Mayor Fenty Announces Winners of Applications for Democracy Contest

Today District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Vivek Kundra announced the winners of the District’s “Applications for Democracy” technology contest. The contest launched on October 14, 2008, invited software developers to compete for the best new applications to make DC government data more accessible and useful for the public.

“My administration is committed to making government more accessible and more transparent, and through this contest we’ve gotten help from the most talented developers,” said Mayor Fenty. “I’m delighted with the responses. With these innovative applications, we can put government literally in the hands of the people.”

The competition, open to the general public, asked developers to create mashup applications (a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool) for the District's data using popular consumer technologies like the iPhone, Facebook, Google Maps and others. Contest entries were required to use open source programming. Entries were judged by an appointed jury based on criteria including usefulness to citizens, usefulness to government and originality.

The District collects and maintains vast stores of data on every aspect of government operations, from government contracts to crime statistics to economic development and much more. The District has already organized and published this data in a real-time data catalog with more than 200 data feeds at http://data.octo.dc.gov/. Applications for Democracy solicited the best and most cost-effective ways to package and present this data for easy viewing, analysis, and repurposing by the public.

“While the immediate goal of the Applications for Democracy contest is to develop innovative software to present District data, its long-term goals are broader,” said District CTO Vivek Kundra. “By making government data easy for everyone to access and use, the District hopes to foster citizen participation in government, drive private-sector technology innovation and growth, and build a new model for government-private sector collaboration that can help all governments address the technology challenges of today and tomorrow.”

The contest attracted more than 25 innovative applications, all licensed as open source and freely available to government and the public. Gold and Silver contest winners include:

Gold Prize Winners:

• Application: DC Historic Tours—a slick Google Maps mashup that combines custom walking tour creation with Flickr photo feeds and Wikipedia entries. Users can click through to create a custom map, save it and reference it later when they’re ready to tour the city.

o Agency—Boalt Interactive

• Application: iLive.at—presents users with information tailored to that exact location, cleanly organized into categories. The “Errands” category indicates how far the nearest shopping center, post office and convenience store are, among other things. “Crime” tabulates recently reported offenses in the area, and “The People” displays colorful pie charts giving demographic information. Users can also click on a category and the relevant items will be plotted on a map of their neighborhood.

o Independent Developers: Travis Hurant, Tim Koelkebeck and Brian Sobel.

Silver Prize Winners (6):

• Application: Park It—an application that allows you to check a specific area in The District for parking information. Allows users to check parking information before leaving the house and to see which streets are available for parking. Users can also check which meters cost money and which are free. Park It DC will even help users find out if they’re parking in a residential parking permit zone!

o Independent Developer: Shaun Farrell

• Application: Where’s My Money, DC?—a forum based Facebook application that encourages users to discuss procurements made by the DC government.

o Independent Developer: Keith Bradner

• Application: DC Crime Finder—Determines the user’s location and will return specific instances of various crimes based on a one-, two- or three-mile radius.

o Independent Developer: Mark Headd

• Application: Stumble Safely—an online application that helps users find the best bars and a safe path to stumble home on.

o Agency: Development Seed

• Application: Point About—a realtime, location-aware DC alerting tool for the iPhone, which includes crime reports, building permits and more.

o Agency: Point About

• Application: We the People—a peer-led community reference website that allows users to edit based on Washington, DC public data. We the People empowers everyone to make DC a more responsive community where all voices are heard and everyone can make a difference. Like Wikipedia, users can link any expression to its definition or another page.

o Agency: Chrys Tarvin

Bronze winners and honorable mentions are listed at appsfordemocracy.org. Votes are also being accepted for the People’s Choice Award.

A full list of submissions can be viewed at appsfordemocracy.org.

Maryland Tech Council Honors CTO Vivek Kundra for Outstanding Technology Leadership

Today District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced that District Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Vivek Kundra has been honored as the IT Executive of the Year by the Tech Council of Maryland (TCM).

TCM represents the advanced technology and biotechnology communities of Maryland, the nation’s second-largest technology hub. Its Government Sector IT Executive of the Year award honors government leaders whose achievements and vision have raised the bar on quality and innovation throughout the IT industry. Mr. Kundra competed for this year’s award in a field of outstanding technology leaders, such as CIO’s from the US Department of the Army, the National Institutes of Health and the Government Services Agency.

Mr. Kundra won the TCM award for his pioneering work in digital democracy—advancing government accessibility and transparency through technology. Mr. Kundra has thrown open the government’s vast data storehouse to the public at http://data.octo.dc.gov/with over 200 data feeds in real time. Now citizens can track contract awards, crime incidents, vacant properties, construction projects—and much more. Last month, Mr. Kundra launched a contest for the best applications that repurpose the data to make it even more useful to government and the general public, which resulted in 47 applications created by citizens, NGO’s and the private sector.

