HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOR-19-028 - Digital Kitchener Public Access Technology Service StandardREPORT TO: Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: June 17, 2019
SUBMITTED BY: Dan Murray, Director Technology Innovation and Services, 519-741-
2200 x7825
PREPARED BY: Sarah-Beth Bianchi, Manager Digital Transformation and Strategy, 519-
741-2200 x7035
WARD (S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT:May 30, 2019
REPORT NO.: COR-19-028
SUBJECT: Digital KitchenerPublic Access Technology Service Standard
___________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the Public Access Technology Service Standard described in report COR-19-028
and the attached document Digital Kitchener Public Access Technology Service Standard
be adopted as the measurement framework for the City of Kitchener’s digital inclusion
programs; and further,
THAT staff be directed to define a dedicated PATS budgetfor considerationduring the
2020 budget cycle to centralizethe investmentassociated with the PATS program.
BACKGROUND:
The inability to access digital technology creates barriers to social, civic, and professional
engagement and development. As the City offers more services online, we risk worseningthis
digital divide for our residents. The City of Kitchener offers the Public Access Technology
Service (PATS) to bridge this gap and foster Digital Inclusion within our community.
Evolution of the PATS
The current public technology offering originated under the banner of UrbanCAP, an initiative
of the Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo and funded through Industry Canada's
Urban Community Access Program in the early 2000s.The initiative established a set of public
access computers and printers at Community Centres and Public Libraries throughout
Kitchener and Waterloo. The program was later rebranded ConnectKW and continued on even
though the federal funding for the program began to diminish. When that program ended in
2014, the City of Kitchener continued supportof the related hardware at our Community
Centres. In 2017, the City added free public wifi to ten additional public spaceswith funding
from the Canada 150 grants, providing connectivity for residents at 29 city-owned facilities in
total.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994for assistance.
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Purpose of the PATS Standard
The purpose of this Standard is to ensure the PATS adheres to three key principles:
Applicable – Providing relevant, accessible technology that serves key use cases for our
community
Available – Offering sufficient technology capacity at reasonable hours and locations
Reliable – Operating with effective technical support and financial sustainability
By establishing the PATS Standard, the City will have a clear framework forprioritizing Digital
Inclusion in a meaningful, practical, and measurable way. By sharing this work, we encourage
our colleagues in other municipalities and public sector organizations to join us in this mission
so that we can work together to make Digital Inclusion a basic tenet of municipal service
delivery.
REPORT:
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
Strategic Priority:Development of Public Internet Access Standard
Strategy:5.2 - Improve the design and delivery of city services so that they provide what citizens
want in the most reliable, convenient and cost-efficient way
Strategic Action:CS62 - Effectiveand Efficient CityServices
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Public Access Technology Service is currently funded through budgets maintained by the
Technology Innovation & Servicesand through the various Community Centre operating
budgets. As a result, it is difficult tounderstand the total cost of offering the service. Funding is
required to maintain the computer equipment, printers, toner and paper costs.
To sustain the Public Access Technology Service and increase transparency of the investment
in this program, staff are recommending that a PATS program budgetbe established in the next
budget cycle to align funding into a dedicated budget item.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
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CONSULT – Staffconducted interviews with the staff and patrons of the Community Centres to
understand the impact and logistics of the current ad hoc program. Staffalso met with Kitchener
Public Library who manage their public access technology program, which grew out of the same
UrbanCAP program.
Staffhave also consulted with the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committeeon issues of
accessibility of the PATSofferings. In particular, the criteria listed in the Accessibility measure
were generated using direct feedback from members of GRAAC.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Victoria Raab, General Manager, Corporate Services
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Digital Kitchener Public Access Technology Service Standard
Context
Digital technology is pervasive in public and private life. From connecting with friends and family via
social media and email, to participating in civic engagement through online forums and news platforms,
to accessing government and social services through websites and online portals, internet connected
computers are a critical gateway to contemporary Canadian society.
The inability to access digital technology creates barriers to social, civic, and professional engagement
and development. As the City offers more services online, we risk worsening this digital divide for our
residents. The City of Kitchener offers the Public Access Technology Service (PATS) to bridge this gap and
foster Digital Inclusion within our community.
