3/10/2025
TO: PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE
AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT
COMMITTEE
FROM: Khaled Tawfik
SUBJECT: Innovation and Technology
Projects Status Report
DATE: March 5, 2025
Approved Date:
COUNCIL DISTRICT: Citywide
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the status report on projects managed by the City Portfolio, Products, and Projects Office (currently called the Project Management Office), the Information Technology Department’s Strategic Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, and other current and planned activities.
SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
The Committee will be informed of and provide feedback on the innovation and technology projects managed by the Project Management Office (PMO) within the Information Technology Department (ITD) and ITD’s Strategic Plan. The focus will be on project status reporting, delivering innovative solutions, risk mitigation, and issue management efforts that support successful delivery of initiatives.
BACKGROUND
In 2019, the City Auditor’s Office published Report 19-10, reviewing the City’s technology deployment process and management practices1. The report identified issues in planning, governance, and reporting that caused delays and cost overruns, leading to 10 recommendations for improvement. By 2023, the ITD’s Project 1 The City Auditor’s 19-10 report on Technology Deployments: Processes Can Be Improved to Ensure Long-Term Success of the City’s Technology Vision was to review the management and timeliness of the City’s technology deployment process, along with the impact of the new portfolio, product, and project management practices. https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showdocument?id=44698 PSFSS COMMITTEE AGENDA: 3/20/25
ITEM: (d)2.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
Management Office (PMO), formerly known as the City Portfolio, Products, and Projects Office, had fully implemented these recommendations.
Maintaining transparency and actively seeking feedback from the City Council is essential to ensuring ITD investments are aligned with City priorities and the needs of residents. In addition, Recommendation #9 of the City Auditor’s report directs ITD to improve transparency by reporting major technology projects to the appropriate Council Committee, including budget, timelines, and deviations. Since October 2020, the PMO has provided regular updates to the appropriate Council Committees.
The Project Management Office
The PMO is an office within ITD and is comprised of a Division Manager who oversees a team of nine project managers responsible for overseeing high-profile City projects in collaboration with various departments. Project managers are responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects by coordinating resources, managing the team, tracking progress, communicating with stakeholders, and ensuring the project meets its objectives on time and within budget.
Projects are managed by the PMO if they satisfy one criteria outlined below:
Exhibit 1:
Information Technology Department Three-Year Strategic Plan The 2023-2026 Innovation and Technology Strategic Plan2 provides a clear foundation for guiding ITD innovation and investments towards achieving established goals. It offers direction that drives the success of the PMO by aligning projects with the City’s organizational priorities and ensuring effective execution.
The Strategic Plan represents a three-year journey to enhance the City of San José’s use of technology and data, building on the Brilliant at the Basics objective (2017-2020) and focusing on achieving ITD’s mission to enrich the quality of life in San José through 2 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/109786/638459352805700000
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
innovation, collaboration, and engagement. This plan provides an actionable roadmap for achieving both short and long-term goals across five key focus areas:
1. Community Engagement: Expand the SJ311 Customer Contact Center to enhance engagement with the City’s diverse population. This will be achieved through the integration of social media, advanced language capabilities, and AIdriven chatbots, ensuring that services are accessible to everyone.
2. Innovations Powered by People: Leverage cutting-edge technology and collaborative tools to cultivate a culture of engagement and innovation. This will drive increased productivity, efficiency, and creativity across City departments.
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Ensure the responsible and purposeful deployment of AI technologies that prioritize safety, protect privacy, and deliver long-term value for the City and its residents.
4. Cybersecurity: Strengthen the City’s security posture by deploying advanced digital solutions that protect against evolving threats. By utilizing state-of-the-art AI technology and proven risk management methodologies, we will safeguard the City’s digital infrastructure and services for the benefit of the community.
5. Data-Driven Transformation: Establish and support a robust, data-driven approach to City operations. This will harness the power of data and AI to foster transparency, protect privacy, and continually improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of City services.
To guide the implementation and measure the success of this Strategic Plan, ITD has established strategic measures and performance metrics. The target success rate for ITD projects is set at 80% for strategic measures, with other ITD performance targets shown in Exhibit 2.