In honoring Mr. Kundra, TCM observed: “Under Mr. Kundra’s leadership, thousands of District residents now have access to government information and services…Mr. Kundra has made the District the model for interactive citizen engagement through live data feeds and datasets.”

“My administration has worked hard to attract top talent to government, and we’re committed to making government services more accessible and more transparent,” said Mayor Fenty. “Through his dedicated effort and innovative approach, Vivek Kundra has advanced both of these goals a great deal in a short time. He’s a tremendous asset to my administration and the nation’s capital.”

“I’m humbled to receive this award and to be chosen from such an outstanding field of candidates,” said Mr. Kundra. “The award recognizes the technology revolution we launched in the nation’s capital that led to a transparent, accountable and participatory government.”

District of Columbia Arms Public Safety Officers With New Technology

Today District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, District Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Vivek Kundra, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Cathy L. Lanier, Fire Department Chief Dennis Rubin, and Office of Unified Communications (OUC) Director Janice Quintana announced the deployment of 1,006 mobile data computers to fire, emergency medical, and police officers in the field.

“Our public safety officers work hard to keep District residents safe,” said Mayor Fenty. “We’re always pursuing new methods to make their work more efficient and keep them in the field helping people, not in the office shuffling paper."

MPD
The deployment represents the latest step in MPD’s ongoing campaign to incorporate technology into its operation and to improve public safety. Law enforcement personnel are now equipped for the first time with mobile technology that will allow them to automatically generate electronic reports. This electronic reporting function will greatly improve the timeliness and accuracy of data.

Recently, MPD deployed 812 units mounted in police cruisers and assigned to specialized units. With the new laptops, police officers can perform real-time inquiries on wanted persons, drivers, stolen property, weapons and vehicles.

In the future, MPD and the District will issue hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs) providing the same functions as the mobile laptops to officers on foot patrol, Segways, bicycles and motorcycles.

“This technology makes us more efficient. Our officers are able to spend more time patrolling our neighborhoods and communities,” said Chief Lanier.

OUC
OUC, which is responsible for 911 and 311 operations, is also responsible for the District’s radio division. The radio division provides system maintenance and support for the 9,000 radios across 18 agencies with primary users being MPD and the Fire Department. OUC will also provide system maintenance and support for the mobile data computers initiative. “Our goal is to ensure that the first responders for Fire, EMS and MPD have the latest and most reliable communication technology so they can respond quickly and safely to those in an emergency,” said OUC Director, Janice Quintana.

“Our new technology investments give us a common operating view of public safety in the District,” said CTO Kundra. “By arming our front line officers with technology, we’re ensuring that they have the information they need to protect residents anytime, anywhere.”

Fire Department
The District has deployed the remaining 194 mobile data computers to the Fire Department’s trucks and ambulances. With their new vehicle-mounted laptops, firefighters and ambulance will receive not only dispatch orders, but also maps from the District’s GIS system to direct them to the exact locations identified in 911 calls. In addition, the computers in command vehicles utilize GIS technology to map the location of fire hydrants, along with the most current data from the Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) about which hydrants are working PDAs, complete with maps, help firefighters and WASA crews manage the hydrant inspections.

In the future, the Fire Department computers will be equipped with additional software, including patient care data and floor maps of the locations of fire emergencies.

“When fire strikes or someone has a heart attack, there’s not a minute to spare,” said Fire Chief Rubin. “This technology brings even more resources to bear for our first responders, who help people every day in our city.”

District of Columbia Opens Virtual Permit Center in Ward 5

Today District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) Director Linda Argo, and District Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Vivek Kundra announced the opening of the District’s first neighborhood online service center in Ward 5.

The new Virtual Permit Center offers a popular District online service, DCRA’s “Postcard Permit” for home improvements. The Center is located at a site that is a Mecca for home improvement professionals and do-it-yourselfers—the District’s The Home Depot store at 901 Rhode Island Ave NE. The Home Depot is highly Metro-accessible, right next to the Rhode Island Ave Metro station on the Red Line.

For the first time, District residents and licensed contractors planning home improvement projects can get both the materials they need, and the required permits, all in one trip. Permit applicants can also take advantage of Home Depot’s extended, seven-day-a-week service hours: 6 am-10 pm Monday-Saturday and 8 am-7 pm Sunday.

“We are always looking for ways to make District services more accessible and convenient for our residents,” said Mayor Fenty. Now residents can combine their permit application with their visit to Home Depot and skip the trip to DCRA.”

The Virtual Permit Center is easy to find in the front of The Home Depot store. There are two self-service kiosks each equipped with computers linked to the District’s Postcard Permit system. The online process for Postcard Permits at The Home Depot Virtual Permitting Center is exactly the same as from any other computer: The permit applicant submits the information required for the particular type of permit requested (e.g., plumbing, electrical, structural), pays the associated fee with a credit card, and prints out a paper permit for his or her records. The applicant can call the DCRA Permits Customer Service Center at (202) 442-4589 at any time for assistance in completing the process.