Digital Inclusion is a pillar of the Digital Kitchener strategy. Action steps include:
Working with community organizations to identify public access needs and collaboratively
addressing them; and
Establishing a service level standard for public tech and internet access across the city.
o Identified as a priority under Our Brave Plan (2017)
Evolution of the PATS
The current public technology offering originated under the banner of UrbanCAP, an initiative of the
Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo and funded through Industry Canada's Urban Community
Access Program in the early 2000s. The initiative established a set of public access computers and
printers at Community Centres and Public Libraries throughout Kitchener and Waterloo. The program
was later rebranded ConnectKW and continued on even though the federal funding for the program
began to diminish. When that program ended in 2014, the City of Kitchener continued support of the
related hardware at our Community Centres. The City did not formalize the program, so it has been
operating through the best efforts of staff in the Technology, Innovation & Services (TIS) division and the
Neighbourhood Program & Services (NPS) division. TIS invests staff time and corporate technology
budget to maintain and update the computers and printers. NPS invests staff time to provide basic
support to patrons using the public access technology. The Community Centres allocate budget for
printing expenses from public access printers, and charge per page printing fees for patrons who print
more than 10 pages on a given day, which partially recovers printing expenses for the public access
printers. In 2017, the City added free public wifi to ten additional public spaces with funding from the
Canada 150 grants, providing connectivity for residents at 29 city-owned facilities in total.
Members of the Digital Transformation & Strategy (DTS) team within TIS have conducted interviews
with staff and patrons of the Community Centres and staff within TIS to understand the impact and
logistics of the current ad hoc program. The DTS team have also met with staff at Kitchener Public
Library who manage their public access technology program, which grew out of the same UrbanCAP
program and has expanded significantly.
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This Standard codifies the elements that work well within the current ad hoc program at the City, and
augments the program to close gaps in service offering and program sustainability.
Purpose of the PATS Standard
The purpose of this Standard is to ensure the PATS adheres to three key principles:
Applicable – Providing relevant, accessible technology that serves key use cases for our
community
Available – Offering sufficient technology capacity at reasonable hours and locations
Reliable – Operating with effective technical support and financial sustainability
This Standard seeks to define minimum criteria for a PATS that the City can use to measure the
effectiveness of the service. A low score on any measure can highlight an opportunity for improvement
or for investigation into the root cause of the low score. A high score on any measure can identify a
satisfactory experience for users of the PATS, or an opportunity to establish a higher target to
continuously improve the experience for PATS users. This Standard is designed to be flexible and
scalable, so that other communities can adapt it to serve their own digital inclusion needs.
By establishing the PATS Standard, the City is holding ourselves accountable for prioritizing Digital
Inclusion in a meaningful, practical, and measurable way. By sharing this work, we encourage our
colleagues in other municipalities and public sector organizations to join us in this mission so that we
can work together to make Digital Inclusion a basic tenet of municipal service delivery.
PATS Principle: Applicable
The goal of this set of measures is to verify that the program is addressing the key needs of the
community and keeping pace with the changing technology landscape. As more aspects of Canadian
society include online or technology-facilitated elements, the City can use these measures to ensure the
PATS evolves to continue meeting those needs.
Technology Offerings
PATS is designed to offer a set of technologies that are appropriate for contemporary content and use
cases. The City can use this measure to ensure the PATS offers a minimum set of technology to meet the
needs of the community.
Criteria
PATS offeringTechnologies IncludedOperational Details
Public Wifi A publicly accessible wireless network Network identified as
connection Kitchener Public Wifi
Wifi signal is sufficient to
maintain a connection in
publicly accessible areas
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Public Access computers Computer is clearly labelled as a Public To facilitate clear
Access Computer and each computer identification of computers,
is labelled with a unique name staff will implement a
standard naming scheme in
the format <Community
Centre Name> – PAC #.
Example: Stanley Park
Community Centre – PAC 1
and Stanley Park Community
Centre –PAC 2.
CPU (i.e. desktop or laptop computer,
virtualized computer)
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse or similar pointing device
Headphone jack accessible to
computer user
USB jack accessible to computer user
Headset with microphone Supply of sanitary headphone
covers or sanitizing wipes to
ensure the hygiene of the
headphones
Internet connectivity
Office suite software
Microsoft Office
Google Drive
Browsers
Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome
Printer As a disincentive to wasteful
printing practices, a
Black & White printing
reasonable limit will be set on
Color printing
free printing with cost
Photocopier
recovery on pages printed
Scanner
beyond that limit.
City staff post Public Access
Printer Guidelines near public
access printers to notify
patrons of these printing
limits.
Session Management Mechanism Current state: Session
management controlled
Pre-reservation to create a
manually by signing up for
predictable period of access to
time with Community Centre
the computer
Staff. Staff also manage
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session length by notifying
Session length control to
patrons when they have
ensure reservation and
reached their session time
demand is served fairly
limit.
Future state: Investigation is
underway to select software
to control session reservation
and session length, to reduce
the onus on staff to intervene
in session management.
Measurement
For each element identified, score as follows:
Three points if the element is fully present
Two points if the element is substantially present
One point if the element is partially present
Zero points if the element is missing
Interpretation
High scores suggest that the technology offerings are high quality and serve modern technology needs.
