular myths.

Online Exclusive!

Editor’s Flashback This online-only feature column highlights select articles from past issues of Municipal World’s monthly print magazine. In this issue, we share “Innovations in Municipal Service Delivery” – from the December 2011 issue.

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CONTENTS

MUNICIPAL WORLD – CANADA’S MUNICIPAL MAGAZINE

THE SERVICE IMPERATIVE A new study reveals local government leaders’ increasing focus on online customer service.

Technology allows city hall to build stronger connections with the community’s greatest resource: its concerned, dedicated, and smart people.

Subscribe to

WE HAVE THE PLAN – NOW WHAT? 7

TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS FOR MUNICIPALITIES With the next application round for new top-level domains expected to open in 2018, it’s helpful to take a look at experiences from other cities that have implemented gTLDs.

volume 126, number 6

BUILDING A CONNECTED CITY

INTERNET VOTING While online voting is often advocated as a way to increase voter participation, security concerns are often downplayed as no longer relevant. A closer look at the facts helps debunk popular myths.

JUNE 2016

A PONY WITH MANY TRICKS The City of Stratford demonstrates what it takes to be a Smart City in the 21st century. 13

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTH & SAFETY As the ability to manage workplace health and safety grows in importance, new roles for technology are becoming more and more apparent. 15

Having a strategic plan is really just the first step toward implementation. There is no worse fate for a strategic plan than for it to sit collecting dust on a shelf.

to access great feature articles23 SECURING CONSTRUCTION like these, plus our must-read OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES Part 2 of a series examining each advantages and regular columns month! disadvantages of the two main forms of security available to municipalities: surety bonds and irrevocable standby letters of credit.

THE NEW ECONOMY

E B I R BSC

The role of coworking in Ontario’s mid-sized cities.

THE R E GUL AR S

NOW

For both large and small municipalities, becoming “smart” is moving from being the preserve of a few elite communities with visionary leaders, to being an essential component of a modern society. 17

Coming Events....................................39, 41 Connecting the Dots..................................37 Environmental Zone...................................35 Editor’s Corner............................................3 Governance Zone......................................31 Management Zone....................................33

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The Service Imperative

New study reveals local government leaders’ increasing focus on online customer service There’s a new mindset emerging among local government leaders, and this year’s “What’s Next in Digital Communications” survey confirms that the passion to serve is alive and well in town halls across North America. As citizen expectations for online services continue to rise, 95 percent of the study’s local government participants believe they have the responsibility to keep pace with citizens’ digital habits. “We are representatives of the people and the people are using this technology daily,” noted one survey participant. But, how well are local governments keeping up with the technology and social platforms that have become part of the fabric of life for the people they serve? In this second annual online survey, more than 140 government leaders, representing municipalities with populations ranging from less than 10,000 to nearly one million, weighed in on the current state of digital communications and projected future trends.1

Online Payments “More people are accessing everything via mobile technology and

apps,” said a local official. “They want to pay a bill with two taps on their phone. People are losing patience with local governments that are not making services accessible and easy to use.” One local leader from a city in Alberta spoke for many when he said, “The biggest issue with our current website is that citizens cannot pay online.” In fact, 21 percent of survey respondents rated their cities “below average” or “poor” in allowing visitors to conduct business online. And,

just four percent saw their website’s online services as “outstanding.” Takeaways from this year’s survey are clear. Local government leaders feel responsible for making their communities better for residents, and are increasingly looking at their citizens as “customers” who deserve the best service they can deliver.

ASHLEY FRUECHTING is Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives for El Segundo, Californiabased Vision Internet <www. visioninternet.com>, a national leader in government website development with more than 700 government, non-profit, and education clients in U.S. and Canadian communities.

1 To download a free copy of the survey report, visit <http://visioninternet-1821669.hs-sites. com/whats-next-in-digital-communications>.