The new Virtual Permit Center is the latest in a series of enhancements to streamline and modernize DCRA’s building permitting process. Last year, DCRA unveiled a completely overhauled and innovative new permit center at 941 North Capitol Street, NE, Room 2300, offering customers a more efficient and pleasant environment, as well as accessibility for permit applicants with disabilities.

“We know how busy people are—and how much they’re paying for gas these days,” said DCRA Director Argo. “With the Virtual Permit Center, we aim to minimize time, expense, and hassle for every District resident who’s doing a home improvement project.”

The District’s central technology agency, the Office of the Technology Officer (OCTO), collaborated with DCRA and Home Depot to establish the new Virtual Permit Center.

“We thank our partners at The Home Depot for collaborating with us to bring District government services to our customers where it’s most convenient for them,” said CTO Kundra. “The Virtual Permit Center is one of many steps we’re taking to enable our customers to deal with government on their own time and their own terms.”

Mayor Fenty Announces Three National Awards for the Office of the Chief Technology Officer

NASCIO honors bring OCTO award count to 10 in 2008
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced today the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has honored the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) with three national information technology (IT) awards. The new honors bring the District’s total IT awards to 10 in 2008.

NASCIO named OCTO the winner of its Recognition Award in the IT Project and Portfolio Management Category, an award for state initiatives that develop governance processes, policies and systems for the efficient management of IT investments from concept, funding, implementation and operation to retirement.

The award-winning project was the “stock market model” developed by Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Vivek Kundra for managing the District’s IT investments. Kundra’s innovative idea was to manage IT projects as a portfolio of stocks, with each project as a company, its team as the management, its schedule and financial status captured in market reports and customer satisfaction as the market reaction. By applying these stock-market practices to government technology, Kundra was able to identify problem projects early and either switch managers or kill the projects, freeing resources for more promising initiatives. Earlier this year Kundra was honored for his ground-breaking stock market model by both the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium, which recognized Kundra among outstanding IT innovators, and by InfoWorld Magazine, which named Kundra among the nation’s top 25 CTOs.

NASCIO also awarded OCTO its Recognition Award in the Government to Business Category. This award recognizes innovative applications that reduce business costs for regulatory compliance, help companies establish and grow a business, or improve day-to-day government-to-business interactions.

OCTO’s winning project was its Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) online Resource Center. District CBEs are businesses certified by the District’s Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) to participate in the District's contracting program. The program directs spending to District-based businesses to create local jobs, strengthen the local economy, and increase the District’s tax base. To maximize participation and benefits from the program, DSLBD needed a user-friendly, comprehensive online certification and contract compliance application. OCTO developed the application in consultation with DSLBD, the District’s Office of Contracts and Procurement (OCP) and the Office of the City Administrator (OCA). The result was a application that:

• Allows qualified business owners to submit online applications for CBE certification;


• Enables DSLBD to process the applications via the District’s Intranet;


• Provides a transparent and efficient process to verify agency compliance with CBE participation requirements;

• Tracks prime contractor payments to subcontractors to verify compliance with CBE participation plans; and


• Provides outreach tools to inform the CBE community about upcoming business opportunities, training classes and DSLBD/District business events.

The site has enhanced agency and prime contractor compliance with District CBE requirements, it has dramatically increased the accuracy of DSLBD data and it has improved the efficiency of certification processing and compliance tracking.

The third NASCIO award OCTO won was the Recognition Award in the Government to Citizens category for governmental applications that provide innovative and/or more efficient services to citizens. OCTO won the award with its CapStat “Building A City That Works” website. The site supports CapStat, a cross-agency accountability program launched by District Mayor Fenty. The Mayor and City Administrator hold regular meetings with agency directors to review agency performance data, assign action items, and hold the managers accountable.

The CapStat website is central to the program. CapStat meetings are recorded by video and broadcast on the site. The site offers performance data from CapStat sessions as well as agency performance reports. It is updated after each session to provide links to full-length session videos, resulting action items, and a revised schedule of upcoming topics. The site offers data catalogs and live feeds on a wide variety of District performance measures, such as violent crimes, service requests, permits, and many more. An interactive map illustrates the reports and shows, for example, where each crime occurred or which buildings received permits. By providing the detailed data District leaders need to assess agency performance and hold managers accountable, and by creating a vehicle for the District to share all of this data with the public, the CapStat website has played a vital role in delivering on Mayor Fenty’s commitment to transparency and accountability in District government.

“For my administration, improving services for citizens and ensuring accountability and transparency in government are paramount goals,” said Mayor Fenty. “These important awards from NASCIO, along with many other recognitions OCTO has received in the past two years, testify to the key role technology plays in meeting our objectives for the District.”

