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{"entries":[{"title":"Linking Business Goals to Design","url":"/business-goals.html","date":"2014-01-02 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","walkthrough"],"body":"This basic information helps differentiate your organization’s implementation of OpenCounter from others. It helps citizens know they are in the right place---and how to get to City Hall. This page also contains important information regarding OpenCounter’s use of your organization’s GIS server, Google Analytics, and CNAME configuration. You may want to e-mail OpenCounter staff before editing the settings on this page. The current configuration of these fields are key to the current operation of the OpenCounter system. We are here to help! "},{"title":"Evaluating the Impact of Design","url":"/evaluation.html","date":"2014-01-02 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","walkthrough"],"body":"Sections are broad groups of Pages. Their primary purpose is to help applicants understand what kinds of information they’ll be asked to provide. Sections also help break up the process, and serve as as milestones for the applicant as they proceed through what can often be a lengthy set of questions and responses. Thus, you can break up the process into Sections as you see fit. OpenCounter will have been configured with some common default Sections when first launched for your community, but you can add as many as you like. Re-arrange Sections to appear in the sequence you prefer. Just drag them up and down the list You can also upload properly structured .csv file to create a new set of Sections entirely. By clicking \"Edit\", you can view which Pages are contained within each section. You can re-arrange the Pages within each Section---and Fields within each Page--using the same technique described above."},{"title":"Hiring (and Retaining) Designers","url":"/hiring.html","date":"2014-01-02 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","walkthrough"],"body":"Zoning Districts reflect your community’s Zoning Ordnance. Zoning determines whether businesses within each Use Code are appropriate at any given location. As most of your staff knows, within each Zoning District, each Use Code is either Permitted (outright or conditionally) or Prohibited. When launched for your organization, the OpenCounter system was configured to match the existing zoning ordinance precisely. Thus, changes to the zoning districts in the OpenCounter system should probably only follow changes to the legally binding zoning ordinance itself. Each Zoning District also has the following attributes: You can edit any of these attributes at your discretion, simply by clicking the \"edit\" button and reviewing the information shown in the screenshot below."},{"title":"Leadership through Design","url":"/leadership.html","date":"2014-01-02 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","walkthrough"],"body":"Use Codes are used to classify proposed businesses for zoning evaluation. Use Codes help OpenCounter determine whether an Applicant is allowed to pursue their business at a given location, whether they need to meet additional requirements, or whether the proposed use is prohibited.    When OpenCounter is first configured for your community, Use Codes are derived from your municipality's zoning ordinance. Thus, Use Codes will typically only be added or edited when there is a change to the zoning code.    Each Use Code has the following attributes: You can edit any of these attributes manually by clicking the \"Edit\" button for any Use Code. You can also view the relevant Permissions for any given Use Code. By clicking \"Permissions\", you'll see the specific zoning clearances for each district, as well as map showing where each permission is in effect."},{"title":"Common Opportunities for Design in Government","url":"/opportunities.html","date":"2014-01-02 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","walkthrough"],"body":"Forms are a way to replicate your existing permitting process within OpenCounter. Applicant responses solicited from any set of Fields can be grouped into a Form. When an Application is submitted, you’ll be able to download each Form---or group of answers---in order to easily match up with your existing permitting process and workflows. To create or edit a Form, simply mix and match the Fields you would like to see grouped together for download in the Dashboard and Applications section, shown in the screenshot below."},{"title":"Building Design into Procurement","url":"/procurement.html","date":"2014-01-02 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","walkthrough"],"body":"The Dashboard provides a high-level overview of permit activity, and provides you access to tools for managing and analyzing permit applications. The Dashboard has four primary components: Taken together, these four components create a portrait of business activity in your community. Using the adjustable timeline, you can create snapshots of permit activity for relevant reporting periods. Adjust the timeframe of data reported by clicking and dragging either end of the light blue area within the timeline at the top of the page, as shown in the screenshot below. Data across the rest of the page will update accordingly. As the screenshot reveals, the Dashboard automatically calculates the total number of jobs created and fees incurred based on information provided by applicants. You'll also see the total number of applications compared to the total number of applications submitted. It is typical for about 10% of applications initiated to be submitted, but these rates vary across communities. You can also see the status of all applications that exist within the timeframe selected, along with the contact e-mail for each Permit Applicant. To get more details about any