Provide a platform for New Yorkers to connect around 311 complaints, and access additional data related to complaint locations.
Our Challenge to You
NYC 311 is the central intake source for complaints to city government. Customers submit complaints, known as Service Requests, through 311’s website, mobile app, texting service, or call center, and receive a confirmation number to check for status. However, customers aren’t able to easily view or track Service Requests other than their own, or see other city information related to the Service Request locations.
We believe that enabling customers to communicate and work together on local concerns can yield benefits beyond the individual 311 Service Request process. In many cases simply making 311 Service Requests easy to view can be helpful. For example, a map of icy sidewalks reports could allow vulnerable pedestrians to plan routes after a snow storm. Beyond this, we believe other city data, such as property owner information, can be valuable to customer groups interested in a location with ongoing or frequent issues. For example, neighbors concerned about a chronically icy sidewalk in front of a vacant building can try to contact the responsible party directly if property owner information is provided along with conditions. Direct contact by neighbors could prompt a quicker response than the city government process, which involves an inspection and issuing of a fine. 311 Connect could support constituent action by providing the information needed for New Yorkers to address local concerns.
Product Wish List
We would like to see a product that allows users to do the following:
• View existing Service Requests on a map.
• Connect and communicate with other interested customers about a Service Request.
• For Service Requests related to property, view or access property owner information.
• Allow customers to be notified when a Service Request is updated, or a similar Service Request in the same location is created.
• Be mobile-friendly.
This product should also:
• Incorporate existing social media venues and/or be realistic about customer’s willingness to create accounts for a single purpose.
• Employ other City datasets and/or make associations based on data analysis to provide customers with further insight. For example, building permit data from the Department of Buildings could be displayed to allow customers to identify if work taking place is permitted.
Prizes
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Ongoing promotion on 311 social media. Exposing your product to over 70,000 followers through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Feature app and producers in organizational and agency communications.
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Tour of the 311 Center and visit with Executive Team.
Evaluation Criteria
Product will be evaluated based on:
• Meeting product wish list items
• Visual design/user experience
• Integration of City datasets beyond 311 Service Requests.
BigIdea Mentors
Chenda Fruchter
Director of Strategy and Business Development
Chenda directs strategic projects including open data initiatives and 311 Mobile. She is passionate about simplyfing customer interactions and making stuff make sense.
Magdelin Vargas
Business Analyst, Open Data Specialist
Magdelin Vargas is a Business Analyst in the Strategy and Development group at New York City 311, where she focuses on open data initiatives and mobile customer experience.