“I’m honored by these awards that reflect the evaluation of our peers around the country,” said District CTO Kundra. “We have assembled some of the smartest and hardest working people at OCTO so the District can lead the nation in innovation and service delivery.”

Bring Your Resume! 50 Tech Openings at Mayor Fenty’s Job Fair

The District’s Chief Technology Officer, Vivek Kundra, will recruit and hire qualified candidates for District technology jobs at Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s 2008 Citywide Job Fair on September 23.

The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) leads technology for the District of Columbia Government. Whether it’s creating technology solutions for our public schools, fitting police cruisers with 21st century tools, or using GIS to help rebuild city neighborhoods, OCTO is helping government serve citizens smarter, faster, and better, through technology.

“At OCTO, we have career opportunities in cutting-edge technology,” said Kundra. “We’re leveraging the power of technology to improve service delivery, drive innovation, and bridge the digital divide to build a world-class city.”

Kundra and his leadership team will be on hand at the Washington Convention Center from 10 am to 4 pm to interview candidates and make provisional offers for software developers, network engineers, IT security specialists, messaging and storage engineers, and project managers to work on core and emerging technologies.

“We want to expand our team of talented, innovative thinkers,” added Kundra. ”We’ll be hiring on the spot—so candidates should bring their resumes and be prepared to interview with me and my staff.”

More than 150 exhibitors are expected to participate in the Mayor’s Citywide Job Fair, including both District government agencies and private companies. Applicants can visit the Citywide Job Fair Information Center to learn more about the exhibitors.

• Find Current Job Opportunities With OCTO

District of Columbia Releases Comprehensive Collection of 3D Buildings

The District of Columbia's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) today announced the release of one of the largest collections of three-dimensional (3D) building maps posted on Google Earth to date.

The 3D building data, developed by OCTO's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program, covers the whole District of Columbia. The data represents a total of more than 84,000 3D buildings. In addition, the data includes corresponding two-dimensional footprints that provide height information for each individual building.

The data includes rooftop details that differentiate each building from those around it. The District is known primarily as a horizontal city because of its strictly enforced height limit, but it is also a city of spires, penthouses and domes. Now all of these dramatic roof details are visible in 3D.

For several years the District has published 3D images of the city’s downtown and major commercial centers, but the new release expands to encompass the entire 69 square miles of the District. Economic development was a primary driver behind the expansion. The District chose to model the whole city to fulfill Mayor Fenty’s commitment to bring planning and development to every ward and neighborhood, not just downtown. For the first time, developers, architects, and planners will have all the data necessary to assess possible new structures throughout the city. Additionally, the public will have unprecedented access to this data, and can now be more effectively engaged in development and planning.

To ensure that the District's new 3D building data is as widely available and easily accessible as possible, the data will be hosted on Google Earth^TM , the free mapping program available via download from Google.

In addition to the new 3D data released via Google Earth, the District has for years provided a wealth of geospatial data to the public via the Internet. Among the 200 geospatial data sets available on the District’s GIS site are wards, trails, parks, museums, building permits, fire hydrants and zoning maps, as well as service- or incident-based maps like abandoned vehicles and crime locations. Visit dcgis.dc.gov to see the District’s entire geospatial repository of maps and databases.

“Our new 3D maps are just one part of the rich technology resources that the District offers to the general public,” said District Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra. “From GIS data to brand-new PCs in every classroom to our web portal with about 200 online services, we’re leveraging technology to bring the best and most convenient services to residents, businesses, and visitors of the District of Columbia.”

To learn more about DC government technology initiatives and resources, visit octo.dc.gov or google-latlong.blogspot.com/2008/07/cities-in-3d-program-in-action.html.

Google Earth is a registered trademark of Google Inc.

Managing Government Technology Like Your Investments

When Mayor Adrian Fenty appointed me to his Cabinet as Chief Technology Officer for the District of Columbia, I asked a simple question: Why can I find the real-time stock price and performance of any publically traded company with a few keystrokes, but I can’t get solid information on the performance of technology projects in the government?

My answer was to create a “Wall Street” model to manage the $950-million-plus District technology portfolio as a portfolio of stocks. Each project is a “company,” its team is company management, its schedule and financial status are captured in market reports, and customer satisfaction is the market reaction. The model allows us to balance riskier strategic IT investments with more conservative ones and rebalance the portfolio whenever necessary. The model also fosters government transparency and accountability--we deliver accurate, real-time performance data to government officials and citizens using web reports, podcasts, and YouTube videos.

I built a team of five Portfolio Managers to run the Wall Street model according to three core principles:

Apply the Efficiency of the Stock Market to IT Governance
In an environment of shrinking budgets, rising energy costs, and growing citizen expectations of government, evaluating the performance and promise of IT projects continuously and accurately is critical. With the Wall Street model, we can make fast and sound decisions to “buy,” “hold,” or “sell” an IT project—i.e., invest more financial resources or change management to improve performance, maintain the current resource level, or cancel a failing initiative.

