citizen engagement
Philly Rising Workshop Teaches Students to Shine at the Philly311 Youth Engagement Program
Philly Rising Youth Engagement Coordinator Alex Peay has a booming voice and immediately commands the room. Our session on Thursday, October 29th was smaller than other weeks due to an AVID awards ceremony that many of our participants were attending at the same time. But, the group we had was focused and very interested in the presentation and the activity that Alex had organized.
Alex opened by explaining what Philly Rising does and how it can help communities affect change. Then he began an ice breaker – the students had to line up in order of birth date without talking. This activity demonstrated how some people naturally want to lead the effort. He talked about leadership and how some students were inclined to take on a more active role trying to direct the group while others seemed to instinctively follow instructions.
After the ice breaker, Alex moved on to his presentation. He spoke to the children about self-branding and how even at their ages (11-18) people are already fitting them into an archetype. The way teachers deem you the class clown or neighbors know you to play music loudly at night for example. He explained that branding plays a significant role in the way that others view you, and what opportunities are available to you. We talked about celebrities, like Mike Vic, who had an extremely successful career until something completely unrelated to football, dog fighting, ruined his reputation and caused him to lose all of his contracts. He gave several other examples. He told the students that it is possible to change your brand, but it is important that you are consistent if you want people to know and respect your brand.
We also talked about the importance of networking. Alex defined networking for the students and he explained that everyone who comes through this program to talk to them can become part of their network. He then gave out his business cards and shared some of the nuances of networking, such as reaching out to people regularly to check in, not just when you need something. Alex used Michael Jordan as an example: “How many of you know who Michael Jordan is? Could you call him for a favor?” Alex asks. “Many people say, ‘It is not what you know, it’s who you know.’ I say, ‘It’s not who you know, but who knows you. Build your brand so people know you and think of you when opportunities arise.”
We closed the session with another exercise. The kids used pieces of paper as rocks and had to get everyone across the river (classroom floor) without touching the water/floor. It took several tries but in the end, the students realized that they had to plan ahead and work together to get everyone across the “river” and successfully complete the activity. It was really interesting to see them work through the process and assess through trial and error the best way to get across the river together.
It was really great to see how engaged the students were with Alex’s presentation. He caught their attention and talked about some important concepts in a way the youth could relate and understand.
The overall goal of the Philly311 Youth Engagement Program is to teach young people about local government and empower them to make a positive change in their community. By teaching them about leadership, branding, and networking we can empower them to take responsibility for themselves, and their neighborhood. Another major factor of our program is that we are humanizing government. Instead of government being some mysterious entity, we are showing students that government is run by people who are just like you. I think that by putting faces like Alex Peay and Joy Soto of the Youth Commission to City government we are really changing the way these students think about government. Hopefully, by meeting these different government employees and getting to know us, the students will be encouraged to work with local government and help make Philadelphia better for all of us.
National Customer Service Week: Day One
Today I asked a group of city workers, “why treat citizens like customers?” The answers were on the right track, but my question drove at a larger philosophy. I’ve spoken before about translating private sector practices to the public sector, but today it’s no longer a question about translating practices. Being customer facing, friendly, or centered is no longer a matter of adaptation but one that should be built into your company or organization’s vision. We treat citizens like customers because they are customers. Our citizens, often unknowing, are giving us feedback about their customer experience and shaping our interactions with them.
This is just one of the topics we touched on during my lecture today for national customer service week. As the week continues Philly311 will invite customer service experts to speak about best practices and how they are making their mark in customer service. Our communications unit has organized a series of workshops and lectures featuring Darryll Adams, General Manager at The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia, Stacey Mosley, Data Services Manager for the Office of Innovation and Technology, Layla El Tannir, Manager of Social Interactions, and Sarah Levitsky, Marketing & Special Events Manager, for Reading Terminal Market.
We look forward to hearing from all of the speaks.
Do you have any plans for customer service week? Share your plans with us!
Creating a Welcoming and Connected City: The story of Philly311’s Youth Engagement Program
A few weeks ago I posed a challenge to my Philly311 Customer Service Programs and Engagement Strategist, Amanda V. Wagner: Create a program that encourages young people to be civicly involved. Amanda leads the Philly311 Customer Service Programs and Strategies Unit which is responsible for Philly311’s customer service innovative programs and communications.
She was excited by the idea; however creating the program would be a challenge within itself. Daniel Ramos, Philly311’s Community Engagement Coordinator managed a similar program in the past with the 311 Youth Neighborhood Liaison Program. The experience that Daniel acquired during the 311 Youth Neighborhood Liaison Program would shape what recently became the Youth Engagement Program.
