The San Francisco Ethics Commission was established to provide education and enforcement of ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying laws. FUSE Fellow Gayathri Thaikkendiyil was tasked with developing a plan to redesign and modernize the commission’s website and e-filing project, with the ultimate goal of increasing public engagement and government accountability.

She brought together key stakeholders such as staff, city employees, and the general public to capture user feedback on the content and design for the website. She also led a process to create online tools, guidance materials, and training content to support compliance among city officials and employees for filing financial disclosures. And she helped develop new systems that enhanced the commission’s online data disclosure capabilities by automating, redesigning, and streamlining data content on the city’s open data portal. Gayathri’s work helped the agency focus on broader organizational goals and priorities with an emphasis on improving user engagement, user experience, and operational efficiencies.