Low scores suggest that gaps in the technology offerings that provide barriers to engage fully with
modern content or platforms.
Staff will leverage this data when evaluating whether to add or remove technology elements from a
PATS offering. Removing access to a headset jack could prevent access to music or voice-over-IP
communications. Upgrading to a multi-function printer could make it possible for users to print directly
from a USB stick without needing to access a public access computer. Evaluating the impact to this score
can also guard against eroding the value of the PATS offerings through the cumulative impact of small,
isolated decisions.
Accessibility
PATS is designed to meet the needs of all users – including those who require accessibility support. The
City can use this measure to ensure a minimum level of accessibility of the physical space, software and
hardware used within the PATS. These baselines do not supersede the need to adhere to legislative
requirements to address the accessibility needs of staff and the public. These criteria were developed in
consultation with Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee and will continue to be revised in
consultation with GRAAC in the future.
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Criteria
Accessibility offering Mechanism Operational Details
Public Wifi Login screen is WCAG compliant
Public Access computers Minimum screen size of 17”
User can adjust system text size Future state: Investigation is
settings - for example, to increase text underway to allow easier
size for users low vision adjustment of these settings
and automation where
User can adjust contrast settings - for
possible.
example to activate high contrast
mode for users with low vision
User can adjust keyboard settings - for
example to activate sticky keys or
reduce key responsiveness for users
with low dexterity
User can adjust system mouse settings
-for example to enable extra large
pointer for users with low vision or
reduce mouse responsiveness for
users with low dexterity
User can activate screen reader Note: Screen reader software
software installed on the computer is not available on City of
Kitchener computers. This
criteria is included to highlight
this gap in accessibility
offerings.
User can utilize their own adaptive Staff should enable users to
devices when using the computer, connect devices as-requested
including devices connected through a
user-accessible USB jack
Adjustable keyboard tray
Furniture complies with AODA See Appendix – Accessible
Guidelines Space Design Checklist
Area hosting public access computers See Appendix – Accessible
complies with Ontario Building Code Space Design Checklist
standards
Measurement
For each element identified, score as follows:
Three points if the element is fully present
Two points if the element is substantially present
One point if the element is partially present
Zero points if the element is missing
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Interpretation
High scores suggest that PATS offerings provide necessary supports to address a variety of accessibility
needs. Low scores suggest that the PATS offerings present barriers that exclude some users from being
able to physically access the offerings or interact with the technologies.
Staff will leverage this data when making decisions about the location or furniture used to host the
public access computers, and the software offered on the public access computers. Changing the
location or updating the furniture could make it impossible for some users to access the service, or
could open up the service to people who were previously unable to take advantage of the PATS
offerings. Similarly, software design and choice of software programs can have a positive or negative
impact on the people using this service.
Use cases
PATS is designed to enable users to fulfill the use cases that are appropriate to the demands of
contemporary Canadian society. The use cases outlined here serve as a baseline of relevant uses for
public access technology with specific examples within the City of Kitchener outlined for context. The
City can use this measure to confirm whether users perceive that the PATS allows them to fulfill these
use cases.
Criteria
Use Cases Examples City of Kitchener Examples
Cultural engagement
Participating in art, music, video, Active Kitchener and ActiveNet
and game platforms registration for cultural and sport
programming
Accessing artistic, cultural,
religious and special interest Kitchener Events calendar
forums and resources
Kitchener Golf online tee time
Accessing sports and recreation booking
organizations
Communication and
Accessing news mediaEmail newsletters - Downtown
social engagement
Kitchener, AUD Club
Participating in social media,
social networking and dating City of Kitchener website and
platforms microsites like LoveMyHood,
Make It Kitchener, Digital
Synchronous communication
Kitchener
like video and text chat
City of Kitchener social media –
Asynchronous communication
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
like email and forums
Education and
Accessing online learning Open Data Portal
research
platforms and resources
Maps
Accessing language learning
Booking class and group tours
resources and practicing
language acquisition
Research and homework
completion
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Career development
Accessing job search platforms, City of Kitchener career
resume building tools and opportunities
resources
City of Kitchener Volunteer
Professional networking database
Engaging with volunteer City of Kitchener citizen
organizations committees and boards
Our Training Room for qualifying
and onboarding employees
Election worker recruitment and
training platform
Government and
Online application and data Engage Waterloo Region
social service access
submission
Corporate Contact Centre online
Accessing government and social forms and Close the Loop emails
service accounts
Love My Hood grant applications
Communicating with service
Voting information and election
providers
results
Participating in online public
engagement
Financial service
Online banking and bill paymentKitchener Utilities eBilling
access
Accessing budgeting tools & Bylaw online ticket payment
resources, and financial planning
Property Tax Calculator
services
Measurement
Elements are measured through ongoing user surveys delivered through Engage Kitchener and
interviews with patrons and staff.
