Granicus Encoder/Software Update - City Clerk's Office & Technology Solutions

IT Governance Compliance Business Case Granicus Encoder/Software Update City Clerk’s Office & Technology Solutions Department

Background The City Clerk's Office and Technology Solutions department has been using Granicus for multiple years. The Granicus encoders are being used to record and broadcast City meetings from the City Council chambers and City committee room to the City website and other platforms including Durham Television Network (DTN).

Granicus has provided the city with five encoders. One encoder receives a feed from the committee room, One encoder receives a feed from the council chamber, One receives a feed from DTN, and two receive a feed from Technology Solutions for secondary Multilanguage broadcast.

Current Business Problem •

The City Clerk’s Office currently experiences recording issues while using the Granicus software.

•

Granicus has informed the City Clerk’s Office and Technology Solutions that the current Granicus encoders are at the end of their life and need to be replaced.

Current Pain Points Due to the lack of support for this out of date product: •

Recordings do not stop after a meeting has ended.

•

•

The recordings now take much longer to process.

•

•

(Example. City Clerk staff will have recorded meetings that are 8 hours or more of recorded emptiness processed for a 1-hour long meeting). This unintended recording takes up a lot of storage space and makes trimming and editing the recording for viewing much more time consuming.

(Used to average a half hour, now takes up to 48 hours depending on the amount left over recordings)

Sometimes Granicus system fails to record the meetings.

•

When this occurs the City Clerk's Office relies on the YouTube recording as the backup.

Desired Business Value City of Durham’s Strategic Plan Goal: Innovative & High Performing Organization Initiative: Implement strategies from Reimagining Government to deliver enhanced processes and programs •

Upgrade encoders to ensure smooth recording, timestamping and trimming of video and audio recordings from Council Meetings and Work Sessions.

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Upgrade Granicus Open Platform software in order to record and continue broadcasting live meetings to the City website and other platforms.

Future State Benefits •

The solution will provide the City Clerk's Office with the ability to record meetings accurately with no unintended left-over recording.

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The solution will allow the City Clerk's Office to view and trim the recordings with drastically lower time commitment.

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The solution will allow the City Clerk's Office to record and stream meetings to multiple platforms

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The solution will allow the City Clerk’s Office to not have to rely on YouTube for backup for its recordings.

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The solution will provide the City Clerk’s Office the ability to record and stream meetings at High Definition 1080p (currently streams at 420p)

Recommended Solution and Analysis

Recommended Solution: Upgrade Granicus platform replace encoders that connects to cloud-based software

Description

Replace the on-premises encoders with new encoders on-premises that connects to the new cloud-based software. The new encoders will provides the city with the ability to manage public meetings by streaming public meetings, and allowing users to live index items, record and publish minutes, and provide archive videos for on-demand viewing.

Pros

• Enables the ability to record meetings accurately with no unintended left-over recording • Web based Live Manager (makes it easy to remotely manage a meeting) • 24/7 Support provided with no additional cost

Cons

• None

Upgrade Granicus Platform : Financials Estimate COST ESTIMATES Description

FUNDING Annual Run Costs (Hours)/ KTLO

Year 1 Costs (Hours)

Annual Departmental Funding Amount:

$35,056

Labor $ (Hours) Internal TS:

70 hours

11 hours

Business Analysis

15 hours

0 hours

TS Services

15 hours

11 hours

TS PMO

40 Hours 20 hours

Internal Department: City Clerk’s Office

Professional Services (Training, Setup)

$6,350

Y

Project One Time Costs

$21,100

0 hours

Project Run Cost (External)

$35,056

6 hours

*Total Project Funding Requested for Year 1 Minus existing annual funding for Granicus Total Funds additional funds required Year 1 Recurring Cost

$56,156

Minus existing annual funding for Granicus

$35,056

$0

Non-Labor $ Hardware:

$14,750

$0

Software:

$35,056

$35,056

$0

$0

Other:

Funding Requested (Y/N):

Additional funds for Recurring Cost

*Total Project Funding Requested (External), includes External Year 1 Run Costs and Non-Labor

$35,056 $21,100 $35,056

$0

Risk Identification Description of Risk

Risk Impact

Mitigated (Y/N)

Contingency(Y/N)

Poor execution

Low

Yes

No

Project team turnover

Low

Yes

No

Vendor performance

High

Yes

No

Cyber Security

Low

Yes

No

Mitigation Risk (Costs) •

No cost

Contingency Risk (Costs) •

No cost

Our Ask

We are asking the IT Governance Steering Committee to approve the business case for the City’s Granicus Encoder update for submission to the City Manager for approval and funding through the BMS department.