I strongly believe that by engaging young talent early we can help resolve future neighborhood problems, and encourage a younger generation to consider a career in government. At the core of Philly311’s philosophy is one simple idea. Philly311 connects citizens to city services and resources, and there is a plethora of city services available to people outside of what citizens see on a daily basis. We want to educate adults about those city related services, and especially kids who could benefit most from it.
For example, one of the organizations we have partnered with on the youth program, After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP), works to serve the 45,000 kids citywide that spend an average of “20-25 hours a week alone after school between 3pm and 6pm, the most dangerous time of day for youth according to the Police Department.” Organizations like ASAP are a huge resource to citizens and meet a significant need in the community.
The Philly311 Youth Engagement Program (Y.E.P) kicks off in July for five week sessions. Y.E.P’s programming will teach a group of early middle school kids how to interact with Philly311, including a discussion on our award winning mobile app, and how to engage with community resources. Y.E.P has partnered with several City of Philadelphia affiliated youth programs to provide a well-rounded roster of opportunities. Under the supervision of Amanda V. Wagner, and Director of Communications for Philly311 Customer Service, Gabriela Raczka, the program has created long lasting alliances with community partners.
I am grateful for a great Philly311 team that shares my passion for government customer service, and I’m looking forward to the feedback we’ll receive and the impact the program will create for the children of Philadelphia.
Planning for the Future of Digital Services in Government
I was recently asked in an interview with Govloop, a government focused social network and online publication, about how the City of Philadelphia is engaging citizens through digital services. Government is changing, and the conversation is no longer about why we need digital services for engagement initiatives, but how we can use them. The key to engaging citizens through digital services relies on getting to know your audience, having a strategic plan, using a wide range of channels to communicate with your customers, and listening to feedback.
The design of our digital service platform is entirely informed by customers. Both our internal and external customers’ wants and needs determine the service we will provide. Having a clear definition of your stakeholders, and framing your relationship around the question of, “how can we make you successful,” is pivotal.
In government, we have to be cautious about spending; as a result, the voice of the community must define what we prioritize in service. Like I mentioned in my interview, “We look at everything in order to define what we want to design…you have to bring the customer’s feedback to the table, not just the internal people. You need everyone’s ideas, but specifically you need to know what your customers want and then design something around meeting their needs.”
Data trends become more crucial when determining citizen needs. As citizens adapt to mobile lives, we see a need to meet the citizens where they are. Forty percent of Philadelphians do not have access to Internet in their homes; however, most have access to mobile devices. Knowing that we have to meet our customers, social media becomes an influential tool. Through Philly311’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, we are able to connect with communities on an inherently social platform. Social media also offers us an opportunity to observe trends; what people are talking about, and what topics generate the most conversations. Being the fifth largest City in the US, means that individual communities have needs that are specific to that neighborhood. Monitoring social media is an excellent way to manage the various voices throughout the city.
In addition to social media, surveys are crucial in getting to know one’s audience. By taking surveys, we collect data that speaks specifically to issues. However, noticing trends, leveraging social media, and collecting data, means nothing if that information isn’t being put into action. Planning a communication strategy is imperative to creating a mainframe for the dialogue. Once you know what is working, creating a blueprint of how you got there, you can apply that template to other initiatives.
Find out more about what’s trending in government digital services, here: https://www.govloop.com/resources/future-digital-services-five-trends-transforming-government/
Addressing Unexpected Problems on the Road to Progress
My team and I have been working on procuring and implementing a new city wide CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system for nearly two years now. The system will improve the City’s ability to communicate with citizens and internal departments, as well as, create a social platform around 311. The CRM will facilitate collaborations between neighbors and stakeholders encourage them to share practices, and organize events to better their communities.
Like any project, we have experienced ups and downs. I would be lying if I said that the journey hasn’t had unanticipated hiccups. Inevitably with a project of this magnitude, there are bumps in the road. Some of these challenges are foreseeable, and accounted for in the very beginning, and others reveal themselves in the process.
In February 2014 we kicked off our CRM implementation and a new era of citizen engagement in Philadelphia. Before we were able to introduce the project throughout the City, we spent months planning, collecting data, and journey-mapping to ensure that the customers’ needs would be met and their expectations exceeded. Yet in that mission there were some obvious challenges. Anytime you, or a company, are implementing new technology, training your internal customers has to be a high priority. However, who needs to be trained, and when they need to be trained, often fluxes in relation to a number of factors. When schedules, resources, and strategies change in the process, you have to remember to be proactive and not reactive.
Embrace and face change. This isn’t to say that you should spend all your time planning for the unexpected, but to rely on your greater objective as a source to keep from getting discouraged. Part of being a project executive means establishing a strategy to confront the unexpected opposed to simply reacting to them as they come along. Don’t spend too much time planning for what cannot be planned.