For each element identified, score as follows:
Three points if the element is fully present
Two points if the element is substantially present
One point if the element is partially present
Zero points if the element is missing
Interpretation
High scores indicate that a variety of use cases are being fully met by the PATS offerings. Low scores
suggest that barriers exist that prevent users to fully participating in the use cases identified. Leverage
this data when evaluating decisions to adjust restrictions to the type of content that PATS users can
access, such as blocking sites with firewall restrictions, as increased restrictions may lead to reduced
capacity to fulfill some use cases. Use this data to identify potential digital literacy or technology training
programs that can enable users to take full advantage of the PATS offerings.
PATS Principle: Available
The goal of this set of measures is to verify that the PATS is offered at times and locations that are
appropriate to the community being served by the program, and that the capacity is keeping pace with
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demand. As our City expands physically and the population increases, and as neighbourhood density
patterns change, the City can use these measures to ensure the PATS evolves to continue meeting those
needs.
Hoursof Access
The City can use this measure to ensure the hours of access is meeting the needs of the community –
including the hours of availability, the time of day, the time of week, and the period of continuous
access to the technology. This measure can help evaluate demand for the PATS and prompt adjustments
to meet that changing demand.
Criteria
PATS offeringPeriod of AccessOperational Details
Public Wifi Available during standard operating Public notice of disruption to
hours of the facility hosting the wifi these hours of access due to
access points. holidays, planned or unplanned
facility closures, planned or
Public Access computers Available during standard operating
unplanned technology outages.
hours of the facility hosting the public
access computers
Weekdays: Early Morning (6am to
9am)
Weekdays: Core Hours (9am to 5pm)
Weekdays: After School (3pm to 6pm)
Weekdays: Evening (5pm to 9pm -
Includes Fridays)
Weekdays: Evening (5pm to 9pm -
Excludes Fridays)
Weekdays: Late Night (9pm to 11pm)
Weekends: Morning (9am to 12pm)
Weekends: Afternoon (12pm to 5pm)
Weekends: Evening (5pm to 11pm)
Computer reservation: Capacity to Public notice of disruption to
offer computer reservation requests previously booked reservations
for a period of access not less than 30 due to planned or unplanned
minutes facility closures, planned or
unplanned technology outages.
Computer reservation: Capacity to
offer reservation requests for a
period of access greater than 60
minutes
Measurement
For each element identified, score as follows:
Three points if the element is fully met
Two points if the element is substantially met
One point if the element is partially met
Zero points if the element is not met
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Interpretation
High scores suggest that each PATS offering has a wide window of availability to serve people with
varying lifestyles. Low scores suggest that period of access may create barriers for people who cannot
take advantage of this service during typical operating hours.
Staff will leverage this data when making decisions about operating hours of a facility hosting a PATS
offering. Increasing operating hours could lead to additional capacity to offer longer reservation
windows for the public access computers. Decreasing operating hours or reducing weekend hours could
eliminate the opportunity for some people to access the PATS offerings.
Proximity
The City can use this measure to ensure the physical reach of the program is keeping pace as density and
size of our city changes. The City can also use this measure to inform demand for a facility to serve a
neighbourhood that does not yet host PATS offerings.
Criteria
Mode of transportation Description Range
Walking Includes walking 10 minutes, which assumes a
independently or with a rate of speed of 75 meters per
mobility device like a walker minute
or wheelchair, and similar
human powered mobility
Active Transit Includes bicycle, scooter, 10 minutes, which assumes a
skateboard, powered rate of speed of 12km per hour
wheelchair and similar
human powered devices,
including e-assisted devices
Public transit Includes all public transit 15 minutes, which accounts for
operated within the City of travel time once on transit
Kitchener vehicle and includes transfers
thereafter
Driving Includes private vehicle, taxi, 15 minutes, which assumes
or similar private transit adherence to all relevant speed
limits
Measurement
For each element identified, score as follows:
Capture the percentage of the population of the Ward who can access available services using
each transportation option, rounded to the nearest 5%
Interpretation
High scores suggest that each Ward has several transit options to reach PATS offerings. Low scores
suggest that transportation may create a barrier to access of the PATS for people living in these wards.
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Staff will leverage this data when making decisions about adding or removing PATS technologies from a
given location. Removing technology in an area that already has a high density of PATS offerings may not
affect the proximity scores, but adding technology to an under-served area could significantly increase
the proximity scores and the population served by the PATS program. Decisions to improve trails or
public transit in a Ward could improve proximity scores by increasing the variety of transit options
available to reach a PATS offering.