Equity: Integrate equity into every aspect of the PMO’s policies, services, systems, and practices, ensuring that all residents have equal access to the benefits of PMO’s work.
Effectiveness: Focus on continuous improvement through customer satisfaction, policy development, automation, and transparency in reporting via dashboards that track key outcomes.
Exhibit 2:
Target Performance Metrics:
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
ANALYSIS
Project Management Office Status Update
The PMO currently oversees a total of 33 projects with an estimated aggregate budget of $53.4 million, shown in Table 1. These projects are specific to the PMO scope of services and do not represent the full range of projects managed by ITD.
Table 1: PMO Projects and Estimated Budget
City Council Focus Area Number of Projects Total Est. Budget Increasing Community Safety 2 $3.6M
Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness 2 $60K
Cleaning Up Our Neighborhoods 3 $1.1M
Other Key Priorities
Customer Service and Service Delivery 11 $33.3M
Operational Initiatives 7 $11.6M
Other Strategic Initiatives 8 $3.8M
Total 33 $53.4M
PMO Status Reporting
The PMO is managing 29 projects that are on schedule for their launch date, marked as “green.” This status indicates the projects are on track, meeting their goals, timeline, and budget, with no significant issues.
The PMO is managing two projects that have experienced slight delays but are being actively addressed to stay on track. These projects are marked as “yellow,” indicating they are at risk but still recoverable with corrective actions. This status suggests potential delays, budget concerns, or other issues requiring attention, though they have not yet caused significant deviations from the plan (which would be classified as “red”).
The PMO is managing two projects that are at risk because it has caused significant deviations from the plan as it relates to timeline, budget, and/or scope, and there is not a current path forward. These projects are classified as red.
See Exhibit 3 for PMO projects with status and Table 2 for summaries of project mitigating actions.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
Exhibit 3:
Table 2: PMO Projects with Mitigating Actions
Project Status Issue Mitigating Action
1 ITD Service
Management
YELLOW As the contract is set to
expire in June 2025, an
expedited Request for
Proposal (RFP) is necessary.
Project Manager is working with
Finance/Procurement for an
accelerated RFP processing.
2 Citywide Camera
and Video
Management
System
RED The project is paused due to
funding constraints.
ITD is working with Departments
on funding allocation and
negotiating with a vendor (via a
cooperative agreement).
3 Emergency
Operations
Center
Technology
YELLOW The building is not ready for
emergency use due to limited
cellular signal coverage.
Public Works and ITD are setting
up an interim solution and will be
active March 2025.
4 San José Police
Department
Timekeeping
Solution
RED System development is on
hold as it could not meet the
timekeeping needs.
Vendor to provide solution
recommendations.
PMO Public Dashboard
The PMO maintains an active, high-level dashboard for all key technology projects, displaying key metrics such as project status and budget. This dashboard is available to the public on the ITD website3.
The PMO public dashboard ensures accountability and transparency, aligning with the City Auditor’s Office Recommendation #9 to create a tool that tracks and publicly displays the progress of key technology projects, incorporating critical success metrics. 3 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/information-technology/it-projects-c3po
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
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Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
PMO Accomplishments
Since the PMO last reported to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee on October 19, 2023, the project management team has implemented 22 projects. Appendix A provides a list of completed projects.
PMO Project Highlights
SJ311- Vehicle Concerns
Launched in March 2024, the BeautifySJ Vehicle Concerns is a citywide initiative to improve the response, resolution, and tracking of vehicle-related complaints, with a goal of increasing customer satisfaction. The project replaced the previous Abandoned Vehicle service with a broader new service, Vehicle Concerns, enhancing the request intake process, streamlining backend operations through automation and interdepartmental collaboration, employing data-driven decision-making, optimizing resources, supporting policy recommendations, and promoting employee safety through training. The new service increased customer satisfaction from 17% in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022 to over 59% in FY 2024-2025 for Abandoned Vehicles-related service delivery.
