United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

Like many municipal governments, Washington, DC was often criticized for its overall inefficiency and for an absence of transparency in its operations. The lack of information made available to the public was exacerbated in the District of Columbia by a decade of corruption, fiscal crisis and general mismanagement. The situation was worsened by the sheer volume of service-related requests and applications submitted by any of the 588,292 residents and 78,000 businesses in the District. These requests translated into the need to process more than 200 million documents over the years. Constituents needed real-time access to information and the accountability this access would afford.

DC’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) became the first and only government entity to catalog and publish unfiltered and near real-time operational data in a variety of formats and in such a large volume, By October 2007, OCTO began publishing more than 200 data feeds through its live catalog and data feeds website, http://data.octo.dc.gov. Washington, DC still offers more live data feeds than any other government in the United States, and possibly worldwide. The U.S. state, county and local governments that offer data feeds do so only using Real Simple Syndication (RSS) news feeds. None of these governments offer transactional data.

Any Internet user could download the District’s citizen service requests, crime statistics, economic development information, juvenile arrests and more recently procurement data feeds. However, because this data is delivered in near real time, it is provided in its raw form. For the data to become more meaningful for the average citizen, ideally it needs to be first transformed into content that is more convenient to use. A small handful of exceptional websites such as jdland.com and crimereports.com repurpose DC’s data feeds into customized information. However, the number of data feeds being added drastically outpace the number of applications and websites featuring the information.

The problem is that historically in DC government development of software applications is a slow process that takes too long; typically costs more than planned and in too many cases, the final product is not actually useful to the public. As a result of this problem, DC’s operational data was being underutilized as a tool for transparency, efficiency and accountability in government.

DC’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) created an innovative contest to provide consumer friendly applications and simultaneously leverage the numerous data feeds to better service the District’s residents, businesses, visitors, commuters and employees. The contest, named Apps for Democracy (appsfordemocracy.org), enticed contestants to develop software programs that showcased services and information unique to DC in real time.

OCTO launched the 30 day competition on 14 October 2008 by recruiting individuals and software companies to submit open source software applications using DC’s data feeds for 60 monetary prizes. The competition was open to everyone, with the award criteria consisting of usefulness to citizens, potential for different government bodies, usability and originality. By treating citizens as co-creators of government, the contest engaged its constituents and successfully encouraged them to identify and design services they deemed valuable.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
On November 13, 2008 - the day the Apps for Democracy contest concluded - the District of Columbia became the owners of 47 new applications based on an investment of only $50,000. In the two months since then, several communities have used these new applications allowing the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer to improve the level of services delivered, and in the process saving substantial money and time. In the Apps for Democracy competition, contestants conceived, produced and delivered 47 consumer-based applications in 30 days. The winning applications include a DC biking guide, an overview of government purchases over $2,500, community garden sites, the people’s choice award of carpooling services and more. By inviting citizens to actively participate in government, an idea with roots in ancient Athenian society, OCTO secured software worth millions of dollars the government alone would not have been able to create, particularly in the present economic climate. The CTO estimates it would have cost the District $2.35 million dollars to develop the 47 applications in-house, including external contracting costs and internal procurement time. Additionally, OCTO calculated that it would have taken one to two years to complete the procurement process and receive delivery of all of the applications under the standard procurement process. While the contest was underway, Gartner, Inc. published industry research on the Apps for Democracy Contest entitled, “Web 2.0 Applications: From the People to the People.” One of its four key findings was that, “if this initiative (Apps for Democracy Contest) is successful, it may shed new light on the economics of government.” OCTO’s total contest costs were $50,000 including prizes, website and contest management which resulted in a $2.35 million in savings/cost avoidance and a 4.000% return on investment. The District immediately put seven applications in use once the contest ended. Two of these, DC Historic Tours and ILiveAt, are highlighted on the official DC government inaugural website (http://inauguration.dc.gov); giving the 588, 292 residents and a projected 2-4 million inauguration visitors creative tools that provide customized information on inauguration events and DC attractions. These winning applications also serve as part of the resources listed on the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s official website. In addition to the well timed inclusion on inauguration websites, other contest applications are part of a new citizens’ engagement website, the Digital Public Square (http://dps.dc.gov/). Two notable applications on the site are: we the people and park it. We the people is a peer-lead site encouraging a more responsive and participatory online community; it uses MIT’s Java-based SIMILE Timeline Mashup to create timelines. Park it allows users to check a specific area for parking information such as meter status. An important component of the contest was a requirement to include the source code. This assured the DC government it would receive actual software and not just ideas. It also opens the doors for additional idea generation because the sources codes submitted from the contest can be modified into new applications. For example, the District is exploring a new iPhone application based on one of the contest submissions.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
Washington, DC Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra has been recognized by InfoWorld Magazine and the Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management for finding the innovative path in IT management. One of Mr. Kundra’s goals was to make the output from DC’s heralded Data Catalogue and Feeds more valuable for 588,292 residents; 14,000,000 annual visitors; 78,000 businesses; scores of commuters; 86 government agencies and 38,000 employees. Vivek Kundra devised the solution of running a contest that would enable participatory democracy through collaboration with government, citizens, the private sector, NGOs and academia. That collaboration began with a partnership with iStrategyLabs, a small local company that provides digital solutions services. OCTO and iStrategyLabs had not worked together before. In fact, iStrategyLabs had not previously worked with any government client since that was not part of their business model. What ensued from this public private partnership was the ground-breaking Apps for Democracy contest. In terms of implementation, OCTO supplied the prize money of $20,000 for 60 prizes ranging from $100 to $2,000 and $30,000 for the management of the entire initiative (including the development of the website). iStrategyLabs and OCTO shared the responsibilities of promoting the contest to successfully solicit a large amount of submissions. Both parties used mostly online resources for the contest’s outreach. The Apps for Democracy contest was open to all individuals including developers, designers and software companies. The contestants had opportunities to meet OCTO and iStrategyLabs, and each other, at scheduled networking and information exchange events in the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD metropolitan areas during the competition. In less than 30 days, clever citizens and professionals submitted assortment of new web, mobile, maps, mashups, Facebook, wiki and iPhone applications. For the final phase of the contest, the CTO recruited representatives from different industries to serve as judges. The judging panel consisted of the District of Columbia city administrator Dan Tangherlini, LaunchBox Digital’s Matt Jacobson, District of Columbia CapStat Director Kevin Donahue and Dr. Mark Drapeau of the National Defense University.