PATS Principle: Reliable
The goal of this set of measures is to verify that the PATS can be sustained with appropriate operational
supports and a sustainable funding model. As the measures outlined in this Standard identify
opportunities for improvement or expansion, the City of Kitchener must have appropriate mechanisms
in place to continue to offer reliable, accessible and applicable PATS.
Technical Support
The City can use this measure to ensure the technical support is meeting the needs of the community –
including technology uptime, responsiveness to support incidents, and service disruption caused by
maintenance activities.
Criteria
PATS offeringService Disruption Operational Details
Public Wifi Percentage of wifi operational hoursfree Downtime is recorded when the
from downtime service is unavailable or
degraded to the point of being
unusable. This service disruption
may be due to unexpected
outages or scheduled
maintenance downtime during
operational hours.
For example, users are unable to
connect to the network or
network performance is too
slow to allow websites to load.
Percentage of wifi operational hours free Degradation is recorded when
from service degradation the wifi service is degraded but
still usable. This service
disruption may be due to
unexpected outages or
scheduled maintenance
downtime during operational
hours.
For example, users can load text
on websites but cannot stream
video or load large images.
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Public Access Percentage of PAC operational hours free Downtime is recorded when the
computers from downtime PAC is unavailable or degraded
to the point of being unusable.
This service disruption may be
due to unexpected outages or
scheduled maintenance
downtime during operational
hours.
For example, PAC will not turn
on or network performance is
too slow to allow websites to
load in the computer’s browser.
Percentage of PAC operational hours free Degradation is recorded when
from service degradation the PAC service is degraded by
still usable. This service
disruption may be due to
unexpected outages or
scheduled maintenance
downtime during operational
hours.
For example, users can access
the PAC but software is slow to
respond or internet connection
is slow.
Measurement
For each element identified, score as follows:
(Hours of Scheduled Operational Time - Hours of Service Disruption) / Hours of Scheduled
Operational Time = Percentage Uptime
Interpretation
High scores suggest that the PATS offerings have a high level of availability and that maintenance is
minimally disruptive. Low scores suggest that maintenance is not keeping pace with the demands of the
program, leading to downtime and reduced availability of this service. This downtime could reduce the
reliability of this service.
Staff will leverage this data when evaluating the support and maintenance implications of a technology
offering. If a proposed technology does not have an option for remote support or requires frequent
downtime to perform necessary maintenance, it may not be the right fit for this PATS program. If a
technology reduces maintenance and support overhead, it could have a net positive impact on these
scores and overall satisfaction with the service.
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Budget
The City can use this measure to ensure the PATS program has the appropriate funding and staffing to
sustain the program.
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Criteria
PATS offeringDescription
Wifi Budget is sufficient to meet technology
lifecycle costs for the current year
Budget is sufficient to meet wifi operating
costs for the current year
Actual costs from the previous year are in
line with the amount budgeted for that year
Public Access computers Budget is sufficient to meet technology
lifecycle costs for the current year
Budget is sufficient to meet PAC operating
costs for the current year
Actual costs from the previous year are in
line with the amount budgeted for that year
Measurement
For the elements identified, score as follows:
Three points if fully met
Two points if substantially met
One point if the element is partially met
Zero points if the element is not met
Interpretation
High scores indicate that there is sufficient budget to sustain the PATS program or to expand the
program to meeting evolving needs, and that actual costs are in line with budget. Low scores suggest
that budget is not keeping pace with the demands of this program, and that the service could be
eroded. Evidence of that erosion may result in lower scores for other program measures identified in
this standard.
Staff will leverage this data when making budget decisions. Adding funding that does not correlate with
a positive impact on existing measures may suggest that the city needs to develop new measures to
quantify that impact. For example, if the budget allows the introduction of tablets or small form-factor
devices, the city should update the Technology Offerings measure to reflect that new service capacity
and quantify its ongoing performance, and the Availability measure to reflect additional technology
reservation capacity. Similarly, if budget scores are decreasing, this should be a signal to evaluate the
impact on other measures to confirm if service levels are decreasing as a result.
Measurement and Review Periods
Regular measurement and review of the elements of this Standard will ensure that it continues to be an
effective tool to evaluate the performance of the PATS. The identified Review Period reflects the
anticipated rate of change of the program elements reflected by a given PATS Principle and the need to
reevaluate the way we are measuring it within this Standard. The outcomes of a given review will be
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described to ensure the rationale for maintaining or changing a given measurement mechanism are
captured and shared transparently.