June 2016

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June 2016

HOT OFF THE PRESS The promise of peer-to-peer government

The idea of participating in government, and using technology to help individuals do so, has become a legitimate political reality, especially with younger and tech-savvy citizens. There is a robust and growing civic-hacking movement around the world that channels the creativity and problem-solving skills of civic-minded citizens into addressing the challenges of modern governments.

In this thoughtful examination of our democratic roots, the evolving expectations of our government, and the context of today’s technologically-rich environment, author Rick Aitken debunks the idea that everyone hates government. “In reality,” he says, “what they hate are broken promises and unmet needs.” Aitken points to an abundance of evidence demonstrating that, when given a way to interact directly with government, citizens will take the opportunity to do so again and again, with the only reward being contribution. The internet is the tool that allows for this contribution and, along with the growing pool of global data, it represents an alternative to the impossible task of government doing everything for everybody. Citizens are ready to help share the workload, says Aitken. “Local government will need to be open to, prepare for, and not be overly cautious of the opportunities that will present themselves. Governments that understand the importance of participation, and that protect the rights of their citizens to do so, can capitalize on these opportunities.”

If local governments can see past the risk and the unknown, and are able to look into the future with clear eyes, they just might be able to see that this is a moment of great potential for their communities. In this book, Aitken shows us the path to this future – and the possibilities that lie ahead.

SOCIAL, OPEN

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The idea of participating in govSOCIAL, OPEN & BIG ernment, and using technology to help individuals do so, has become a legitimate political reality, especially with younger and tech-savvy citizens. There is a robust and growing civic-hacking movement around the world that channels the creativity and problem-solving skills of civic-minded citizens into addressing the challenges of modern governments.

In this thoughtful examination of Rick Aitken our democratic roots, the evolving expectations of our government, $29.95 and the context of today’s Plus applicable taxes, technologically-rich environment, shipping and handling author Rick Aitken debunks the idea that everyone hates government, pointing to an abundance of evidence demonstrating that, when given a way to interact directly with government, citizens will take the opportunity to do so again and again, with the only reward being contribution. Citizens are ready to help share the workload, says Aitken. “Local government will need to be open to, prepare for, and not be overly cautious of the opportunities that will present themselves. Governments that understand the importance of participation, and that protect the rights of their citizens to do so, can capitalize on these opportunities.” available lso

“The internet is how more and more people want and choose to access info and conduct business. It’s a matter of customer service and citizen engagement,” wrote one survey participant. In fact, limited citizen engagement was far and away the biggest problem respondents face with their current websites. More than 81 percent cited it as one of their site’s top three issues, despite the fact that 98 percent see it as “essential” or “important” to their agency. Moreover, 100 percent of respondents said citizen engagement would have a significant impact on local government operations by 2020; but, only five percent currently consider their agency “outstanding” in effective citizen engagement, and 12 percent rated their agency “below average.” Perceptions were much more positive when respondents were asked how well their website reflects the unique brand of their community or organization. Twenty-two percent rated their website as “outstanding” while only nine percent identified it as “below average.” This is an encouraging trend, since a website that projects the quality and personality of your community is critical to making a good first impression. One tool that is helping local leaders to stay informed on what citizens value and need from their local government is studying their website’s analytics and usage reports. The majority (56 percent) of 2015 survey respondents track and analyze their digital website metrics, including identifying their most visited web pages, at a minimum of once per month, with a handful tracking it daily. When asked if they adjusted their web strategy and updated their homepage based on those analytics, 79 percent said “yes.”

Citizen Engagement and First Impressions

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continues to be a top digital trend as citizen expectations for mobile access increase. More than 91 percent of survey respondents predict that mobile government will be “essential” or “important” to their agency within the next five years. As one survey respondent noted, “The Millennial generation expects to interact with government in a digital capacity and we must meet them where they are. It is essential as a means to deliver information, create open data standards, and promote economic development.” Removing barriers that limit citizen access and engagement with local government also extends to obstacles that prevent interaction or access to websites by people with disabilities. This growing concern for local government agencies requires knowledge of guidelines and mandates, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0), which are increasingly being enforced at the local level. An overwhelming number of respondents (89 percent), however, had moderate, weak, or no knowledge of these web accessibility requirements.

