As the birthplace of the United States, it’s no surprise that Philadelphia continues to lead the way in governmental efficiency and service delivery. Inspired by the ways City government transformed itself during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Operations Transformation Fund was created for City departments to reimagine and transform processes to better serve Philadelphia residents.
What is the OTF?
The OTF is a $10 million investment established to drive innovation and modernization within Philadelphia’s city government. Managed by the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the fund provides both financial support and direct technical assistance to city projects that aim to enhance government efficiency and, in turn, improve the lives of its residents.
What impact has the OTF had?
Almost 100 employees from 28 City departments lead the OTF projects, which have already improved 50 operational processes across City government. Projects created efficiencies by improving workflows, reducing staff hours necessary to complete certain tasks, and removing barriers. Some examples of the specific impact OTF projects have demonstrated to date include:
- A higher percentage of City’s civil service workforce hired from 4 target recruitment zip codes
- A daily average of 255 visitors who connect to the computer network at 20 newly equipped recreation centers
- 180 registered landlords have added a total of 250 new housing units into an online platform connecting landlords with renters.
- 0 backlogged totes of library materials at the Free Library’s Regional Operations Center, down from a previous daily count of 600.
- 468 emergency messages have been pre-translated for ReadyPhiladelphia across 10 languages, including American Sign Language.
More information about the impact of OTF projects is available on the OTF Project Dashboard. CAO launched the dashboard to enable the public to track current project status and performance metrics. The dashboard provides transparency and accountability into the City’s large OTF investments.
Operations Transformation Fund project teams found value in dedicated project funding and technical assistance for navigating administrative processes and delivering high-impact projects. When additional funding becomes available, the OTF can continue to invest in transformative ideas from City employees to improve how the City of Philadelphia works and serves our residents.