These individual Review Periods do not preclude the need to review impacts of significant changes to
the PATS and identify new measures to reflect the changes to the service delivered. For example,
significant changes to how funding is allocated to this program may prompt a review of the Budget
measure to ensure the impact is accurately captured and reflected going forward.
PATS Principle Metric Measurement Period Review Period
Applicable Technology Offerings AnnualEvery 2years
The owner of the PATS
Standard should
evaluate the
technology baselines to
confirm that they
continue to provide an
appropriate minimum
standard technology
offering.
Accessibility Annual Every 2 years
The owner of the PATS
Standard should
evaluate the criteria
and targets to ensure
they provide a
responsible level of
accessibility for PATS
users. Collaborate with
the Grand River
Accessibility Advisory
Committee (GRAAC) to
perform this review.
Use Cases Annual Every 4 years
The owner of the PATS
Standard should review
this list to identify how
use cases have
evolved, especially
within the context of
services and programs
offered by the City of
Kitchener, and adjust
or expand this list
accordingly.
Available Period of Access Annual Every 2 years
The owner of the PATS
Standard should
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evaluate periods of
access and volume of
reservation requests
served for PATS
offerings to confirm
they continue to meet
demand.
Proximity AnnualEvery 4 years
The owner of the PATS
Standard should
confirm that target
proximity to PATS
offerings continue to
meet the needs of the
community and are in
line with the City’s
goals related to
neighbourhood and
transportation.
Reliable Technical Support AnnualEvery 2 years
The owner of the PATS
Standard should review
these measures to
identify opportunities
to align technical
support expectations
and delivery.
Budget AnnualEvery 2 years
The owner of the PATS
Standard should review
these measures to
ensure budget planning
is providing support for
the financial
sustainability of the
service.
Roles & Responsibilities
Role Responsibility Tasks
Director – Technology, Owner of the Public Access
Defines the Public Access
Innovation & Services Technology Service
Technology Service and
identifies technology and
operational framework
Secures staffing and
expertise to deliver the
program, including
partnering with other
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Divisions, Departments, and
Organizations as required
Owner of the PATS Budget
Defines the budget
Secures funding from
approved sources
Reports on budget
expenditures
Owner of PATS Policies – i.e.
Reviews policies to remain
computer, Printer, Wifi, and
current with related City
Acceptable Use
policies, applicable laws, and
technology landscape
Manager –Digital Owner of the PATS Standard
Defines the Public Access
Transformation & Strategy
Technology Service Standard
in consultation with key
stakeholders and subject-
matter experts
Ensures measurement &
reporting are completed
accurately and on time as
outlined in the Standard
Revises measures on a
regular basis as outlined in
the Standard
Supervisors at facilities hosting Responsible for delivering the
Support staff to facilitate
PATS PATS program within the host
access to the PATS
facilities
Ensure published policies
are posted and enforced
within the host facility –
Wifi Terms of Use, Public
Access computer
Guidelines, and Public
Access Printing and
Photocopying Guidelines
Technical Support Service Responsible for delivering
Maintain technology
Provider technical support
support and uptime
consistent with Service
Level Agreement outlined in
this Standard
Users Responsible for adhering to
Adhere to published policies
PATS policies
– Wifi Terms of Use, Public
Access computer
Guidelines, and Public
Access Printing and
Photocopying Guidelines –
when accessing the PATS
Honor Public Access
computerbookings or
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release the booking when it
can’t be honored
Honor time limits for Public
Access computer sessions
Provide feedback to
continuously improve the
program
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Appendix – Accessible Space Design Checklist
When designing or renovating spaces to host elements of the Public Access Technology Service, two
regulations exist to ensure the space is accessible: the Ontario Building Code and the Accessibility for
Ontarians with Disabilities Act. This checklist sources the key sections of each regulation that are
relevant to creating accessible spaces for delivering the Public Access Technology Service.
Staff can use this checklist as a quick reference when considering a change to a space hosting PATS
offerings, whether it be adding or moving furniture within a space or early consideration of a larger
renovation project. This checklist does not take the place of appropriate design and planning activities,
or permits, inspections and other compliance activities related to building or renovating a space.
FeatureMeasurement Source Reference Application
Barrier-free path Minimum width Ontario Building 3.8.1.3Is there at least this
of travel of 1100mm Code amount of
unobstructed floor
space around furniture,
equipment, and doors?
If not, people using
wheelchairs, walkers,
or strollers may not be
able to move safely in
this area or may be
blocked.
Clear width of Minimum width Ontario Building 3.8.3.3 Is the doorway at least
doors or openings of 860mm Code this wide? If not,
people using
wheelchairs, walkers,
or strollers may not be
able to move safely in
this area or may be
blocked.
