One of the workshops at the recent AGCCP Conference (formerly AGCCE) was about starting a new contact center.  They reviewed all the things a jurisdiction should do to ensure their contact center was successful.  That session should be posted on our new website within a few weeks (I’ll be sure to let you know when it is up) but it got me thinking about how Newport News, my new employer, made the decision to start a new contact center.

In early 2010, the City Manager, Neil Morgan, put together a work group of employees from various city departments to look at the feasibility of starting a 311 Contact Center.  The group’s purpose was to come back with a “Go/No Go” decision.  The group included some of the departments who were seen as being in the first phase, if the decision was “go”, including Public Works and Engineering.  Public Works was a critical participant, in that a Public Works call center already existed in the city.

In addition, a city representative from Waterworks, the city owned utility that provides water to Newport News and other neighboring localities, had a prominent seat at the table.  Communications and Information Technology were also key players.

Several years earlier, the city had explored starting a 311 Contact Center but decided for various reasons, to not proceed.  A neighboring city, Hampton, had started a 311 Call Center in the fall of 1999 but Newport News held off.

This brings up a good point:  when is the best time to start a 311 contact center?  There are always going to be financial reasons not to go forward, so finances shouldn’t necessarily be the deciding factor.  In fact, some jurisdictions decide to start centers to help create efficiencies down the road that can save money.

The best time, in my opinion, is when the political will is in place, city administration is behind the concept and it is actually part of a strategic initiative for the entire organization.  All of these factors led Newport News to go forward.

You can read more about the feasibility study and the strategic initiatives at:  http://www.nngov.com/city-manager/strategic_8/311_report/view and http://www.nngov.com/city-manager/strategic_8/311_report/view