SJ311 - Vehicle Concerns Dashboard
Launched in early September 2024, the new Vehicle Concerns Dashboard4 (See Exhibit 4) offers a comprehensive overview of service request volumes, statuses, outcomes, and customer satisfaction, with a focus on timeliness and communication. Users can filter the dashboard data by request type, average turnaround times, satisfaction scores, date, program, and City Council District, with interactive hover features providing deeper insights into each metric. Additionally, a customer contact center dashboard was created to improve efficiency and decision-making by integrating data on call volumes, wait times, multilingual tracking, agent performance, and customer satisfaction, with updates throughout the day for better service operations. The dashboard will integrate with the towing services system to provide additional information. 4 https://311.sanjoseca.gov/?page=shell&shell=reports-dashboard
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
Exhibit 4:
Tow Services Administration (Phase 1)
Launched on February 3, 2025, over 280 vehicles were towed using the new program in the first two weeks of going live. The Tow Service Administration project has established a new City-Generated Tow Service Delivery Model to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in towing services. This initiative eliminates City-managed tow operators, addresses audit recommendations, enables data analytics, and implements online services.
Project Management Training
The PMO has formalized its project management process and created resources, including guidelines, procedures, and templates, to support effective project execution.
These resources are available for all City staff to use in their own projects.
Additionally, the PMO has partnered with the Human Resources Department to offer a Project Management Essentials Training for those new to project management or looking to enhance their skills. Over 80 staff have enrolled and completed the Project Management Essentials Training. This interactive workshop covers project timelines, budgeting, stakeholder buy-in, and role definition, providing tools and templates for effective execution. Participants receive PMO project management tools and templates to create realistic schedules, develop Project Charters, and improve accountability.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
Information Technology Department Three-Year Strategic Plan Status Update In 2023, the City received Gold-level certification from What Works Cities, a prestigious recognition awarded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The What Works Cities Certification Standard Committee is comprised of leading experts from a dozen organizations that support cities and recognize and celebrate local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and engage residents. The City also received second place in the annual Center for Digital Government Award, which recognizes cities that leverage technology to enhance digital services and transparency, strengthen cybersecurity and digital privacy, promote digital equity, and develop innovative solutions for social challenges. Additionally, the City was recognized as a CS Week 311 Award of Excellence finalist.
Government AI (GovAI) Coalition
San José is a founding member and the presiding leader of the GovAI Coalition, driving artificial intelligence (AI) innovation while prioritizing privacy, transparency, and public engagement. The City of San José hosted the GovAI Coalition Summit on December 4- 6, 2024, in partnership with the Center for Public Sector AI and Government Technology, bringing together 570 attendees from 33 states and Canada, including 129 local participants. Held at the San José Convention Center, the summit received a
95.8% positive rating, with 94% of attendees indicating they would return. With a 93.9% overall satisfaction rate, the event reinforced San José’s leadership in AI governance and innovation while demonstrating the City’s ability to host premier technology conferences. Additionally, the event generated significant economic benefits for San José, contributing approximately $197,000 in hotel room revenue and 1,044 total room nights booked across local hotels.
Data and AI Upskilling Programs
In March 2023, ITD launched the City’s Data Upskilling Program to train City staff to effectively use data to make informed decisions. This first cohort included staff from the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department, Library Department, and ITD who completed a 10-month effort focused on applying data analysis to real-world challenges within their respective City Departments. Each participant brought a problem statement from their work, used the program’s curriculum to analyze relevant data, and developed solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness in their department. In 2024, the second cohort of the program was made available to staff from all departments, and the scope was expanded to include Geographical Information System training and data storytelling, which included a focus on the interpretation and impact of data analysis on the San José community. In addition, an AI Upskilling Program5 was initiated in 2024 to enable staff to effectively and responsibly use artificial intelligence to 5 https://sjsu.instructure.com/courses/1597194
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
streamline operations, increase productivity, and provide higher-quality services to the community.
The program benefits for the City include:
Increased Efficiency – Advanced data analytics and AI-powered tools help automate repetitive tasks such as policy analysis, agenda review, and report generation, allowing staff to focus on strategic initiatives. Cost Savings – Automated data analytics and AI implementation can reduce manual workload, saving staff hours and reallocating resources to higher-impact areas.
Enhanced Decision-Making – Enhanced data analytics practices and the use of AI tools enable faster, evidence-based policymaking and service delivery improvements.