Latch side Minimum width Ontario Building 3.8.3.3.(10) Is this amount of
clearances for of 600mmCode unobstructed space
doors opening available on the latch
towards user side of the doorway? If
not, people using
mobility devices may
not be able to reach
the handle to pull the
door open safely.
Latch side Minimum width Ontario Building 3.8.3.3.(10) Is this amount of
clearances for of 300mm Code unobstructed space
doors opening available on the latch
away from user side of the doorway? If
not, people using
mobility devices may
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not be able to reach
the handle to push the
door open safely.
Reduced Height of Ontario Building 3.8.1.3.(5) and Is there a low ceiling
headroom that 1980mm or lessCode (6)(b)due to a knee wall,
requires a cane-stairway, or similar
detectable barrier design feature in this
area? If so, there must
be a cane-detectable
barrier to prevent
someone from hitting
their head.
Tables and desks Maximum height Accessibility for 3.9.3 Are the dimensions of
of 860mm Ontarians with the tables or desks in
Disabilities Act – line with these
Clear knee space Guidelines for guidelines? If not,
of at least 750mm Barrier-free people using mobility
wide, 480mm Design of Ontario devices may not be
deep and 680mm Government able to sit at the table
high Facilities or desk comfortably or
safely.
Note: While
municipalities are not
compelled to comply
with the Guidelines for
Barrier-free Design of
Ontario Government
Facilities, the
recommended
dimensions are used to
guide accessible
furniture design in
absence of specific
guidance from other
sources
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Appendix – Wifi Terms of Use
Source: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/city-services/wi-fi-internet-access.aspx#TermsOfUse
Key details of our Acceptable Use Policy:
By connecting to the Internet through our Wi-Fi service, you agree to be bound by all aspects of our
Acceptable Use Policy. The Acceptable Use Policy may be updated or modified at any time and it is
your responsibility to review the policy before using our service.
The policy provides specific terms and conditions that relate to use of our Wi-Fi service with which
all users must comply.
The service is provided for personal, incidental use. Our Wi-Fi access is not to be used for any
commercial or business purposes.
We are under no obligation to help you access or use our Wi-Fi service, and we cannot guarantee
service will be made available to you.
You acknowledge and accept that some content, products and services available with or through our
Wi-Fi service may be offensive or may not comply with applicable laws. We have implemented web-
content filtering to restrict access to certain categories of content, which could be considered
offensive. You accept and acknowledge that while we have implemented web-content filtering,
offensive and illegal content may still be available through the service. You agree and acknowledge
we have no obligation to monitor your use of the service, and we have no control over such use. You
assume total responsibility and risk for access to and use of online content and for use of the
service. We assume no liability for claims of losses arising out of or otherwise relating to access to or
use of the service.
You cannot use our Wi-Fi service, or allow anyone to use the service on your mobile device, for any
unacceptable use, such as:
o invading another person's privacy; misrepresenting yourself by posing as someone else;
unlawfully promoting or inciting hatred; unlawfully using, possessing, posting, transmitting
or disseminating obscene, profane, hate, terrorist or child pornographic material;
o posting, transmitting, distributing, disseminating, uploading or downloading content that is
unlawful, threatening, harassing, abusive, libelous, slanderous, defamatory or otherwise
offensive or objectionable; or encouraging conduct that would constitute a criminal offence,
give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any municipal, provincial, federal or
international law, order, rule or regulation;
o accessing any computer systems, software, data, or confidential, copyright-protected,
patent-protected material or personal information of any other person without the person's
knowledge and consent; making unauthorized attempts to gain access to any account or
computer resource not belonging you, or otherwise gain unauthorized access to, alter or
destroy information of another person by any means or device;
o uploading, posting, publishing, defacing, modifying, transmitting, reproducing or distributing
information, software or other material that is confidential, protected by copyright or other
intellectual, property or proprietary right, or related derivative works, without obtaining
permission of the copyright owner or right holder;
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o disrupting our network, directly or indirectly; use the service to restrict, inhibit or interfere
with the ability of any other person to use or enjoy use of our products or services or the
Internet, including, without limitation, knowingly posting or transmitting information or
software that contains a virus, lock, key, bomb, worm, Trojan horse or other harmful,
debilitating or disruptive feature;
o sending unsolicited email ("spamming"), large quantities of unwanted or unsolicited email
messages ("mail bombing") or VoIP messages ("voice casting"); attempting to overload a
system ("flooding"); participating in broadcast attacks; interfering with service to or by any
user host or network; engaging in counterfeit, subterfuge or malicious activities; making
inappropriate postings to news groups; sending false commercial messages; or engaging in
any other abuse of email or news group servers;
o violating any system or network security measures, including engaging in unauthorized
access or use of our network, data or information;
o using, intending or attempting to use, or allowing the use of our service in a way that
violates any municipal, provincial, federal or international law, order, rule or regulation;
o using the service in a way that violates the decisions, orders, policies or other requirements
of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission or any other
regulatory body with jurisdiction over the service or the city;
o engaging in any activity which we advise you, in our sole and unfettered discretion, is an
unacceptable use of telecommunications services, or is otherwise deemed an unacceptable
use of our service.