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Based on the problems with developing software in general, and applications for DC data feeds specifically, CTO Vivek Kundra’s objective was to provide an arsenal of applications that quickly increased and improved the flow of services and information to the District’s constituents. His second objective was to spend a much smaller sum of money to develop software for targeted subject areas. The CTO’s core strategy to achieve both objectives was to have citizens (not government) create applications, website or creative gadgets that their fellow residents would actually use. He believed that by making citizens co-creators of government, he would be able to offer applications that other citizens valued. Once OCTO established a key performance indicator to expand the number of live data feeds to 400 by the end of Fiscal Year 2009, the timing was set to build a pipeline of new applications. By September 2008, CTO Kundra crystallized an actionable idea of a contest and began publically articulating this. The concept of sponsoring a contest addressed the problem of the District’s long software development lifecycle because a short delivery window would generate applications quickly. The idea was that recruiting developers to be involved in an open competition with others would bring a fresh perspective and energy to DC’s software development suite. Therefore, one task was to provide an enticing incentive for developers to quickly take on this challenge. To motivate people, 60 small monetary awards ranging from $100 to $2,000 were offered in 10 categories including a people’s choice where the public selects the winner by voting online. By having iStrategyLabs co sponsor the contest, OCTO further ensured credible and fast access to a network of developers. This partnership proved beneficial in one other area. To address the legal issues of a government entity offering monetary awards, iStrategyLabs became the proxy for the contest. DC government agencies reviewed the structure of the contest to ensure the necessary compliances, rules and laws were instituted.

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
The Apps for Democracy 30 day Contest Project Timeline September 11 Meets iStrategy and each visualizes a needs and solutions match September 23 Vivek Kundra shares actionable idea to run the contest with other government CIO/CTOs September 26 Contest management procurement completed in 5 days October 6 iStrategyLabs completes design of contest website in six days October 14 Contest launches October 16 Kickoff networking event October 19 1st Open Regional Innovations Lab for developers to exchange information October 25 2nd Open Innovations Lab held in DC for developers to exchange information November 1 3rd Open Innovations Lab held in Baltimore for developers to exchange information November 9 2nd Open Innovations Lab held in DC for developers to exchange information November 12 Midnight Submission Deadline November 13 10 am Winners announced by Mayor Adrian Fenty at a news conference

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
OCTO did not encounter any substantive obstacles when planning and implementing the Apps for Democracy Contest. On average, other contests held by DC government agencies (such as a 2008 contest to select a design for the new quarter) did not involve monetary prizes. One obstacle was determining if and how a DC government agency could sponsor a contest awarding money prizes to the public with a fast execution. This was resolved by having a vendor serve as the proxy for the contest, thereby that company assumed responsibility for the contest rules, regulations and liabilities. To facilitate a speedier procurement process, OCTO developed a one page procurement document. The agency was able to gain approval from the Department of Contracts and Procurement in five days, versus the standard time period of 30 days. Unlike other software development projects, the fact that the cost did not constitute a large purchase was also helpful. Another obstacle that affected the contestants more than any other partner is that the many of data feeds are associated with crime thereby limiting creativity options. The origins of DC’s Data Catalogue and Feeds program were in providing live crime statistics. In spite of this, contestants designed an array of applications that did not have anything to do with crime. Separately, OCTO had set a key performance indicator of providing 400 data feeds by September 30, 2008, which will further expand the range of information available. This is evident by the recent addition of procurement information in DC’s data feeds.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The resources that made the Apps for Democracy Contest possible consisted of $50,000 in local funding provided by DC’s Office of the Chief Technology Office. As far as human capital OCTO, iStrategy Labs, the contestants, the judges and the District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor all made contributions at various stages of the contest. OCTO provided management, procurement and technical advice; iStrategy labs designed the website and managed the contest; the contestants provided ingenuity in their applications; the judges selected the winners; and the Mayor and his Executive Office provided executive and outreach support. A visionary CTO, with the full support from the administration and Mayor Fenty, spearheaded the contest’s development and management, provided the funding, recruited the judges and became an industry advocate for this model of lowering IT costs through citizen engagement.