Workforce Transformation – AI and data skills empower staff to work smarter, adapt to new technology, and elevate their contributions. National Recognition – San José has gained national recognition for innovation, AI leadership, data governance, and training to ensure that staff across the City are equipped for the next wave of innovation.
The program benefits for residents include:
Improved Service Delivery – AI-driven efficiencies can mean faster response times and more accurate resolutions to resident inquiries and requests. Enhanced Access to Government Services – AI-powered tools such as realtime translation and automated summarization improve inclusivity for non-English speakers and residents with disabilities.
Proactive Problem-Solving – AI and data analytics can allow the City to anticipate and address service issues—such as road safety concerns, grant opportunities, and policy alignment—before they escalate.
Data Governance and Strategy
Data is essential for the efficient delivery of public services, and the City manages a wide range of data across its operations. To maximize its value, a structured approach is necessary to ensure consistency, reliability, and traceability, which supports both knowledge management and the adoption of technologies. To achieve this, ITD is developing a data governance policy designed to enhance cross-departmental collaboration, improve infrastructure and standards, and embed best practices across the organization.
As part of the policy’s implementation, ITD will establish working groups focused on Data Infrastructure, Standards, Sharing, Capacity Building, and Analytics aimed at addressing challenges and developing solutions. While the Data Governance Policy will
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
set the overall framework, the Data Strategy will maintain a sustained focus on achieving key organizational objectives.
In parallel, ITD is actively involved in the Bloomberg City Data Alliance program, where it is developing a three-year data strategy roadmap and launching a “Resident Impact Data Project” focused on the Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness City Council Focus Area. In June 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited Mayor Mahan to join the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance along with 22 other mayors representing nine countries and over eight million residents. This initiative demonstrates the value of a data-driven approach and aligns with the Data Governance Policy. The Data Strategy provides the framework for its execution and centers on three primary objectives:
Develop Data as a Service
Foster Communities of Practice
Measure Impact
By aligning technology initiatives with the City’s strategic goals, ITD’s strategic plan seeks to promote a more inclusive, responsive, and efficient City that maximizes the potential of technology to benefit all of San José’s residents.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
ITD will provide annual project status reports to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee, aligning with the City Auditor’s recommendation.
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Budget Office.
/s/
Khaled Tawfik
Chief Information Officer
Information Technology Department
For questions, please contact Shirley Duong, Project Manager, Information Technology Department, at [email protected].
ATTACHMENT
Appendix A – PMO Completed Projects
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025
Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
APPENDIX A
PMO Completed Projects
October 2023 – March 2025
Projects Description
1 AMANDA FY24-25:
Building Valuations and
Fee Updates (Code
Logic Changes and
Hourly Rate)
This annual project updates code logic and hourly rates in the AMANDA system to reflect fee changes and ensure compliance with regulations. Affected divisions include PBCE, DOT, ESD, Fire, Housing, and PW. Updates are due before midAugust each year, with the latest update on August 12, 2024. 2 AMANDA Upgrade
(including forced
upgrades of PP2,
Geocortex, Yellowfin,
PDox code changes, and
post upgrade hotfixes)
The AMANDA Upgrade project updates the system to the latest version and ensures compatibility by upgrading PP2, Geocortex, Yellowfin, and ProjectDox (PDox). Post-upgrade hotfixes were applied to fix defects and improve functionality. The project was completed in FY24-25 for PBCE, Public Works, and Fire divisions.
3 Applicant Tracking
System
A software that streamlines the recruitment process by organizing and tracking job applications, resumes, and candidate information.
4 Code Enforcement:
Multi-Housing (MH)
Notice Issuance (2024)
This yearly project updates old delinquent notice templates from Microsoft Word to HTML for auto-population of values, bill generation, and distribution to multihousing properties, ensuring compliance with delinquent fee collection regulations. The last notice was sent in FY24-25 (October 2024). 5 Damage Assessment
Forms Integration with
AMANDA
Damage assessment forms were integrated into AMANDA to streamline tracking and managing disaster-related reports for Building and Public Works. Users can access and store forms through the Disaster Tracking Folder (DT Folder) in AMANDA. The system went live in FY23-24 (December 2023). 6 Decommission Old Thin
CHRIS application
Old Thin CHRIS was a “view-only” web application for document management used by Santa Clara County. It was re-engineered with a modern technology stack, allowing users to register, log in, and search for Building, Planning, Code, and Fire documents. The updated Thin CHRIS application went live in December 2023.
