[Durham INC] Durham Named Citizen-Engaged Community

Wed Oct 26 14:48:52 EDT 2011

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

For Immediate Release: October 26, 2011

Durham Named "Citizen-Engaged Community"

Public Technology Institute Chooses Durham Among 10 Nationwide 

DURHAM, N.C. - The Public Technology Institute (PTI) has designated the
City of Durham as one of 10 "Citizen-Engaged Communities" from
throughout the United States for 2011-2013 for its use of technology to
connect with residents.

PTI's Citizen-Engaged Communities Designation program recognizes
excellence in multi-channel contact centers and best practices for the
use of Citizen Relationship/Records Management (CRM) systems, 311
systems, web portal technology, telephony systems, and mobile
communications infrastructure. 

According to City Manager Tom Bonfield, winning this national
designation indicates that Durham is moving in the right direction with
using technology to keep residents informed on the actions of, as well
as interacting with, City government. "Communication and interaction
with Durham residents, whether it's in person, over the phone or through
the use of technology, drives the City's ability to make this community
the best that it can be. We have to be accessible in multiple ways that
residents find helpful and useful," Bonfield said. "The way we, as a
society, communicate is evolving daily, and local governments must adapt
and evolve with it so residents can connect, interact, and hold their
local government accountable. I believe we are doing that here in Durham
and that's why this designation is significant, because it shows our
residents that we're using technology for fast, friendly, and response
service."

Every year, PTI invites local governments to apply for this designation
and all applications are reviewed and scored using metrics and standards
developed by PTI in four key areas, including citizen participation
processes, integrated communication channels, integrated technology, and
performance reporting.

According to Dale Bowen, assistant executive for Program Development at
PTI, government contact centers have become the face of government to
the public. "Local governments are challenged today to provide
centralized citizen contact centers that effectively utilize new
technology for fast, friendly, and responsive service," Bowen said.
"This seamless service must engage citizens through multi-channels,
empower citizens by enabling direct interaction, and then demonstrate
accountability through performance reporting, not just for calls, but
also for service delivery."

Two other cities with populations ranging from 150,001-300,000 that also
received this designation are Chesapeake, Va. and Winston-Salem, N.C.
Santa Monica, Calif. won for cities with populations ranging from
75,001-150,000 and six cities received the designation with populations
of 300,001 or more including Boston, Mass., Denver, Colo., Indianapolis,
Ind., Kansas City, Mo., Minneapolis, Minn., and Philadelphia, Pa.

On October 27, PTI is presenting a free webinar that will provide an
overview of the 2011-2013 designation program and what makes for
effective multi-channel contact with the public. The City of Durham has
been invited to highlight its initiatives during this webinar as one of
the winners of this year's program. During this webinar, the City will
provide details on some of the programs that earned it this national
designation, including the use of translation software by the Durham
Emergency Communications Center to alter the caller's natural voice to
encourage crime reporting; the land development office (LDO) software
which provides on demand access to check permit, plans review, and field
inspection activities; the use of social media channels by DTV8 and
other City departments to keep residents informed on local government;
performance reporting website used to keep residents up-to-date on
citywide measures, initiatives, and progress toward meeting Strategic
Plan goals; and Durham One Call, which centralizes service reports and
requests.

According to Bonfield, this recognition is unique for a city that is
Durham's size and should send a message to residents about City
priorities and use of taxpayer dollars. "This kind of recognition is
typically earned by much larger cities that are able to afford to invest
more in emerging technology," Bonfield said. "I think this shows that
the City of Durham has been prudent in using its limited resources to
invest in technology that supports resident engagement as a priority."

For more information about this designation program and this year's
winners, visit PTI's website at www.pti.org/index.php/ptiee1/more/751
<http://www.pti.org/index.php/ptiee1/more/751/> .

About the Technology Solutions Department

The Technology Solutions Department aligns the City's information
technology infrastructure and systems to the business needs of the
City's departments. It designs, implements, and maintains the technology
hardware, applications, and programs. Guided by the City's Strategic
Plan, Technology Solutions ensures that its services support making
Durham a great place to live, work, and play by helping provide a
well-managed city and stewardship of the City's physical assets. For
more information, visit www.DurhamNC.gov/Departments/Technology. 

About the Public Technology Institute

Public Technology Institute (PTI) is a national, non-profit research and
development organization established by and for city and county
governments. PTI promotes innovation and collaboration by thought
leaders in government, and advances the use of technology to improve the
management and delivery of services to citizens. For more information,
visit www.pti.org.

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