Q&A
Discussion of CFB's legacy computer systems and plans for modernization
1:18:38
·
4 min
Council Member Schulman inquires about the Campaign Finance Board's databases and plans for updates. Paul Seamus Ryan, Executive Director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, provides a detailed explanation of their current systems and modernization plans.
- Ryan acknowledges that CFB is using legacy computer systems built decades ago
- He introduces Amanda Molillo as the new first deputy executive director, tasked with leading a new strategy products and innovation division
- Ryan outlines plans to shift from a 'build it and let it go' approach to constant updates and releases
- He mentions the development of a 'data lake' to improve data accessibility across the agency
- Ryan promises improvements in user experience and stakeholder engagement in system development
Lynn C. Schulman
1:18:38
Okay.
1:18:38
Thank you.
1:18:39
Paul, I have, Chair, I may I I have a couple of questions.
1:18:43
Okay.
1:18:43
So, it was very nice to meet you and your team.
1:18:46
Finally, I'm sorry that I wasn't here for the last, committee hearing on the audits.
1:18:51
But I I just wanted to refer back to Chair Ressler who talked about trust in government, trust in the election process and all of that.
1:18:58
So, one of the things that I wanted to bring up is the databases that you have, and I know that you have a plan to update them and everything else.
1:19:06
As an example, when I give a contribution, I'm a city council member, I have lived at my address for over 30 years, it keeps coming back.
1:19:14
I have to reaffirm that that is my address.
1:19:17
People get upset about that when we go back to them and, you know, and people don't wanna are reluctant to give, to donate and everything else.
1:19:26
I want you to address that, for me.
Paul Seamus Ryan
1:19:31
One of the essential elements of our situation in the campaign finance board is that we are using some legacy computer systems that were built a few decades ago.
1:19:40
We've got a skilled head of technology and a technology team and a long list of to do projects.
1:19:49
I mentioned in my opening remarks, Amanda Molillo is my new first deputy executive director, and she will be tasked in the process of standing up and running a new strategy products and innovation division, being sort of the matchmaker between our technology team, which in turn relies on some external consultants as well, and all of the other departments within the campaign finance board that have a list of things they want fixed or created in terms of tech.
1:20:11
We're gonna change.
1:20:12
We are changing how created in terms of tech.
1:20:15
We're gonna change.
1:20:15
We are changing how we do tech.
1:20:17
So one of the, hallmark or characteristics of the legacy systems that we're now working with is build it and then let it go.
1:20:27
Maybe revisit it, for a modernization effort Mhmm.
1:20:31
5 years, 10 years later.
1:20:32
We're not gonna be doing that anymore.
1:20:33
There's a better way to do tech, generally, tech and government in particular, which is constant updates, constant releases.
1:20:41
It's a it's an approach to product management that we're adopting at the agency that's different than the old way was waterfall management.
1:20:49
You gotta figure out what the business requirements are for the thing, and then you build the thing and say, here it is, world.
1:20:56
Contributors, candidates, internal staff, whatever whoever the user group is.
1:21:01
And that's not how now we are starting with small, testable, minimum viable products.
1:21:06
What are the minimum features we need in this new platform?
1:21:08
So right now, to give you an example, one of our highest priorities is building a new digital tool, a new software platform for how we calculate public funds payments.
1:21:17
It's called the payment payment app or payment platform.
1:21:20
We're starting with the most essential elements.
1:21:24
What do staff need to make these calculations accurately?
1:21:24
The next release, sometime next year, probably, will be an interface for the board of directors to access that information, to streamline and bring modernize their engagement with this material instead of getting a paper report.
1:21:42
And, you know, I could go on about how we're gonna approach these different types of updates.
1:21:48
That's in pretty much every facet of operations.
1:21:51
I'll say two more things.
1:21:53
One of the problems with these legacy, systems is that they were quite siloed.
1:21:57
They whatever data went into that system lived in that system and was very difficult, if at all possible, to move to other systems within the agency.
1:22:05
Okay.
1:22:06
That's all changed.
1:22:07
We've now, our team has built out what we refer to in, informally as a data lake, and the idea is any information that comes into the campaign finance board, any data whatsoever, lives in this lake, and then it gets pulled up and utilized by whatever application needs it for whatever particular purpose.
1:22:23
So, all of these things, all of these ways that we use technology that impacts stakeholder groups, including candidates, contributors, it will all, I will promise you, will be improving.
1:22:34
It's gonna take a few years, realistically.
1:22:37
Did.
1:22:38
But we are staffing up that work.
1:22:40
We are going to do a better job than ever before of doing user experience testing as we build, starting small, figure out with whoever the stakeholder group is.
1:22:50
So gonna be, convening user groups, whether they be candidates or contributors, you name it, every other every type of stakeholder that engages with us, and letting them try out our new systems before we scale them big, before we've spent a lot of money and time on them.
1:23:05
So we have plans.
1:23:07
We know the systems are a little bit tough to engage with, less than ideal user experience, and I assure you it will be improved in the years to come.
1:23:16
And I
Lynn C. Schulman
1:23:16
appreciate it.
