Vol. I · Civic Technology Consulting · Est. 2026

§ The Practice

Four kinds of work, done end-to-end.

Every engagement is shaped to the city. The map below describes the full surface area of the practice; most projects start in one quadrant and pull in the others as the work expands.

I.

Practice Area I

Software Selection

We sit on the buy-side of the table, every time.

A market scan filtered to what is actually relevant. Vendor demos with the questions that matter—data ownership, integration surface, real exit terms. References called and pressed. A written recommendation in plain English, with the runner-up named and the trade-offs visible.

Deliverables

  • ▪Market scan and shortlist memo
  • ▪Demo agendas built around your workflows
  • ▪Reference call notes from comparable cities
  • ▪Written recommendation and runner-up
  • ▪Procurement risk register

II.

Practice Area II

Solution Integration

Most failures of new software are integration failures.

New systems get connected to the GIS, the records database, the permit counter, and the workflows that already run the building. We map the integrations before the contract is signed, build them when the platform is stood up, and document what was wired together so the next vendor cannot pretend it was magic.

Deliverables

  • ▪Integration map across existing systems
  • ▪API and data-pipeline configuration
  • ▪Workflow automation across departments
  • ▪System-of-record documentation
  • ▪Compatibility and security testing

III.

Practice Area III

Training & Adoption

A platform nobody uses is shelfware.

Hands-on training delivered in your voice. Internal documentation written so the next hire can read it on day one. An open line for the first ninety days after go-live. We measure success by how confident your staff is on day ninety, not by what got installed on day one.

Deliverables

  • ▪Customized training curriculum
  • ▪On-site workshops by department
  • ▪Internal documentation in your voice
  • ▪Quick-reference cards for the front counter
  • ▪Ninety-day open support line

IV.

Practice Area IV

Data & API Onboarding

Migrations done carefully.

Address tables reconciled. Parcel data verified against the recorder of deeds. Historic permit records carried forward without losing the audit trail. APIs wired up without breaking the dashboards that report up to council. Done with the patience the data deserves.

Deliverables

  • ▪Data migration plan and dry-run
  • ▪Address and parcel reconciliation
  • ▪API integration setup
  • ▪Data quality assessment
  • ▪Monitoring, alerts, and rollback plan

§ How an engagement runs

Five phases. Two are optional.

The first three get you to a clear, defensible recommendation. The last two are a separately scoped engagement—an additional fee for the practice that keeps you company through procurement, standup, and the first months of staff using the thing.

Base engagement · 8 to 14 weeks

  1. Phase One

    30 minutes · No charge

    The First Call

    A short call to understand the city you serve, what is prompting the search, and what good would look like a year from now. If we are not the right practice for the work, we say so on this call.

    What you walk away with

    A decision to continue, or a respectful referral.

  2. Phase Two

    Weeks 1–4 · Discovery

    Listen & Map

    We walk the building. Conversations with planning, IT, building inspections, the front counter, and finance. Then we document every system in active use—what it does, who uses it, what it costs, and what it is quietly failing at. The honest version of the org’s software stack.

    What you walk away with

    A field notebook and a one-page systems map the city manager can read in five minutes.

  3. Phase Three

    Weeks 4–8 · Selection

    Match & Recommend

    Wishlist sessions with department heads. A structured market scan filtered to a shortlist. Demos with the questions that matter. References called. A written brief in plain English—cost, fit, integration risk, sequencing—with the runner-up named in case the recommendation does not survive procurement.

    What you walk away with

    A recommendation the city manager can hand to council without translation.

— Where the engagement extends —

Most software fails inside city hall not at selection but at implementation. The next two phases—optional, scoped separately, billed for an additional fee—are where we keep the practice with you through procurement, standup, and adoption.

  1. Phase Four

    Optional · Add-on

    Months 2–9 · Implementation

    Procurement & Standup

    We help draft the RFP, sit through demos, negotiate scope and pricing, and review the contract clauses that matter—data ownership, exit terms, integration commitments, training scope. Then we handle configuration, integrations, data migration, and security review. We show up on the days the work is hardest.

    What you walk away with

    A signed contract with the rights you need, and a platform configured to your workflows—not the vendor’s defaults.

  2. Phase Five

    Optional · Add-on

    Months 6+ · Adoption

    Adoption & A Standing Line

    Hands-on training delivered in your voice. Internal documentation written so the next hire can read it on day one. An open line for the first ninety days after go-live. After that, many cities keep a small annual retainer—a trusted second opinion on every software decision that comes next.

    What you walk away with

    A platform that belongs to your staff, and a standing line for what comes next.

— A first call —

Thirty minutes. No charge. No deck.

Tell us about your city and what is prompting the search. We’ll tell you whether we’re the right practice for the work.

Schedule the callOr write us directly →