Department of Information Technologies of Moscow (DIT) 23

2023: Information State System for Management of Contests and Grants "Moscow is a Good City"

The development of information systems has become an integral part of modern urban processes. One of the successful examples of the introduction of such systems is the Moscow-Good City platform, which provides ample opportunities for the interaction of executive authorities with socially oriented non-profit organizations (SO NGOs). The system is actively used to improve the social sphere, simplifying and optimizing the processes of providing social services. In this case, we will consider the process of modernizing this information state system, what tasks were faced by the Keda Professor team and what results were achieved.

source = Professor's Keds

Development of the information system "Moscow - Good City"

The Moscow-Good City system is aimed at promoting effective interaction between authorities and NGOs engaged in the social sphere. The team of "Keda Professor" was faced with the task of modernizing the existing System to increase its functionality and improve the user experience.

Task

The main task of the project was to update the information state system in such a way that it became more convenient and effective in use for both authorities and representatives of non-profit organizations. In particular, it was necessary to improve the technical support module, implement an interactive assistant and expand the analytical capabilities of the System.

source = Professor's Keds

Decision

To solve the tasks, an integrated approach was applied, including the development and implementation of new modules, optimization of existing functions and improvement of the user interface.

What is an information system

Information system (IE) is designed to collect, store, process and transmit information. Such systems provide automation of various processes. Thus, "Moscow is a good city" is an information system of the city of Moscow, which automates the processes of interaction between the executive authorities of the city of Moscow and their subordinate organizations with socially oriented non-profit organizations participating in the implementation of projects aimed at expanding the provision of services in the social sphere. SO NGOs through the System take part in competitions and receive grants for their projects that help Muscovites in need of support.

Main functions of information systems

Information systems perform many functions, including:

• Data collection. ICs collect information from various sources, both internal and external, and organize it in a single database.
• Data storage. Systems allow you to store large amounts of data securely, ensuring their protection and integrity.
• Data processing. IEs automate data processing, converting them into useful information for decision-making.
• Data analysis. Based on the information collected and processed, the system can conduct analytical studies, identifying trends and making forecasts.

Technical support

To ensure uninterrupted operation of the information system, several modules were developed and implemented, including a module for automating the accounting of user requests.

During communication with technical support employees, it became clear that one of the main problems is the lack of information provided by users when asking for help. Because of this, the time to solve the problem increased, as specialists had to spend additional resources to identify missing data.

To solve this problem, they compiled a list of information that is necessary for the prompt elimination of incidents:

• Topic of appeal: the speed of referral to the right specialist depends on the correct choice of topic.
• Contact name: required to provide feedback.
• Contact details (e-mail address) are required to contact the user.
• Organization Name-Helps you find the event history in the query log.
• TIN: Used to search for interaction history in the system.
• Workplace settings (operating system, browser): Help identify the cause of the problem faster.
• Detailed description of the problem: the more detailed the description, the faster the solution will be found.
• Link: to the page where the error occurred to accurately localize the incident.

To facilitate the work of specialists and speed up the solution of problems, a module was implemented to automate the accounting of user calls to technical support. This module allows you to collect a complete list of the necessary information, while simplifying the process for users.

The system automatically collects part of the data, such as the primary data of applications or a screenshot of the page where the error occurred, which significantly speeds up the process of processing requests.

The module was implemented in the form of a drop-down window accessible from anywhere in the System, where users can specify all the necessary information and attach files to the case. Additionally, users have the ability to edit the application form by adding or deleting fields as needed. This allows you to keep the information required by specialists for work up to date and provides flexibility in dealing with cases.

source = Professor's Keds

Interactive Assistant

One of the key elements of the modernization of the System was the introduction of an interactive assistant. This tool was designed to simplify the process of applying for grants and other types of support. The online assistant helps users quickly find the information they need, fill out the forms correctly, and receive timely notifications about the status of their applications.

source = Professor's Keds

The "Interactive Assistant" button was added to the application page, by clicking on which the user will launch an interactive script. The screen focuses on the input field that needs to be filled in, next to it is an instruction on what information needs to be entered. After that, the System automatically checks the correctness of the filled data.

Examination

When analyzing the old interface for the examination of competitive applications, it became obvious that the existing distribution of elements on the screen was inconvenient for the work of experts. Screen space was used inefficiently, which made it difficult to evaluate applications.

To improve the interaction of users with the System, a new form of examination of applications was developed. Changed the format of the page split from vertical to horizontal. Now at the top of the screen is the "Application" section, and at the bottom is the "Examination Form" section. Each of these parts has its own scroll bar, which allows experts to simultaneously view the contents of the application and make their own assessments.

To facilitate navigation of the bid, a menu was added on the left side of the Bid section to switch between sub-sections of the bid. They also provided the ability to minimize sections so that users can customize the interface for their needs. These improvements significantly improved the usability of the System and reduced the time required to evaluate competitive bids.

source = Professor's Keds

Analytics Tools

In the process of interaction with employees of the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the city of Moscow, they found out that the existing analytics toolkit did not provide sufficient visibility and did not allow an effective analysis of the distribution of budget funds. To solve these problems, we modified the Analytics module, which added two new sections: Infopanel and Budget Analytics.

The Infopanel section is used to visualize data using infographics. In this section, a graph designer was developed that allows users to build different kinds of graphs based on parameters such as the number of applications, the average and requested grant sizes, the name of the competition, the time period, the curator, the expert, and others. These graphs help you quickly assess key metrics and make informed decisions. In addition, users have the ability to export the created graphs as images, as well as upload the original data in tabular form for more detailed analysis and inclusion in reporting.

The Budget Analytics section was created specifically to analyze the allocation of budget funds allocated for the implementation of projects. In this section, users can see the item-by-item spending of funds for each NCB CO. A report designer was also implemented that allows you to generate expense data in spreadsheets. These tools greatly simplified the process of monitoring and analyzing budget funds, improving the management of funding for social projects.

Electronic digital signature

For the security and legal significance of document management, an electronic digital signature (EDS) has appeared in the system. This decision made it possible to make the process of processing and signing documents completely digital, which significantly accelerated the work and reduced the risks of errors.

Results

As a result of the modernization, the Moscow-Good City system has become more functional, convenient and safe. Users noted an improvement in the quality of service, a reduction in the processing time of applications and an increase in the overall transparency of processes. The successful implementation of the project showed that information state systems can play a key role in the development of the social sphere and interaction with non-profit organizations.