2015 survey to 84 percent from 63 percent in 2014. The growing importance of SMS/text also is evident, with predictions for 2020 skyrocketing to a “highly effective” rating of 61 percent, up from 37 percent in last year’s survey. While change doesn’t happen quickly in the public sector, the good news is that it’s happening from the bottom up – on the local level where it has the greatest impact on people’s lives. Municipal websites, social me-

dia, SMS/text, mobile government, geolocation-based services, and other digital communication tools are helping municipal governments become more accessible, convenient, interactive, and transparent for the people they serve. The bottom line is that the way government delivers services is changing. Communities of all sizes will benefit from having local leaders who recognize and embrace these trends. 

Predictions for Future of Communication Comparing respondents’ perception of how effective their agency’s channels of citizen communications were at the end of 2015 to what they think it will be in 2020 revealed an interesting shift. At the end of 2015, the top “highly effective” ranking was email (62%) followed by social media (42%), news releases (39%), agency website (34%), and SMS/ text (19%). But, respondents predict a dynamic shift by 2020, with social media topping the “highly effective” ranking (84%), closely followed by agency website (78%), SMS/text (61%), email (57%), and news releases (41%). The order of these 2020 predictions is in stark contrast to last year’s results. While anticipation of highly effective agency websites by 2020 remained unchanged at 78 percent, social media leapfrogged it in the June 2016

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June 2016

municipal elections by Barbara Simons

the From ue of iss d June al Worl p i ic Mun agazine M

In Brief

Internet Voting An idea whose time has not yet come

In 2000, I participated in a panel created in response to a request from U.S. President Bill Clinton to examine internet voting. My initial reaction was: What a great idea! I could vote while drinking a cup of coffee in the morning or sipping a glass of wine in the evening – or any time in between. However, our panel very quickly realized that internet voting is a very hazardous idea and issued a report in 2001 that recommended against internet voting. The threats that generated our negative recommendations have not changed. If anything, the internet is now a more dangerous place than it was back then. While online voting is often advocated as a way to increase voter participation, important concerns about security are often downplayed as no longer relevant. A closer look at the facts can help debunk some popular myths and reveal serious vulnerabilities related to online voting today.

What Can You Do? Municipal clerks and election administrators have a responsibility to advise their council of the inherent risks of internet voting and impartially provide these assertions:

Internet Voting Does Not Increase Voter Participation – Despite claims to the contrary, extensive research shows that these claims are dubious at best. While some research has shown that internet voting can increase voter turnout in the case of first-time use, it fails to consider the “novelty” factor. Extensive research conducted by Elections BC contradicts the widely-expressed belief that internet voting will lead to increased participation by youth. Consider the following from the Elections BC report: While there have been some internet voting elections where voter turnout has increased, when other factors such as the apparent closeness of the race and interest in particular contests (e.g., a mayoral election without an incumbent) are taken into consideration, research suggests that internet voting does not generally cause nonvoters to vote. Instead, internet voting is mostly used as a tool of convenience for individuals who have already decided to vote. Internet Voting Is Not Secure – Some people argue that we should move to internet voting because vot-

ers like and trust it, or because they are not concerned about security. It is a concern that the potential integrity of the democratic process can be treated so lightly. As an example for comparison, it is doubtful that anyone would make a similar argument about prescription drugs. When it comes to drugs, you want to be sure that the drug a) works as intended and b) is secure and won’t make you sick, or even kill you. We rely on experts for such evaluations. We also need to rely on experts when it comes to the use of computers in voting. Public opinion is not a basis for making security decisions. Independent computer security experts conducted a more recent study for the City of Toronto, examining three internet voting systems submitted in response to a Toronto RFP. The

BARBARA SIMONS is a former President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). She published Broken Ballots: Will Your Vote Count? and is on the Board of Advisors of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. She is retired from IBM Research and is Board Chair of Verified Voting. She is a dual Canada/U.S. citizen.

