EDATE - A Program to Effectively Manage Election Tasks

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

Every elections official knows that managing multiple, simultaneous election tasks can be difficult when planning for an election. Prior to 2012, the San Bernardino County Elections Office used an antiquated method to manage its tasks, and this method proved to be ineffective and inefficient. As a result, the Elections Office embarked on a new program to find a better way to identify upcoming tasks, establish appropriate deadlines, assign tasks to staff, and monitor the progress of tasks through completion. The most critical part of the program was the selection and use of an effective electronic tool to assist in managing tasks. Office staff considered various options, including modifying its existing software, purchasing new technology platforms, or developing a new internally designed and built project management application. After considering these options, the Elections Office decided to develop a new application that would facilitate better management of election tasks. After months of development and testing, in 2013 the Elections Office began to use a new project management application called EDATE (Election Deadline, Assignment, and Task Engine) to help manage election tasks.