It's big, shiny, and has Nanaimo written all over it

City of Nanaimo staff win their fifth Spirit of Innovation Award

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed September 18, 2019 1:15 PM

The City of Nanaimo's CityProjects team is embracing their innovative spirit with a shiny and coveted trophy. The Spirit of Innovation Award was presented by the Municipal Information Systems Association of BC (MISABC) at the recent Municipal Showcase in Whistler. The award is given annually to the team that presents the most beneficial, innovative, and valuable technology that ultimately has a positive benefit to the community.

CityProjects is a custom project management software system designed in-house, and will help teams at the City manage City-funded projects. Taking cues from modern web technology, the software allows staff in Finance, Engineering and other departments to plan, resource, track and report on projects ranging from pedestrian flasher upgrades and facilities improvements, to million-dollar projects like the Bastion Bridge upgrade.

"The more information that you have, the easier it is to make decisions," says Matthew Dunstan, Manager of IT Applications Services. "CityProjects is a creative solution that embraces that concept, and I am extremely proud of the team for this streamlined and efficient software design.”

By building a custom, in-house system, the content and features are kept to the essentials, with no clutter to distract the process flows or duplication of tasks across systems. CityProjects is an efficient resource built by staff for staff.

"This award, and the number of times that our City has won, speaks to the skill and expertise of our staff," City of Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog says. "Leading the way as a cutting-edge municipality only happens with staff that are the best of the best."

"Nanaimo has a proud history of innovation, and I am thrilled to see the city win the trophy for the fifth time since its inception. Bravo Nanaimo!” says Darin M. Young, MISA BC President.

This is indeed the fifth time that 'City of Nanaimo' appears on the trophy. The City won in 2002, 2007, 2013 and 2015 as well.

Although starting with a small user base in Engineering, the system is growing and will soon be able to accommodate all departments within the organization. The CityProjects team’s goal is to have all projects, big or small, taking advantage of this project management solution and all that it has to offer.

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