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Malware can change votes while leaving no evidence, so that neither the voter nor election officials can detect it. study concluded that “no proposal provides adequate protection against the risks inherent in internet voting.” The three vendors included in the study run systems that were used in the 2014 municipal elections by 43 Ontario municipalities, representing more than 1.2 million electors. An Online Election Can Be Hacked – One only needs to look to the myriad of examples (including the NDP leadership elections in 2003 and 2012) to see the potential security risks in real time. There has been only one open public test of an online voting system that allowed anyone from anywhere to try to break into the system, and that was in Washington, DC in 2010. The system was fully compromised within 36 hours. Since then, internet voting system vendors have refused to allow their systems to be tested under realistic threat conditions. Voters and Their Digital Devices Are Vulnerable – Malware (malicious software) can change votes while leaving no evidence, so that neither the voter nor election officials can detect it. The vulnerabilities of our own devices would leave an electronic election vulnerable to cyber-attacks from foreign intelligence agencies, criminal organizations, our own political partisans, or even lone anonymous hackers. Attackers might silently, remotely, and undetectably

spy on votes, modify them, discard them, or buy and sell them. Furthermore, unlike online banking, the nature of the secret ballot makes it impossible to determine which ballots are legitimate and which have been tampered with, thereby making attacks on online voting uncorrectable. There Are No National or Provincial Standards – Municipalities are left to their own devices in determining whether the equipment and systems operate as expected. And, a majority of these municipalities leave auditing and testing of the systems to the vendor. Vendors will claim that their systems are secure, but those claims are unsubstantiated and in direct contradiction to the best assessments of independent researchers after years of research and analysis. In fact, in the last election, 20 municipalities discovered there had been problems after the polls closed. The vendor’s response was to offer a discount. We need to treat our elections as the national security issue that they are. Election administrators must maintain the integrity of our election; internet voting compromises that integrity. We should insist on transparent, recountable elections so that everyone, including the losing candidates, will trust the outcome. Internet voting is not a magic bullet that will increase voter participation. Its time has not yet come. 

To read the full article, see the June 2016 issue of Municipal World.

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by Kenneth Kernaghan

ne Onli ve usi Excl re u Feat

Innovations in Municipal Service Delivery Progress and Prospects

Innovations in service delivery are helping municipal governments cope with the public’s demand for improved service and reduced costs. While some municipalities, both large and small, have made impressive innovations, many others have done little or nothing. To document and encourage municipal service delivery innovations, Canada’s Institute for Citizen Centred Service (ICCS) has published a study entitled Clicks, Calls and Counters: Innovations in Municipal Service Delivery <www. iccs-isac.org/en/msd> that includes 21 best practice case studies from municipalities across Canada. This article is based on that study.

and what are the means of reducing or overcoming these obstacles?

Improved Access

A major category of service improvement is better access to services through such means as high-quality websites, services for life events, and digital inclusion. For example, an increasingly frequent and valuable feature of municipal government websites is the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology that involves collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data about areas of the earth. Nanaimo, BC has been described by Time Magazine as “the capital of Google Earth” for providing Google with large Examining Current Innovations amounts of GIS data that has enabled Innovations can be examined in the mapping of every property in the terms of the “what” and the “how” of city. service delivery. What is being done to Improved access can also be improve service delivery through such achieved by delivering online services means as better access, increased colin “bundles” related to such significant laboration, innovative use of service life events as getting married or movchannels, the open data movement, Web ing. A related approach, called one-time 2.0 initiatives, enhanced citizen engage- data provision, involves service for ment, and new service delivery organichanges in life events. Governments zational arrangements? How is service collect information from citizens only improvement being managed through once and then transmit that informasuch measures as service strategies and tion to the relevant departments. As an policies, performance measurement, and example, residents of Oshawa, Ontario service standards? Further, what are the who apply for various city services are main obstacles to designing and imple- required to provide proof of eligibility menting service delivery innovations, only once.