Capture Quantitative and Qualitative Data
The IT stock model incorporates both quantitative and qualitative analysis to provide a holistic picture of the investment. Quantitatively, the Portfolio Managers analyze vital project statistics including schedule, spend against budget, and return on investment. Qualitatively, the Portfolio Managers evaluate the management team, customer satisfaction, and current project-related events to ensure a deep, integrated understanding of the project’s drivers and results.

Treat Taxpayers like Investors
We define the Portfolio Managers’ roles as guardians of taxpayer funds. Ultimately, these managers must ensure that all District agencies spend taxpayer dollars wisely and well on technology investments.

Here are a few cases where we turned “Dogs” into “Stars” by rebalancing our IT investment portfolio:
District Intranet: The District planned to invest $4 million to develop a government-wide Intranet—but with outdated technology. I withdrew the $4 million and switched the technology to free, flexible open-source software. The only cost was $10,000 for a server. The result: a cost reduction of 97.5%.

Report card system: The District planned to build a costly new complete automated report card system for the DC Public Schools. But the holistic stock market evaluation revealed that secondary schools already had automated report cards. So I switched to a much smaller $160,000 investment to install a primary school report card system and integrate it with the existing secondary school software.

DC-Net: DC-Net is a state-of-the-art fiber-optic DC government network that delivers high-bandwidth, high-reliability voice and data services to District agencies. A year ago, the project was a perfect example of excellent technology badly managed. Every month it ran a deficit, it had not added new customers at the planned rate, and costly contract staff sat idle. I changed the management, dismissed the contract staff, and re-invested the funds in a smaller group of less costly, more focused District employees. The result: a consistent monthly surplus since June 2007, renewed customer growth from 15,800 phone numbers as of June 1, 2007 to 21,580 phone numbers as of June 5, 2008 (37% in a year), and high customer satisfaction.

The genius of the American stock market is to put capital to the most efficient use, continuously redirecting funds from low-performing companies to high performers. Our IT stock market model infuses the same efficiency in government, assuring citizens the highest and best use of the tax dollars they entrust to us.

District of Columbia CTO Recognized Among Nation's Best

Today District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced that District Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Vivek Kundra has been honored with two major national information technology (IT) awards.

IDG's InfoWorld named Kundra among the nation's top CTOs with its "CTO 25 for 2008" award. Each year the technology publisher honors 25 senior IT leaders from government, nonprofits, and private industry who apply creativity, tech savvy, and management skills to drive excellent results in their organizations. In addition, the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium recognized Kundra among outstanding IT innovators who use leadership skills, business-technology acumen, and out-of the-box thinking to address ever-increasing challenges facing their organizations.

Mayor Fenty appointed Kundra CTO for the District effective May 7, 2007. Kundra joined the District government after a technology career spanning government, private industry, and academia. As District CTO, Kundra leads the District's central technology organization, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). Its mission is leveraging the power of technology to improve service delivery, drive innovation, and bridge the digital divide to build a world-class city.

The accomplishment that won recognition for Kundra from both InfoWorld and MIT Sloan was the introduction of a new model to manage technology investments in the District. Kundra's idea was to manage IT as a portfolio of stocks, with each project as a company, its team as the management, its schedule and financial status captured in market reports, and customer satisfaction as the market reaction. By applying these stock-market practices to government technology, Kundra was able to identify problem projects early and either switch managers or kill the projects, freeing resources for more promising initiatives.

"My administration has worked hard to attract top talent to government," said Mayor Fenty. "Vivek Kundra is one of the most dedicated,innovative, and people-savvy executives I've ever encountered-within government or outside it. Even with my administration's commitment to flat budget growth, he's been able to produce consistently outstanding results. He's a tremendous asset to my administration and the whole city."

"I'm humbled to receive this recognition," said Kundra. "The real driver of the work that won this award is the challenge and inspiration I get from serving the District of Columbia."

The InfoWorld CTO 25 and MIT Sloan awards are not the only national technology honors that Kundra and his organization, OCTO, have won this year. OCTO won two Public Technology Institute's 2007-2008 Technology Solutions Awards for local governments that use technology to enhance service delivery, lower operating costs, and open new revenue opportunities.

To learn more about DC Government technology initiatives, visit http://octo.dc.gov/

Mayor Fenty Announces More Than $20 Million in Federal Dollars for DCPS

Today, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced the District’s award of more than $20 million dollars for key technology investments in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) from the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Fund (USF), more commonly known as “E-Rate.” The Mayor made the announcement at Washington DC’s First Annual Education and Technology Summit, which was coordinated and led by a public-private partnership between the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) and the Center for Digital Government.
Approximately $6.3 million will go toward outstanding debt, dating back to 2003 (this check was paid directly to Verizon for services rendered) and $13.8 million will be used to fund current IT initiatives, including installing wireless access points, internal cabling, conduit repairs, switch and router maintenance, and network interface cards at DC public schools.

