Brescia City Council The “Building Code 2.0” Project

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Summary

‣  Project goals ‣  Project steps ‣  Project conclusion

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Project goals

Goal

To Encourage the use of collaboration tools for developing

and sharing knowledge

What does it mean?

Paradigm switch

▶  People Connection: people are so connected that they can use the tools anytime and anywhere;

▶  Promoting Collaboration: people actively partecipate and collaborate to develop content, enabling the network effect;

▶  Rich user experience: easy and user friendly interfaces improve engagement and help to overcome stress in using new software applications.

Testing typical aspects of 2.0 paradigm..

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Offline, desktop applications

Connecting: online, platform

applications

Static document, single user

Collaboration: network effect,

actively partecipating users

Rigid structures often unclear,

poor experience

Rich experience: more usability, more user engagement

Paradigm switch

1.0 2.0

… and switch from “1.0” to “2.0” …

from to

Testing

Editing the new Brescia City Council Building Code

.. working on a project claiming “people collaboration” to be delivered;

Editing the building code

Collaboration  Connecting   Rich

Experience  

To Encourage collaboration for developing and sharing

knowledge

To Try 2.0 paradigm characteristics

Experiencing with a real case

And reaching the project goals

… at a glance …

Project steps

11  July August September October

deadline phase 1

November

deadline phase 2 deadline phase 3 deadline phase 4

Phase 1 • Population analysis

Phase 2 • Software analysis and selection

Phase 3 • Training

Phase 4 • Operative testing

Step 1 Population

analysis

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Who is involved in the city council Building Code updating?

Internal workgroup: ▶  Building City Councillor ▶  Chief Building Official ▶  Chief Building Executive ▶  Information technology specialist ▶  Community developer officer ▶  Landscape Officer ▶  Building regulations administrator

External representatives : ▶  Building committee ▶  Community Superintendence ▶  Community Health Care ▶  Builders association ▶  Building Surveyors association ▶  Engineers association ▶  Architects association ▶  Lawyers association

Step 1

We identified the main workgroup among people working inside the City Departments..

…so population analysis focused on the internal workgroup.

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Population analysis

Step 1

How? Through the use of an online questionnaire on Google Docs

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Questionnaire Results:

Step 1

▶  To define people’s computerization level ▶  To determine hidden needs

▶  To find open problems and expectations.

Questionnaire

scopes:

▶  An Average level of the workgroup computerization ▶  E-mail is the number one communication tool

▶  Finding and tracking information is a big problem ▶  Lack of archiviation standard

▶  There’s a request for a better communication system

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Summary of information management needs:

Step 1

Need Notes

Document writing capabilities The tools have to enable online witing of a document

Real time collaborative writing Several users have to be able to edit a document at the same time

Real time communication Instant messaging and conversations tracking

Document real time communication The tools have to enable commenting sections of the document

Communications tracking capabilities Users need to easily track and find past conversations

Access control lists Access control lists management

Document archiving capabilities The tools have to have clear and quick archiviation paths

Integrability capabilities Integrability capabilities with other office softwares

Step 2 Software selection

On the field:

Step 2

Office 365 Google docs vs

Strenght: ▶  User friendly interface based on Microsoft Ribbon ▶  Effectiveness in file archiving and sharing

▶  Strong integration with Microsoft Office software suite

Step 2

Strenght: ▶  Users can edit the document in real time and at the same

time

▶  Expandability with Google Apps ▶  Document chat

Step 2

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Capability Google Microsoft

Document writing functions

Real time collaborative writing

Document communications

Real time communications (chat)

Conversations tracking

Access control list

Document record keeping functions

Integrability with other software

VS

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Google App platform was choosen, because:

▶  It’s possible for multiple user to simultaneously modify the document;

▶  Better management of access control lists and user permissions (file sharing, read/write/comment).

Phase 2

Phase 3 Training courses

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In summary..

Methodology used: workshop, that is using pratical exercises during the training sessions.

Set-up: ▶  1 secure enviroinment was made accessible inside the Project Group

domain ▶  8 work stations for the course attendees ▶  8 personal user accounts made accessible to log in the platform ▶  2 four hours-long training sessions

Methodology: Training course partecipants apply notions learnt using practical excercises (single user).

Collaborative writing final test made on a document placed in the secure space of Google Apps (workgroup).

Phase 3

Phase 3

Step 4 Operative testing

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It was deployed a document workflow to regulate editing, revision and pubblication activities.

Step 4

We started working on collaborative editing of the Brescia city council building code, a specific document worked by several users.

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The building code was organized into several documents with one or more code titles and articles based on special-interest groups.

We appointed people in charge of updating a specific section of the document.

Taking care of a constant exchange of ideas.…

Next steps: ▶  Evangelization of Web 2.0 values in more Brescia City

Council departments.

▶  Introduction of new collaborative platforms in many Brescia city council Departments.

Next steps

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Project Group S.r.l. Consulenza di Direzione e Organizzazione Aziendale

Via Ghislandi , 35 - 25125 Brescia - P.I.03496660170

Tel. 030 3533886 - Fax 030 3547470

www.projectgroup.it