Rock Creek Roundup (February 26 Edition)

Posted by: Meagen Ryan, Director of Strategy Feb 26, 2010 0 Comments

In this week’s version of the Rock Creek Roundup, we take a look at San Francisco’s new policy-focused website, explore how the DMV is making life easier in California, introduce the Citizen Request Tracker, and highlight the functionality found in the DIY Democracy app. Let’s get to it!

—Earlier this week, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome announced the launch of PolicySF.com, an online portal dedicated to facilitating collaboration and showcasing the successful results of the city’s “most innovative policy efforts.” Among other initiatives, the site highlights San Francisco’s HealthySF program, a program that makes affordable medical services available for uninsured residents, and SF Promise, a program that guarantees the availability of a free college education to every 6th grader in the San Francisco Unified School District. The site also offers downloadable toolkits that provide an overview of the steps the city took to pass the initiatives and step-by-step guidelines that people can use to replicate program success in their own communities.

—Speaking of California, if you’re planning to register a new vehicle or take your teenager to get his license, your life is about to get a lot easier. Thanks to the new iPhone app DMV Now, you can check wait times at local DMV offices, get GPS-based directions, and even check out sample written driving test questions, all on the go. The app, believed to be the only one of its kind in the nation, was developed in-house by a member of the DMV’s web development team. All I can say is that this is a fantastic way that technology is allowing government to better serve its citizens, and that I hope this particular app is replicated by DMVs across the nation, especially here in the District.

—And speaking of iPhone apps, citizens in smaller cities and towns now have access to the same mobile conveniences seen in the big cities, courtesy of the iPhone/iPod touch compatible Citizen Request Tracker, or CRT. Nearly 600 cities across the nation will now be able to let citizens report non-emergency problems and issues by simply accessing the app, describing the issue, taking and attaching photos. and delivering the request to the city’s CRT system, which then routes the request to the proper place. The application also makes use of the iPhone’s GPS technology to identify the location of the request—especially helpful for reporting potholes or traffic lights that are malfunctioning.

—And finally, speaking of citizens using iPhones to engage with government, another app called DIY Democracy aims to help people more effectively connect with government on a variety of levels. The app contains an overview of “Rights and Laws,” a sort of Cliff’s Notes version of the constitution, a listing of “Representatives,” with full contact information (including e-mail addresses) for everyone from the President to your local town’s councilmen, a “Public Forum” link that directs users to online discussion forums, and “Take Action,” a template-based complaint/concern application that’s similar to the Citizen Request Tracker we mentioned above. Though it’s currently only fully functional for people who live in California, the app provides a good model for developers in other areas of the country.

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Meagen Ryan

Director of Strategy

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