The announcement comes at a time when the Fenty administration has achieved a number of IT accomplishments, including the deployment and installation of more than 6,300 new PCs for DCPS teachers and administrators, completing an agreement to receive 250 laptops for DCPS from the US Department of Justice, and supporting work by a District-based telecommunications carrier, Allied Telecom, to connect over 90 schools to a high-speed broadband network. OCTO also digitized 4.6 million DCPS personnel files in 54 days and created an IT Investment Board comprised of key District government business and technology owners to ensure proper and efficient usage of DCPS IT dollars. This E-Rate reimbursement coupled with more than $14 million being approved for spending by SLD, will total more than $20 million for DCPS technology investments.

“This announcement symbolizes an incredibly important step for the District and our schools,” Mayor Fenty said. “We hope that securing these critical funds will be another catalyst toward our ultimate goal to transform not only the school system but the District’s ability to leverage resources, like E-Rate, with greater effectiveness on behalf of our residents, businesses and visitors.”

Mayor Fenty used the Education and Technology Summit as backdrop for this announcement to highlight the Summit’s objective of bringing together some of the best thinkers and practitioners in the fields of education and technology to discuss an increasingly important nexus that aligns directly with the mission of the USF.

“For far too many years, DCPS was not able to effectively use the full array of resources at its disposal to maximize important infrastructure investments in the schools,” CTO Kundra said. “Because of poor management and lack of prioritization, DCPS has left millions on the table. However, we are now seeing a new day under the Mayor’s leadership where accountability and attention to details as rudimentary as meeting filing deadlines can mean the difference between the schools receiving millions in technology investment dollars for infrastructure upgrades and development or receiving nothing.”

“DCPS is committed to providing the District’s students and their families with the best path to educational success,” DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee said. “This E-Rate funding announcement and Education and Technology Summit are prime examples of the innovative and positive direction that the Mayor’s transformation agenda is taking the District.”

SLD is an independent not-for-profit corporation established to administer universal service for qualified schools & libraries. The Schools and Libraries Universal Service support mechanism was established as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 with the express purpose of providing affordable access to telecommunications services for all eligible schools and libraries, particularly those in rural and economically disadvantaged areas. It is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and is one of four support programs funded through a Universal Service fee charged to companies that provide interstate and/or international telecommunications services.

The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) is the central information technology and telecommunications agency in the District of Columbia Government. OCTO’s Education and Technology Summit coordinating partner the Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government that provides public- and private-sector leaders with decision support, knowledge and opportunities to help them succeed in 21st century government.

Statement From Mayor Adrian Fenty and CTO Vivek Kundra

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UEWNLGEHc0&eurl=http://octo.dc.gov/octo/cwp/view,a,1301,q,640349.asp&feature=player_embedded]

Mayor Fenty, Chancellor Rhee, and CTO Kundra Invite You to Attend Washington, DC Technology and Education Summit May 7

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Chancellor Michelle Rhee, and DC Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra invite you to participate as a delegate in The First Annual Washington, DC Technology and Education Summit.

This first-of-its-kind conference for DC public schools is "A Global Exchange Designed to Transform Public Education." The conference agenda will offer local and international strategies for transforming public education.

The event will feature Mary Cullinane, Director of Innovation and Business Development from Microsoft. She will provide leadership insight into her work in building the School of the Future in Philadelphia, PA.

The Summit is complimentary for all public sector educators, and includes:

• VIP Reception


• EXPO Area


• Informational Sessions

WHERE:

The Renaissance M Street Hotel

1143 New Hampshire Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20037

(202) 775-0800

WHEN:

May 6, 2008 - Opening Reception
6:30 to 8 pm

May 7, 2008 - Conference
9 am to 3 pm

Register online now! Select from the following link to register for the conference:

• Washington, DC Technology & Education Summit Online Registration

For questions or to RSVP, please contact:

Katy Farrar
Registration Coordinator
(800) 940-6039 ext. 1306
kfarrar@centerdigitaled.com

District of Columbia Launches First-Ever "One Card" ID

The District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), in collaboration with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and DC Public Libraries (DCPL), today announced the launch of the DC government “One Card.” The new picture ID is a consolidated credential designed to give adults and children access to all the DC government facilities and programs they need to use.

Today, the One Card grants borrowing privileges at DC libraries and provides access to recreation centers throughout the city. Eventually the One Card will also become a student ID and an access card for all DC government buildings and programs.

“We all know the frustration of fishing in our wallets and purses for a multitude of cards,” said DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “We want our customers to enjoy and benefit from our libraries, our recreation centers, our programs—and of course, our schools--as much as possible. Now the doors to everything will open with just one card.”