If you breach the requirements of our Acceptable Use Policy, you agree that we may immediately
and without notice, and in addition to all other rights and remedies at law and in equity, suspend
the supply of any or all of our Wi-Fi service to you. Suspended service may be resumed at our sole
and absolute discretion, once we determine you are no longer breaching any of the requirements of
our policy. If you continue to breach any requirements of our policy, we have sole discretion to
permanently terminate your access to our Wi-Fi service.
By choosing "I AGREE," or by using our Wi-Fi service, you acknowledge that you have read and
understand our Acceptable Use Policy, and agree to be bound by its terms and conditions. You also
agree that the policy constitutes the complete and exclusive agreement between you and the city,
and this agreement supersedes any proposal or prior agreement, oral or written, and any other
related communications.
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Appendix – Public Access computer Guidelines
The following guidelines apply to all Public Access computer users.
The Public Access computers are provided as a service by the City of Kitchener to enable access to digital
resources like email, social media, websites, and online services. They are not intended for commercial
use.
Using the computers
computers are available by signing up at the Community Centre Front Desk.
You are welcome to use the computer for <insert time limit (minimum 30 minutes) identified by
Community Centre Supervisor>.
Please be kind to your fellow patrons and Community Centre staff, and use the computers fairly.
Acceptable Use
The City of Kitchener has identified guidelines for how public access computers may be used. You may
be denied access to public computers should you violate guidelines for proper usage as outlined by the
city. Using the computers for illegal purposes may result in prosecution.
The following activities are considered violations of these guidelines:
1.Use of the workstations for illegal or criminal purposes.
2.Posting or sending any unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene,
pornographic or similarly inappropriate material. This includes intentionally exposing other
users to such material.
3.Infringement of copyright and other intellectual property rights.
4.Sending unsolicited commercial material or spam.
5.Deactivating or attempting to deactivate, security devices in either software or hardware
format.
6.Attempting to install viruses or other programs designed to damage, alter, monitor, or control
the workstations.
7.Misrepresenting yourself by posing as another person.
8.Attempting to modify or gain access to files, passwords or data belonging to others, or
otherwise violating the privacy of another person.
9.Vandalism or theft of the Public Access computers, related devices, or the facility where they are
hosted.
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Appendix – Public Access Printing and Photocopying Guidelines
The following guidelines apply to all photocopier and printer users.
We have introduced a new multi-function printer at this Community Centre. This printer is provided as a
service by the City of Kitchener to enable access to digital resources like email, social media, websites,
and online services. It is not intended for commercial use.
Note: Community Centre Staff will review this policy in 2019, to allow for feedback regarding the
introduction of the new printer. Please provide any feedback on the new multi-function printer and
these guidelines to Community Centre Staff.
Using the Printer
Scan-to-email function is available on an unlimited basis. Where possible, patrons should use
the scan-to-email function to limit paper usage.
Printing and photocopying are free, to a combined limit of 10 pages per patron, per day.
Additional printing or photocopying is available for 10 cents per page, payable in cash to the
Community Centre Front Desk staff.
Where possible, patrons should print or photocopy in black & white to limit color toner usage.
Please be kind to your fellow patrons Community Centre staff, and use this printer fairly.
Acceptable Use
You may be denied access to use the printer should you violate guidelines for proper usage as outlined
by the city. Using the printer for illegal purposes may result in prosecution.
The following activities are considered violations of these guidelines:
1.Use of the printer for illegal or criminal purposes, or for access to unauthorized areas.
2.Printing, scanning, photocopying, or transmitting any unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous,
defamatory, obscene, pornographic or similarly inappropriate material. This includes
intentionally exposing other users to such material.
3.Infringement of copyright and other intellectual property rights.
4.Sending unsolicited commercial material or spam.
5.Deactivating or attempting to deactivate security devices in either software or hardware format.
6.Attempting to install viruses or other programs designed to damage, alter, monitor, or control
the printer.
7.Misrepresenting oneself by posing as another person.
8.Attempting to modify or gain access to files, passwords or data belonging to others, or
otherwise violating the privacy of another person.
9.Vandalism or theft of the printer, related devices, or the facility where they are hosted.
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