CASE STUDY:

1. CASE STUDY: The City of Tampa's Automated Agenda Workflow System

2. ISPA, Inc and DocMaestro • ISPA is a Service Disabled Veteran owned and Small Disadvantaged Business headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia • DocMaestro Division is located in Clearwater • Products include: • AgendaMaestro • UtilityMaestro • InfoLinker

3. City of Tampa • Population over 300,000 • Over 4,500 city employees • Around 34 departments • Hundreds of employees are involved in the agenda process - Requestors • Over 100 employees involved in the agenda approval process - Approvers • Offices in several buildings throughout city • Extensive Intranet facilities

4. System Objectives • Better, faster, cheaper than current process • Define a documented process • Ability to adapt to changes • The ability to collect statistical information on the agenda process • Provide public access to agenda information

5. Existing Conditions • The City of Tampa publishes around 20 different agendas every month. • Each agenda can be upwards of 1500 pages with support material • The types of agendas published for the City of Tampa include: • Regular Meeting Draft Agenda • Regular Meeting Final Agenda • Regular Meeting Ordinance Agenda • Regular Meeting Resolution Agenda • Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Special Meeting Agenda • Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Regular Meeting Agenda • Evening Agenda • Each agenda can result in additional documents including Minutes and Action Agendas • There are around 200 requests per month to place items on an agenda • Each agenda request can require up to 10 approvals before it is assigned to appear on an agenda

6. First Step: Gathering Information • The Tampa Request For Proposal • Understanding the existing paper process • Survey the users and facilities • Categorize the users • Requestors • Approvers • Coordinators

7. Survey the users

8. Survey Says… 1 of 8

9. Forms and Documents • Agendas (Compound Documents) • Regular Meetings • Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Meetings • Actions Agendas • Minutes • Agenda Requests • Types of agenda requests: Resolution, Ordinance, Petition (Staff Report/Site Plan), Hearing, Council Ordinance • Data and Support Information • Approval Process (Workflow) • Policy and Rejection • Assignment to an Agenda

10. Agenda Request Word Form with Macros and attached support documents

11. Approval Process (Workflow) Documented Process

12. Routing Slip

13. Routing Slip page 2

14. Electronic Signatures Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act of June 2001 - "ESIGN“, FTC & Dept of Commerce “a signature, contract, or other record relating to such transaction may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form” “Signed electronic records shall contain information associated with the signing that clearly indicates the printed name of the signer, the date and time when the signature was executed. The meaning (such as review, approval, responsibility, or authorship) associated with the signature.” http://www.ftc.gov/os/2001/06/esign7.htm

15. Requestor / Approver Web Site

16. Agenda Template Tampa Hollywood DeKalb, GA Action Agenda

17. Coordinator Workstation

18. Document Repository • Web based document system • Integrates with existing web site • Field searchable • Agenda Date • Agenda Type • Word searchable • Hyperlinked results

19. System Overview Request Emails Event Emails AgendaMaestro Server Attachments Event Manager Web Pages System Emails System Manager Web Browser Clients Documents & Files Agenda DBMS Coordinator Client System Manager Client Templates & Configuration

20. Getting it going • A focal point on both sides is a good idea • User Training is Very Important • What is surveyed is not always the truth • Use a “Support Request” form • Policy and Procedures

21. User Training is Very Important • Training Classes • Requestor / Approver Training • Coordinator Training • ITS Training (ITS support is very important - Thanks Don) • City of Tampa Support – Lelia Blevins • User Manuals (Not sure anyone sees them)

22. System Results - Accomplishments • There are 200 Agenda Requests per month • The system sends out 2,000 approval / review requests per month • Over 8 gigabytes of electronic documents have entered the system since inception • Currently, no paper agenda requests nor agendas are printed to paper by the City Clerk’s office – Paperless Office • All agendas are available to the public • Process is better, faster, cheaper

23. From Press Release of May 12, 2005: “The goal of the Agenda Automation Project is to achieve greater efficiency in city government, while substantially reducing paper and manpower costs.  The initiative has already greatly reduced voluminous paper agenda books provided to city council members and city staff. The city clerk, in conjunction with the Information Technology Department, worked with a selected vendor DocMaestro, in the development of an electronic workflow for processing agenda items with electronic signatures affixed by the appropriate review departments.”

24. Press Release 5/12/2005 (Continued): “During the past two city council meetings, council members and other staff members have been able to access their agenda materials electronically from laptop computers.  This Agenda Automation Project was initiated at the request of the mayor’s administration and as a result of concerns expressed by city council members that access to official documents should be available on-line to the public, news media, and city staff.”

25. AgendaMaestro and UtilityMaestro Customers • City of Tampa • Hillsborough County • Marion County • City of Sarasota • Pinellas County Utilities • Hollywood, Florida • Broward County • DeKalb County, Georgia • Fulton County, Georgia • Augusta, Georgia • Cobb County, Georgia • Columbus Consolidated Government, Georgia • Schenectady, New York • Georgetown County, South Carolina • City of Georgetown, South Carolina