particular application, click on the unique \"ID\" on the left-hand side of the table, or click the green \"Manage Applications\" button at the bottom of the page. Here you can find details about all OpenCounter Applications in your community, and take action relevant to individual applications. The Applications page is composed of two tables, one displaying all submitted--or finalized--applications, and another showing those still in progress. Each table displays a few high-level attributes such as the business name, the number of answers provided to date, and contact information for the Permit Applicant. Admin users can attach notes to communicate with one another, view help requests submitted by the applicant, or view details for each application. On each individual Application page, you'll find a map showing the proposed business location, and the Zoning Clearance for the proposed use at the proposed location. A table of fees incurred based on application responses, the information provided in response to each Field, and the sequence of Pages visited by the Applicant are also provided. In the \"Downloads\" section toward the bottom of the page, you'll find links to download the \"Full Application & GIS Response\", as well as any Forms that Admin Users have created. These Forms are composed of select groups of Applicant answers, often corresponding to Existing Permit Forms used within Departments."},{"title":"Sharing Design in Your Organization","url":"/sharing.html","date":"2014-01-02 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","walkthrough"],"body":"Fees reflect your city’s Fee Schedule. People going through the application process are shown an estimate of fees they are likely to incur. OpenCounter provides municipalities with a flexibile framework for estimating fees. Each Fee you create has some required attributes, such as: This information lets permit applicants know how much money and time they’ll need to make available for each Fee, and how often. Fees are often more complex, however. Frequently, fees are calculated based on the type or size of a business or improvement. Thus, OpenCounter allows you to make Fees conditional based on application response.   Fees can be triggered based on Requirements. When an Applicant meets certain conditions, then they alerted that they are responsible for paying the Fee. Requirements are based on the Applicant’s response to the Fields of your choice. This screencast walks step-bystep through the process of creating and editing Fees:"},{"title":"The Values Behind Design","url":"/values.html","date":"2014-01-02 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","walkthrough"],"body":"Pages are just what they sound like---single web pages that Applicant’s view one at a time. You can show or hide them from Applicants based on Visibility Rules. Each Page is home to one or more Field--that is, one or more piece of information you are asking for from the Applicant. Pages typically host Fields that are related---and thus are titled to reflect a common topic. The screenshot below is a good example of how Pages are organized. The page contains a number of different fields related to a broad topic. Those fields can be re-ordered on the Page so you can craft the right sequence of questions for permit applicants.   For each Page, you can also add an Introduction, some Additional Text, and Page Instructions to help the Applicant provide information to each Field. The following screencast walks step-by-step through the process of creating and editing Pages:"},{"title":"Connecting to the Design Community","url":"/community.html","date":"2014-01-20 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","basic"],"body":"Yes. Any permit can be included in the OpenCounter System. There is no restriction on the number of permits incorporated into OpenCounter. It is up to your organization which permits it would like to include."},{"title":"Design Thinking","url":"/design-thinking.html","date":"2014-01-20 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["disciplines"],"body":""},{"title":"Information Architecture","url":"/information-architecture.html","date":"2014-01-20 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","basic"],"body":"Yes. Any permit can be included in the OpenCounter System. There is no restriction on the number of permits incorporated into OpenCounter. It is up to your organization which permits it would like to include."},{"title":"Service Design","url":"/service-design.html","date":"2014-01-20 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","basic"],"body":"Yes. Any permit can be included in the OpenCounter System. There is no restriction on the number of permits incorporated into OpenCounter. It is up to your organization which permits it would like to include."},{"title":"Crafting Design Standards","url":"/standards.html","date":"2014-01-20 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","basic"],"body":"Yes. Any permit can be included in the OpenCounter System. There is no restriction on the number of permits incorporated into OpenCounter. It is up to your organization which permits it would like to include."},{"title":"User Experience","url":"/user-experience.html","date":"2014-01-20 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","basic"],"body":"Yes. Any permit can be included in the OpenCounter System. There is no restriction on the number of permits incorporated into OpenCounter. It is up to your organization which permits it would like to include."},{"title":"User Interface","url":"/user-interface.html","date":"2014-01-20 00:00:00 -0800","categories":["faq,","basic"],"body":"Yes. Any permit can be included in the OpenCounter System. There is no restriction on the number of permits incorporated into OpenCounter. It is up to your organization which permits it would like to include."}]}