Local government agencies have more touchpoints with the public than their state or federal counterparts, which means they have more opportunities to positively affect lives but also more opportunities to unintentionally create obstacles for engagement. While local governments agencies strive to modernize in a way that provides residents with unique and positive experiences, they are often hampered by challenges like understaffing and lean budgets that make it difficult to achieve the intended outcomes. To overcome these challenges, the City of Durango, Colorado modernized its public records management system to improve efficiency and customer experiences when fulfilling Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
The City of Durango’s public records department was overworked and understaffed and like most local governments, were using a manual process to fulfill FOIA requests. The city used a “cobbled-together structure” that consisted of Excel spreadsheets, calendar reminders, and email to complete This manual system also required purchase approval for flash drives for sharing the information with residents once the requests were completed. All in all, this created a time consuming and complex process for both submitters and government workers.
Despite receiving an average of 400 FOIA requests annually the City of Durango was evaluating downsizing within the public requests department. Faye Harmer, Durango’s City Clerk of decided it was time deliver a much needed change to improve the FOIA process. Harmer led the initiative to modernize the city’s public records management system by using cloud-based automated workflow Software as-a-Service (SaaS) solution.
With this SaaS solution in place, the City of Durango increased its efficiency and was able complete more FOIA requests in less time. “We went from a simple task taking 30 minutes to just five,” Harmer said. This efficiency wasn’t exclusive to the public records office, but for many city agencies. The city police department took advantage of this solution as well by creating a portal specifically for FOIA requests for body cam footage, police badge numbers, and other information using artificial intelligence (AI) enabled redactions to secure sensitive information.
The impact of this solution also helped to improve user experiences for residents requesting information. The City of Durango created an online portal where residents could make requests without having to leave home, including make online payments, and receiving their information with speed and ease. In addition, the city public records department was able to create reports that provided analytics so that the city council could better understand what topics and issues are important to residents. This enabled the City of Durango to better serve residents by quickly addressing vital issues to the community and providing detailed information to inform council decision-making.
In an interview with Government Technology Insider, Josh Fruecht, Senior Sales Leader at Granicus, who has over 17 years of experience working in, and for, public sector organizations, explained why the City of Durango was able to achieve this success. “Bringing in new technology on its own will not transform how an organization serves its community,” Fruecht said. However, by first “identifying overarching objectives” and the “organizational vision” the city was able to modernize FOIA fulfilment to improve efficiency and customer experiences.
Modernizing local government is never an easy task. By focusing on improving efficiency and user experiences, local government agencies can help to build public trust by providing better and faster access to services and information.
Looking to simplify FOIA fulfilment processes? Download this guide to learn valuable insights on finding the right public records management solution.