Digital inclusion measures aim to ensure equitable access for all citizens regardless of their social, demographic, and technological circumstances. The City of Toronto’s Web Access to Your Services (WAYS) program, for example, has improved service and reduced costs by providing online service to social assistance recipients.

Service Delivery Channels Collaboration has become a central element of public management in general, and service delivery in particular. Services are increasingly being joined up within departments and across departments, jurisdictions, and sectors (i.e., the public, private, and non-profit sectors). During the H1N1 crisis, the Regional Municipality of Niagara collaborated with the Ontario Government and with public health units across the province that used the region’s software application for improving service delivery in community-based flu immunization clinics. In Alberta, seven small municipalities have entered into a successful col-

KENNETH KERNAGHAN was a Professor of Public Administration at Brock University. He was the author of Clicks, Calls and Counters: Innovations in Municipal Service Delivery as well as numerous other publications. He was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2010, and passed away in 2015.

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Perhaps the hottest current item in innovative service delivery is multi-channel management and migration. Several governments are examining the many associated issues ... laborative arrangement to attract and keep qualified staff. An increasingly popular initiative in the innovative use of service delivery channels is the adoption of 311 and/or 211 telephone systems. Residents can dial 311 for nonemergency municipal services and 211 for information and referrals to non-emergency government and community human services. 311 Toronto received more than 500,000 calls in its first six months of operation. The city has added an online feature to its 311 system that enables citizens to report such problems as damaged roads and missed garbage pickups. A few

governments (e.g., Halton Region, New York City) have both 311 and 211 systems. Perhaps the hottest current item in innovative service delivery is multichannel management and migration. Several governments are examining the many issues associated with the selection, rationalization, and integration of service delivery channels, especially the telephone, in-person, and internet channels. Among these issues is the challenge of balancing equitable service with efficient and effective service. The City of Hamilton not only improved the speed of service and lowered costs when it moved

many of its recreation registrants to the self-service and IVR channels, but it also maintained almost the same level of satisfaction with the continuing in-person service. The City of Toronto has developed a valuable Channel Assessment Tool (CAT) for determining the best mix of channels to deliver particular services. A current innovation with potentially substantial long-term impact is the Municipal Reference Model (MRM). This is a web-based service designed to provide automated tools for defining and planning municipal programs and service delivery. Version 2 of MRM has been developed by the Municipal Information Systems Association and is being piloted by Edmonton and Toronto, and by Halton and Peel Regions in Ontario.

Open Data and Social Media Governments at all levels in Canada are at an early stage in the use of Web 2.0 tools such as social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook), wikis, blogs, and mashups; but, there are many helpful guides, websites and workshops on using these tools that cater specifically to municipalities. The City of Ottawa has adopted social media tools to improve collaboration, increase transparency, and share knowledge. Some municipalities, including Ottawa and Edmonton, have sponsored “Apps” competitions that encourage residents to devise innovative ways of using and sharing city data. Municipalities are ahead of other levels of government in the open data movement – that is, in the release of large amounts of data to the public to improve service and foster citizen engagement. Vancouver’s Open Data initiative, for example, has brought 14

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benefits to public service, research, and education. Web 2.0 tools can greatly facilitate citizen engagement in shaping government priorities and in designing and delivering government services. A new trend is “crowdsourcing” whereby governments issue an online call for suggested solutions to particular problems and, in some cases, reward those who come up with the best solution. Another trend, involving primarily the offline, in-person channel, is “co-production.” Interpreted strictly, co-production goes beyond conventional citizen engagement approaches by establishing partnerships between citizens and government that enable citizens to contribute their own resources of time, expertise, and work, and to have more control over decisions and resources.

by organizational changes. In addition, municipalities are beginning to develop dedicated service delivery agencies similar to those in the federal and provincial spheres of government (e.g., Service Canada, Access Nova Scotia). Service Oshawa is a multi-channel customer service centre providing a single point of contact for residents to receive a wide range of services. All of these service delivery innovations require effective service management for their planning, design, operation, and measurement. Governments are well advised to develop a service strategy and policy framework that sets out a vision and a roadmap for service improvement; to determine what mix of operational performance measurement, user satisfaction surveys, and performance benchmarking is appropriate to their needs; and to consider involvement Driving Organizational Change in the professionalization of service Several of the innovative trends dis- staff through, for example, ICCS’s service certification program. cussed above have been accompanied