Beginning in June, participants in the Summer Youth program will receive One Cards. Later in the year, students in DC public schools will get One Cards to serve as student IDs. Eventually, One Cards will include Metro access capabilities as well.

The One Card will be much easier to replace than library cards and other DC government ID cards, because the cardholder can go to any District facility for a replacement. The citywide consolidation of cards will also yield long-term cost savings for government operations.

“Soon students and adults of all ages will have easier access to every District service—from signing out a library book to signing up for summer sports,” said Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra. “This is what technology is all about--giving people better, simpler tools to connect to services they need.”

To learn more about the One Card and other DC government technology initiatives, visit http://octo.dc.gov/.

OCTO Delivers Computers to Every DCPS Classroom

This month, fulfilling a pledge made by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s administration in November 2007, the District’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Vivek Kundra, announced completion of a project to provide personal computers (PCs) to all District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) classrooms.

This $4 million initiative was aimed at equipping every classroom teacher and administrator with a secure and reliable desktop computer. The District’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), under the direction of CTO Kundra, negotiated a discounted price of $628 per PC to purchase the computers. OCTO’s IT ServUs PC support program then deployed teams of technicians to crisscross the city, installing the PCs and linking them to the District’s 35,000-user email and Internet access network, as well as OCTO’s round-the-clock IT ServUs PC Helpdesk.

The OCTO PC project revived and fast-tracked a project planned but never executed by the former DCPS administration before Mayor Fenty’s schools takeover last year. In September 2007 DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee and CTO Kundra signed an agreement for OCTO to take over DCPS information technology functions. The former DCPS administration had planned the PC project to take a year, but Mayor Fenty, Chancellor Rhee, and CTO Kundra determined that the need for PCs in the classrooms was urgent, and the project should be completed in just eight weeks. Using OCTO’s Geographic Information Systems technology to chart the most efficient routes around the city, OCTO’s IT ServUs team beat the eight-week timetable by one week, starting the project on November 26, 2007 and completing the installations on January 8, 2008.

“This project lays the foundation for using technology to improve public education in the District,” said CTO Kundra. “We must use the Internet and other technology resources to empower our teachers to make learning more exciting and help our students prepare to compete in the global economy.”

The OCTO teams installed a total of about 5900 PCs, about 70% for teachers in DCPS classrooms, 25% for administrative personnel, and 5% for use by custodians, cafeteria workers, and long-term DCPS volunteers. About 500 PCs remaining from OCTO’s bulk purchase will be reserved for various uses, including the District’s four new high tech campuses, additional cafeteria use, and spares for later replacements as needed.

The PCs will serve as classroom teaching tools and will also provide teachers with a variety of resources that few DCPS teachers had before. Now teachers can access a central database of student records and create and maintain grade and attendance records electronically. They can also access the District’s email system and use it to share ideas and information with their colleagues, principals, administrative personnel, and parents. Teachers can now use the Internet to identify and download teaching tools and resources for their students.

“This initiative is critical to driving student achievement forward in the District. Our schools have gone too long without having access to the technology they need to compete,” Chancellor Rhee said. “Among other benefits, I look forward to increasing central office capacity to communicate with all of our teachers and students.”

Before the OCTO project, some teachers and administrators had PCs—but an OCTO analysis found them riddled with viruses, and some teachers said they had been waiting months for simple PC problems to be fixed. The new DCPS PCs are equipped with powerful anti-virus protection. When problems surface, teachers can call the IT ServUs Helpdesk, get a ticket number for tracking, and have the problem resolved within a few minutes, or at most a few hours.

“Customer service is the heart of our program,” said OCTO IT ServUs Director Aki Damme. “Nothing is more gratifying than knowing we can help thousands of teachers teach more effectively and give students all over the District a more vibrant, up-to-date environment for learning.”

Fenty Administration Unveils Plan to Provide Computers to Every DCPS Classroom

Today, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the District’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Vivek Kundra announced plans to provide 6356 computers to District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO).

According to Mayor Fenty, “These computers will empower our educators and administrators with the technological tools they need to focus efforts on the District’s greatest resource—our children. After decades of mismanaged program funds and little to no technological progress, this effort is the first step toward upgrading the school system’s technology to fit the demands of modern day users.”

This $4 million initiative includes a price of $628 per computer and will also consist of infrastructure improvements such as network cables, power strips and access points. The objective of the initiative is to provide every classroom teacher and administrator with a secure and reliable desktop computer throughout the school system.

These additional Dell desktop PCs will help facilitate the creation of a digital infrastructure for the future of DCPS. The computers will serve as both a teaching tool in the classroom and a resource for teachers. Teachers will be able to access a central database of student records, access educational tools and share best practices and enter grades and attendance records.

