When the City of Syracuse decided to overhaul and digitize its procurement system, the goal was to establish new ways of working with our vendors and present opportunities to do business with the City more broadly.
This journey wasn’t just about digitizing paper processes. It was about rethinking procurement as a strategic, responsive, and inclusive tool for good governance. And like any ambitious transformation in government, success depended less on the tool and more on the approach.
Why focus on procurement?
Public procurement is one of the most powerful levers a city has. It’s how we pave streets, build parks, invest in local businesses, and deliver supplemental services. But outdated systems and paper-based workflows had made it harder for us to act swiftly, transparently, and equitably.
After doing a fair bit of research, the API team alongside the Office of Management and Budget selected OpenGov as our platform because it aligned with our goals: enabling easier vendor access, streamlining internal approvals, creating digital records for compliance, and providing visibility into how public dollars are spent.
But event the best technology fails when it’s dropped into a rigid bureaucracy. That’s why we paired this implementation with a flexible, iterative methodology.
Bringing Agile into Government
Inspired by public interest technologists like Waldo Jaquith, on of our mentors throughout this project, we applied an agile mindset to our rollout. Government is often allergic to change, but agile methods make change safe, structured, and people-centered.
Here’s how we did it in Syracuse:
Started with a Vision, Not Just a Vendor
We began by mapping out an ideal future state for procurement, one that prioritized speed, transparency, and access for all vendors as well as our Departmental staff. Before choosing a product, we documented pain points, designed ideal workflows, and aligned internally on what success would look like.Conducted Sandbox Demos and Iterative Testing
Instead of making decisions in isolation, we invited departments to participate in sandbox demonstrations of OpenGov. We tested key workflows, gathered feedback in real time, and used that insight to validate that OpenGov was the right fit not just from a technical standpoint, but for the users who would live in the system daily.Built with People, Not Just for Them
Using agile methodology, we launched in manageable phases, starting with core intake and approval forms. We collaborated closely with departments like Engineering, Public Works, and Neighborhood Development to document their current workflows and then co-designed process maps for the digital experience.Created Feedback Loops and Iterated Fast
We treated every component forms, approval, notifications, and training materials as living drafts. Our team tested new features, gave feedback, and saw their suggestions implemented quickly, reinforcing trust and ownership in the system.Centered Equity and Simplicity
We didn’t just digitize our old processes, we improved them. We simplified bid language, standardized templates, and made procurement more accessible for small and minority-owned businesses. OpenGov became a tool not just for efficiency, but for inclusion.Trained Broadly, Communicated Often
We developed hands-on trainings for staff, departments, and even elected officials, to ensure broad adoption. We offered documentation, one-on-one sessions, and small-group walkthroughs meeting people where they were, not expecting them to adapt overnight.
Final Thoughts
Government IT projects have a reputation for being bloated and behind schedule. But they don’t have to be. As Waldo Jaquith often writes, “The hard part of civic tech isn’t the tech, it’s the civics.”
By listening to our users, testing small, and staying flexible, we launched our new portal on time and on schedule, and we’re showing what’s possible when public service meets public interest design. Procurement is often seen as red tape, but in Syracuse, it’s becoming a tool for transformation!