Creating service delivery innovations – or adapting them from other jurisdictions – is not an easy task. There is a variety of political, legal, structural, managerial, operational, and cultural barriers to innovation. Fortunately, there is also a variety of remedies to reduce or overcome these barriers. These remedies include increased collaboration; committed leadership; governance and organization from a whole-of-government and citizen-centred perspective; careful attention to change management; effective marketing and communication; and a balancing of service improvement with the protection of privacy and security. Many municipalities across Canada have demonstrated their ability and determination to overcome these obstacles in their successful pursuit of improved service and cost-efficiency. All municipalities can learn about service delivery innovations from one another and from other levels of government and other countries. MW

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May 29-June 1 – OMSSA’s 2016 Leadership Symposium and annual general meeting Hamilton ON. www.omssa.com May 30-June 1 – Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators Annual Conference Winnipeg MB. www.camacam.ca/en/conference June 3-5 – Federation of Canadian Municipalities 2016 Annual Conference and Trade Show Winnipeg MB. www.fcm.ca/home/events/annualconference-and-trade-show.htm June 7-8 – World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM) 2016 Mississauga ON. www.wcdm.org June 7-9 – Saskatchewan Economic Development Association conference Swift Current SK. www.seda.sk.ca/html/seda-events June 8-10 – Association of Municipal Administrators of New Brunswick annual conference and AGM Shippagan NB. http://amanbaamnb.ca June 8-11 – Canadian Ground Water Conference & Expo Niagara Falls ON. www.ogwa.ca/ cdngroundwaterexpo June 12-15 – Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario annual general meeting and conference Niagara Falls ON. www.amcto.com June 12-14 – Public Sector Management Workshop St. Johns NL. www.fmi.ca/events/ psmw/psmw-2016

June 21-23 – 2016 LGMA Conference and AGM Nanaimo BC. www.lgma.ca August 21-24 – National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) forum National Harbor MD. www.nigp.org August 28-31 – American Public Works Association International Public Works Congress and Exposition Minneapolis MN. www.apwa.net/ PWX September 11-14 – 2016 OMTRA Annual Conference Minett ON. September 14-16 – Ontario East Municipal Conference Kingston ON. www.oemc.ca September 14-16 – Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association Fall conference Alliston ON. www.omhra.ca/en/events September 25-28 – Transportation Association of Canada conference and exhibition Toronto ON. www.tac-atc.ca September 26-28 – 26th Annual National Organics Recycling and Compost Conference Niagara Falls ON. www.compost.org/English/attend_events.htm September 26-30 – Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention Victoria BC. www.ubcm.ca October 5-7 – Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) convention & AMSC trade show Edmonton AB. www.auma.ca

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October 20-22 – National Trust for Canada conference Hamilton ON. www.nationaltrustcanada.ca October 27-29 – Communities in Bloom National Symposium on Parks & Grounds and National and International Awards Ceremonies, in conjunction with the 2016 Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association Conference, Regina SK. www.communitiesinbloom.ca www. spra.sk.ca November 9-10 – Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Midterm Convention Saskatoon SK. http://sarm.ca November 14-17 – AAMDC 2016 Fall Convention Edmonton AB. www.edaalberta.ca November 21-23 – Association of Manitoba Municipalities 18th Annual Convention Winnipeg MB. www.amm.mb.ca/events November 22-25 – FMI*IGF Professional Development Week Ottawa ON. www.fmi.ca/ events/pd-week December 6-8 – National Groundwater Association Groundwater Week and Expo Las Vegas NV. www.GroundwaterWeek.com

2017 February 5-8 – Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association’s 112th Annual Convention Saskatoon SK. www.suma.org

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June 2016

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