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
Presently, seven of the applications from the Apps for Democracy contest are being utilized on DC’s official inauguration and newly released digital public square websites. These applications, like other appearing on the DC government portal or websites, have been incorporated into the District’s website management process. The Apps for Democracy contest has been noticed beyond the confines of government. Two technology giants, Microsoft and Google, have indicated their interest in becoming sponsors of the second round of the Apps for Democracy contest as well as running their own contests with their data. OCTO is focusing on the upcoming inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, and will revisit these proposed partnerships at a later date. In the meantime, Facebook and iPhone have each launched contests that, like Apps for Democracy, include a public vote component. Apps for Democracy has already been replicated by Sunlight Foundation with their Apps for America Contest. Their contest mirrors DC’s by requiring use of data from Sunlight and their partners. The focus of that contest is applications that to make Congress more accountable, interactive and transparent. As already demonstrated in the NGO sector and IT industry, Apps for Democracy Contest is definitely an initiative that is transferable. As far as other local municipalities, Chicago, IL recently contacted OCTO to discuss replicating DC’s Data Catalogue and Feeds Program and citizen’s engagement contest. This is not the first city that has sought DC’s recommendations to begin and sustain their own transparency and data sharing initiatives. OCTO shares information or templates with other governments on its Apps For Democracy contest, applicable program and operational strategies, its data sharing agreements and lessons learned that address early program obstacles. Next month, OCTO will publish case studies on the Apps for Democracy Contest on a new website so that other governments, non profit or NGOs, IT companies, academia or individuals can gain insight on this innovative contest for research purposes or to guide them in launching or improving upon their own initiatives.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The Apps for Democracy Contest is the first initiative of its kind held in the United States. It instantly become a model for governments, non profit organizations and the private sector to engage consumers and secure low cost applications. The key element that made the competition an overwhelming success is that it recruited citizens - whether they were professionals, freelancers or just talented – to design new software applications. This opened the door to quickly receive fresh applications that citizens would find useful at a cost that was 47 times lower than other software applications. The District of Columbia was fortunate to receive submissions that were perfect fits for their official inauguration site in time to be used by the government and citizens for planning. Andrea Di Maio communicated this potential in her 29 October 2009 Gartner Industry Research publication, “Web 2.0 Applications: from the People to the People” By analyzing the responses to such a call for ideas, governments can learn invaluable lessons in understanding constituents’ wants and needs, as well as in pushing the boundaries of traditional information and service delivery. Getting the citizenry involved helps create tighter bonds and better results. The Apps for Democracy contest was covered more than116 times in the press, including in the Washington Post, WTOP Radio, Government Technology magazine, and Network World magazine. The contest was featured the following media in order of frequency: news web sites (43.42%); blogs (36.84%) magazines (13.16%) and community papers (5.26%). The early recognition from Gartner, Inc., the media coverage and organizations replicating the contest in the private and non profit sectors helped to bring the contest to the attention of another arm of government – Congress. Apps for Democracy will be part of the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Kickoff Technology Policy Exhibition on January 13, 2009 which precedes this year’s State of the Net Conference. Lessons Learned by DC’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer • It is possible to receive high quality applications for a low price • Software development partnerships with citizens can be successful as in the case of the dcpediastrian.com submission which offers information for senior citizens • Contest sponsors can gather ideas for other new applications by requiring open source coding • Make the contest open to everyone (Software companies, professionals and Freelancers) to recruit a broad spectrum of perspectives, talent and applications • Offer cash prizes as an incentive • For governments, their contract and procurement personnel may experience a minor cultural shift because contests will be an innovative way to obtain software • Conduct outreach to recruit contestants and encourage recognition of their work


Institution Name:		Government of the District of Columbia, Office of the Chief Technology Officer
Institution Type:		Government Department
Contact Person:		Aggie Nteta
Title:		Program Manager
Telephone/ Fax:		+1 (202) 727-8761
Institution's / Project's Website:		+1 (202) 727-1679
E-mail:		aggie.nteta@dc.gov
Address:		441 4th Street NW, Suite 930 South
Postal Code:		20001
City:		Washington
State/Province:		DC
Country:		United States

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information