Question: Recommended Statuses Descriptions For Notifications

[jessicashanshanhuang]

To clarify what statuses would are strongly recommended to be in the MVP and what description/information that should come along with a status. We currently using our notify flow diagram to illustrate what we think would be recommended areas to be notified during the application process.

Questions:

• Are there recommended application status definitions standards we should follow? I understand for ZAP, there are currently the following statuses:

1. Filed
2. Noticed
3. In Public Review (Certified)
4. Completed

• Are we only focusing on notifying users when an application has enter a status?
• If we are not, within each status, what milestones would be highly recommended for users to be notify in an MVP?

[stepheneverett]

Recommendation from Exec 7/9 after our kickoff:

MVP should include two statuses, at minimum: "filed" and "in public review". "Completed" is not necessary, and neither are individual milestones on any project. TBD on "noticed"

[jessicashanshanhuang]

Thanks for the update! Would the status descriptions follow what we currently have for ZAP or are they flexible to change?

ZAP description: “Status” identifies a project’s stage in the application process. "Noticed" refers to applications where notice has been given that an application will certify no sooner than 30 days per the City Charter requirement. In "Public Review” refers to applications that have graduated to the public review process. “Completed” refers to applications that have been Approved, Disapproved, Withdrawn or Terminated.

We are trying to gauge how informative these descriptions should be as the impact the information sent out in notifications (hence the reason we suggest including a status page to provide a resource for more info in case the notifications are a simpler format).

[stepheneverett]

The "In public review" status description should be fine (though recommend removing the "certification" piece of it since there's more than one way into public review). We'll need to work on the one for "filed" since it doesn't exist on ZAP Search.

Let's think more about the utility of a status page as we also think about what the notification actually says and where it links. Open to all suggestions.

[TylerMatteo]

Whichever statuses/milestones we support for MVP, they will be "all or nothing", correct? As in, users wouldn't be able to sign up for "Filed" but not "In Public Review".

I'll have my team investigate if it's feasible to use the project statuses seen in ZAP Search to drive the notifications. I'm not sure if the data tells us when a project went from one status to another, as opposed to milestones where we can query dates that given project milestones where marked as "completed".

[anvyv]

Correct, Tyler. "All or nothing" would be preferred when users sign up for these updates.

Thank you!

[stepheneverett]

And querying milestone completions as a marker of status notifications is fine. Apologies if I made that confusing. I meant that for a status definition, using the same one that's on ZAP Search is fine for in public review. I.e., these are applications that have graduated to the public review process. We can workshop this language and give you final wording ahead of a due date if you want to define one.

[anvyv]

From today's meeting 7/17: Leaning toward one and do not let user choose one.

• Look into preference for users
• Make prototype before launch and test internally or with community districts and district managers.
• Fellows: Help create survey with help with Nick from Planning Support (DCP)

[TylerMatteo]

More notes from 7/17 brainstorming:

• We do want to use changes the "public status" (filed, noticed, in public review, etc) to trigger notifications, milestones will not be used.
• We only want to trigger notifications when public status is changed to "filed" or "in public review"
• Notifications will be "all or nothing". Meaning users will not be able to sign up to be notified when a project moves into "filed" but not be notified when one is moved into "in public review" or vice versa