The procurement and implementation journey has been long, but certainly worthwhile. With every mention of the new CRM I can’t help but to thank the people who have supported this process. A big thank you to Mayor Nutter, Executive Sponsor and City Managing Director Richard Negrin, Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid, Philly311 staff and our internal and external partners.
Regardless of the inevitable challenges we’ve faced, the ultimate outcome: a transparent government that prioritizes its citizens, is what makes bumps in the road, simply that.
Stay tuned for news of our PhillyInnovates summit on February 18, 2015 with our partners at Salesforce. This will be a huge opportunity for the community to learn about the whos, whats, whys, and hows behind how the City of Philadelphia is connecting with its customers.
Photo by Pulpolux
10 Things Revolutionizing the Customer Experience in City Government in 2015
As the year inches towards a closing, I can’t help but to reflect on all that the City of Philadelphia has accomplished in the past year. With the implementation of a new customer relationship management system, new partnerships, and program expansion, it has been a long year. It has also been a year that has brought us at 311 closer to fully realizing our big goals. We are on the cusp of a movement. We are aggressively steering away from what traditional government has been, revamping our customer service strategy, and leading the nation with an innovative approach. By incorporating private sector methods, and platforms, to better our customer experience, we have been working to revolutionize the way government operates. Here are a few things that are changing city government, and in a very big way.
1. The Customer. Understanding that the citizen is our customer, and using those terms as synonyms, has reoriented our general framework. Our customers are unique because they are citizens! The citizens’ customer experience expands beyond providing city services. Every improvement we make for our customer affects their quality of life.
2. Executive sponsorship from Mayor Nutter and his cabinet. Having people who share your desire to create a city environment of customer excellence, has been imperative to the process.
3. Managing Director, Richard Negrin, follows suit in understanding and supporting our movement towards a progressive and transparent city government. Support from Mayor Nutter, Mayor Nutter’s cabinet, and the Managing Director, influences and facilitates change in every step of the journey. These folks are more than okaying improvements, they are standing by them, and pushing them to the next level.
4. The Mayor’s Goal Five: “Government Efficiency and Effectiveness.” A focus on efficiency and effectiveness is imperative for city government, and the Mayor’s goal five is a constant reminder of what type of experience we should be crafting for our customers. Keeping this in mind, sets a mindset of progress.
5. The Innovation Lab. The Innovation Lab encourages creativity and gives us a designated space for our citizens to generate new ideas. The Lab is another extension of how the city is bringing the customer further into the conversation, and also helping them lead the conversation.
6. The Neighborhood Liaison Program. NLP is just one example of programming that we have implemented to give our customs self sustainable tools. In the last year the program has doubled in size from 600 to 1,200 contributors. This increase demonstrates an increase in trust towards city government. Citizens are seeing results and relying on us more and more.
7. Having a Staff that Cares. Our staff at 311 is always there for the citizens, and realize that they are a direct reflection of the city they work for and love. Understanding our common objective, fosters a motivated and caring internal environment.
8. Customer Service Officers. 311 is no longer limited to City Hall. With people like Customer Service Officers, we are out in the communities and impacting people where it counts.
9. Partnering In and outside of the City. Especially with the implementation of the new customer management system, our partners have played a significant role in helping us move towards our goals this year.
10. Taking Notes from business and tech communities. Paying attention to what private sector companies are doing, and translating them into our own practices, sets us a head of the curve.
The list could easily go on, and will as 2015 unfolds. We are excited about the future and so are the citizens of Philadelphia. Tell me what’s changing your industry and what you look forward to in the New Year.
#1 Key to Government Customer Service: Hiring People with Passion
I’m excited to introduce our new series from Philly311 TV, “Day in the Life.” It has always been a priority for us to communicate our core values, and initiatives through creative and effective means. What we do at the City matters. Like I’ve mentioned in previous posts, citizens don’t get to choose their city services, so it is the job of those of us who work in government to ensure the best possible experience. In an effort to realize our goal, we look for passion in our employees. It is easy to find people who are qualified, have the skill sets, and can take on the necessary responsibilities included in a role. However, it is that extra something, a genuine passion for the work, that truly delineates a person in their field.
Daniel Ramos has always been an employee with a ton of passion for what he does. As the Community Engagement Coordinator for Philly311, responsible for connecting the 311 service and the Neighborhood Liaison Program to community stakeholders, Daniel is passionate about working in the community. Being from a neighborhood that continues to face adversity, Daniel knows what people in the community need, and actively works towards connecting citizens to city resources.
Govies Deserve Good Customer Service Too!
We’ve all heard the refrain about how government needs to be better at customer service. We’ve heard the horror stories from the DMV and IRS filings gone amuck…
Love this quote: “In order for government to be a great provider of customer service to the public it first has to have good internal customer service.”
See on www.govloop.com
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