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QUESTION
How does the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation acquire its information, and how does it manage data accuracy in a city as large as New York?
1:10:05
·
155 sec
Council Member Vickie Paladino questions the method of data acquisition and management of data accuracy within the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI). Martha Norrick responds detailing various data collection methods and the challenge of managing data in New York City.
- Martha Norrick explains that data sets are acquired differently; some, like 311 service requests, are updated daily, while others annually.
- Council Member Paladino expresses concern about maintaining data accuracy in a city as vast and complex as New York.
- The discussion highlights the issue of managing large volumes of data and operations with a limited number of staff.
- Norrick and Paladino agree on the principle of tackling large tasks incrementally, comparing it to eating a pie one slice at a time or an elephant one bite at a time.
Vickie Paladino
1:10:05
And how do you acquire your information?
1:10:08
We Really?
Martha Norrick
1:10:10
It depends on the data sets.
1:10:12
Some datasets are open are updated daily.
1:10:14
So 311, for example, we have a a an automated process that up dates every day, that dataset with all of the service requests that that that 311 has, and then also, you know, updates service requests if the resolution changes, but we also have some data sets that get updated once a year or census I gotcha.
Vickie Paladino
1:10:33
Because I love the principal,
Zachary Feder
1:10:35
and
Martha Norrick
1:10:35
I
Vickie Paladino
1:10:35
love the idea.
1:10:36
It's just that I I have to just keep reminding myself, and I think everybody does too, is that we don't live in Omaha, Nebraska.
1:10:43
We live in New York City.
1:10:45
So this is a huge undertaking, and the account for accuracy You know, we're talking about DDC.
1:10:57
We're talking about DEP.
1:10:59
We all know what's going on.
1:11:00
We're talking about DOT.
1:11:03
We're talking about those are just 3 major.
1:11:06
Now we tack on to that.
1:11:08
That's not even touching anything else.
1:11:11
How do you keep track of every single thing that's going on in this city with an ounce or 2 of real accuracy?
1:11:20
Because I've always found out, though I'm only doing this now in my 3rd year, I will say this that when everything is broken down to a borrow level, we are able to keep much better track of what's going on.
1:11:34
Let's say in my district, in particular, district 19, We have our contacts in district 19, and we were able to go to them right away.
1:11:44
You're dealing with this on a 5 bureau level with 20 people.
1:11:50
Is that correct?
1:11:52
To manage everything that's going on in the city, every major operation that's going on in the city.
1:11:58
That's that's a lot of
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:11:59
the 20 people, but they also have the that's when she mentioned the support from the Open Data
Vickie Paladino
1:12:03
Board.
1:12:03
Right.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:12:03
But it's not enough because you're not.
1:12:05
No.
1:12:05
And it's yeah.
1:12:06
Yeah.
Vickie Paladino
1:12:06
I I mean, I I don't know how you do it.
1:12:09
Find myself saying that a lie.
1:12:11
I I I really don't, and I I I just find that when we break this very large pie that we live in New York City into smaller pieces.
1:12:22
Mhmm.
1:12:23
It's much easier to eat the whole pie one slice at a time.
1:12:28
So I hope that's how you run the agency because that's the best way to help everybody all the way around.
Martha Norrick
1:12:33
I make a lot of references in how to eat an elephant, which is just one bite at a time.
Vickie Paladino
1:12:38
One bite at a time.
Martha Norrick
1:12:39
I keep biting that.