7 ESD: Tracking All
Electric New
Constructions and
Renovations
In FY24-25 (October 2024), a customer intake form was added to AMANDA to track the impact of the City’s all-electric reach code on new and existing construction. A monthly report was also created for ESD to track compliance with the code and share data with the City Council.
8 Financial Management
System Upgrade
An upgrade of Cayenta software to version 9.1 (the latest release available) 9 Fire Workflows (3)
Improvements
In FY24-25, updates were made to fix issues with plan reviews, permit fees, and state changes. AMANDA’s code was improved, error handling for batch stamping in ProjectDox (PDox) was added, and inspection fees were automated to finalize reviews.
10 IT Service Management
Pilot
The City of San José launched a 24-month IT Service Management pilot in May 2024. After the pilot, a competitive bid will be held based on the results. The pilot includes features like Incident Management, Change Management, Problem Management, Knowledge Management, IT Catalog Requests, Asset Management, IT Operations Management, and Strategic Portfolio Management. 11 Lab Information
Management System for
Environmental Services
Replacement of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to improve laboratory efficiencies to meet the updated code requirements. 12 Online Fee Estimator
Tool (two of five phases)
A new web-based tool was developed to help users estimate fees for building permits related to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU), Residential New Construction, tenant projects, licenses, and other services, offering greater transparency and convenience. Two of five phases for the Building division were completed in FY24-25.
13 Online Inspection
Enhancements for Fire
Implemented new restrictions and enforced rules for modifying, canceling, and scheduling Fire inspections online. The enhancements went live in FY24-25 (May 2024).
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
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Subject: Innovation and Technology Projects Status Report
Projects Description
14 Online Inspection Reengineering: PW Utility
Permit Fines
A new application for Public Works was launched in August 2024 (FY24-25) for a soft launch with utility companies. It lets users search permits, schedule inspections online, and choose flexible times. Internal users log in at inspections.sanjoseca.gov, while utility companies register on the Public Portal to manage inspections.
15 Planning: Configure
Zoning Tracking in
AMANDA for PDox
Integration
The new ‘ZONE’ folder was launched for the Planning division in May 2024, replacing the old ZN folder. It integrates with ProjectDox, streamlining the review process for development permits with rezonings. Features include automated fees, improved tracking, and simpler workflows for reviewers. The ZONE folder is now used for all new rezonings.
16 PW Office of Equality
Assurance: Responsible
Construction Ordinance
In November 2024, workflow changes were implemented in AMANDA to comply with City ordinance requiring additional documents for permits on private construction over 10,000 square feet, approved by City Council in June 2024. 17 Rent Registry 6.0 The Rent Registry was improved to make the registration process faster and clearer for owners and tenants of rent-stabilized properties while enhancing database reporting and streamlining operations for the functional team. 18 Report Building and
Updates for Santa Clara
County and Fire
Updated public reports available on SJPermits requested by Santa Clara County (Issued Permits and Finaled Permits) and rebuilt complex, critical reports for Building and Fire divisions to report on and measure periodic and annual operational performance metrics.
19 SJ311- Vehicle Concerns
Service
The BeautifySJ Vehicle Concerns Project improved the response and tracking of vehicle complaints by replacing the old Abandoned Vehicle service with a new service that streamlines operations, uses data for decision-making, and prioritizes employee safety and policy support.
20 SJ311- Vehicle Concerns
Dashboard
Launched in September 2024, the Vehicle Concerns Dashboard provides an overview of service request data, including volumes, statuses, outcomes, and customer satisfaction, with interactive features for deeper insights. 21 Tow Services
Administration (Phase 1)
Launched in February 2025, the Tow Service Administration project has towed over 280 vehicles in its first two weeks, introducing a new City-Generated Tow Service Delivery Model that enhances efficiency, eliminates City-managed tow operators, and integrates data analytics and services through a leading vendor. 22 Windows 11 Upgrade This project upgraded the City of San José’s computer systems to Windows 11 before support for Windows 10 ends in October 2025, ensuring productivity, security, and compliance with IT standards.