This initiative will provide our teachers with instructional tools beyond textbooks and give administrators the infrastructure they need to be effective leaders, engaging our students with new ideas and new opportunities for learning,” said Rhee.

The program is part of OCTO’s overall mission for technology adoption in the District’s public schools. The office’s goal is to use technology as an enabler, allowing teachers to tap into the power of technology to improve the quality of our children’s education.

Today, we are laying the foundation for our teachers to use technology to improve public education. We must use the Internet and other computer applications to help our students compete in the global economy and to enable our teachers to do what they do best, teach and mentor the future leaders of our country,” said Kundra.

The official computer deployment will begin November 26. Anacostia and other schools East of the River will be among the first schools to receive new computers. By February 1, 2008, every classroom will be equipped with a PC and a student computer lab.

Mayor Fenty Announces Partnership With Google™

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra announced today that the District Government is partnering with Google Inc. to make it easier for residents to access information on government programs and services. The Mayor announced that the city's website--dc.gov--is now powered by Google's search technology, making it faster and easier for residents to find the information they need. The partnership will also make available public information that was previously not accessible through Google.com and other search engines.

"DC is committed to 21st-century technology," said Mayor Fenty. “This will provide our residents with quick and intuitive access to DC Government’s online resources. “We’re excited to be partnering with Google to make it possible."

“Information technology is essential to the Mayor’s vision of positioning the District as a technology leader and innovator on a global scale,” said Kundra. “Google's search technology makes it faster and easier to accurately find the information that residents, businesses and visitors need."

The search function at dc.gov is now powered by Google. Using the Google Search Appliance™ hardware and software, the website harnesses Google's search algorithms to index publicly available information and deliver relevant search results.

As part of this partnership, the District has also begun to implement a new technology known as the Sitemap protocol, which provides web search engines like Google the ability to index public databases. As a result, District residents can now more easily find public records such as contracts and procurements by the District Government.

"The best citizens are the most informed ones. Google is very pleased to partner with the District of Columbia to make it easier to discover and access public information and government services," said Vinton G. Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google. "Google is dedicated to organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful. We feel very aligned with the District of Columbia in pursuit of this goal."

You can learn more at google.com/publicsector/index.html. Visit dc.gov to use the new search feature powered by Google.

OCTO Introduces TechStat

Today OCTO introduced the "TechStat" program to find more effective, efficient solutions to improve government service delivery, lower the cost of operations and drive innovation. TechStat sessions provide a deep dive into a functional area within the government, leveraging best-practice research to understand how we can improve current operations and coordinate with other internal functions to better serve OCTO and the District. It originated with the CTO’s desire to review the efficiency and value of technology spend across the District. The program is modeled after the DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s CapStat program.

For one hour, the Chief Technology Officer convenes all responsible parties for improving performance on an issue, examines data, explores ways to improve services, and makes commitments for follow-up actions. The sessions include lively discussions on critical business issues, technology innovation, and strategic execution. TechStat allows directors to ensure their programs’ performance indicators are accurate and meaningful.

Telecom Transformation and Cost-savings

Today the Mayor held a CapStat session on the state of telecommunications in the District. The DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) was cited for restructuring its fiber optic telecommunications network (DC-Net) and making the program solvent, enabling continued growth without additional capital investment. Since May 2007, DC-Net has added 5100 telephone lines, 183 data circuits, and connected 51 schools citywide.

OCTO also pooled minutes across cell-phone carriers to simplify administration and gain cost savings. The plan will allow the District to share unused minutes within agencies and across the District.

Mayor’s Education Reform Website Launched

Today, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), in collaboration with the Deputy Mayor for Education, launched the Mayor’s Education Reform Center website. The Education Reform Center is one resource Mayor Adrian Fenty’s administration has produced as part of its commitment to leverage information technology to enhance the city’s public education system. The launch was timed to coincide with the Mayor’s official takeover of the DC Public School system.

The Reform Center provides a central source for information about education reform in the District. It is a meeting place for residents to share information and opinions, and allows communities to work together on issues affecting District schoolchildren.

“Mayor Fenty’s number one priority is public school reform, therefore this Center is designed to facilitate a crucial component to transform District schools—community participation,” explained Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra. “Parents, residents, teachers and other DC community members can now voice their opinion, contribute to their schools’ reform and participate in the democratic process.” The Reform Center features a Discussion Space, online forms and emails to enable parents, teachers, students and concerned District residents to express their unique opinions, concerns and ideas about public education. These ideas and concerns will be regularly posted to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of the site.The Reform Center is available on the homepage of DC.Gov.

“This is a terrific example of how collaboration in DC government is working to improve the city’s future,” said DC.Gov Website Manager Eleanor Evans. “The Office of the Chief Technology Officer looks forward to providing more technologies to assist in the reform of the DC school system.”