AC22 | Session 19

"Transparency Innovation: How the City of Charlotte Transformed the Public Records Request Process"

 

OVERVIEW: In 2019 the City of Charlotte embarked on a program to improve transparency and provide more information about their public records request process. Instead of using external vendors, it was decided to leverage internal technologies.

Collaboration between the City’s Citywide Records Program and its Data Program team yielded the Public Records Public Portal. The goal of the Public Portal is to provide information about the requests received, their status, their eventual outcome and closure date, and the responsive materials provided (if any). This way, the City can show the volume and complexity of requests received, the diversity of requests and share the materials provided with a broader audience.

This was accomplished through internal innovation instead of costly third-party technology and products. Almost three years later, the Public Records Tracker on the City of Charlotte’s Open Data Portal has become a common way to provide information to its community. It has provided information about approximately 4500 public records requests encompassing over 133,000 pages of responsible materials during a period that covered significant events like the 2019 NBA All-Star Jam, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2020 Republican National Convention.

Attendees of this session will learn how this collaboration came to be, how the technology was created, problems encountered and overcome, and lessons learned from the City of Charlotte’s Citywide Record Program and Data Governance Team. It is hoped that this can be used as a template for record programs in other local governments that are financially limited and potentially used as a starting point for further innovations in providing information to the public.
GARA CERTIFICATE COMPETENCIES: "Advocacy and Outreach" OR "Legal and Compliance Issues"
PRESENTERS: Cheyenne Flotree, Citywide Records Program Manager, City of Charlotte, NC, and Bill Majercsik, Business Intelligence Developer, City of Charlotte, NC