About NCMS

Who made this?

I did. My name is Damien Burke. I am a software engineer and former neighborhood council board member.

I was an NC board member for seven years. I chaired the board for a while but spent most of my time as board secretary and chair of the Bylaws Committee.

Because of how difficult and time-consuming that work is, I developed software to make it faster and easier to fill out paperwork and comply with Robert’s Rules of Order, NC Bylaws, regulations from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) and the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC), the Los Angeles City Charter, the Brown Act, and the California Public Records Act (CPRA).

The result is the Neighborhood Council Management System (NCMS), which assists NC leaders in creating agendas, taking minutes, filling out Board Action Certificates (BACs), and more.

Is there documentation?

There is an extensive guide to NCMS on the website.

The NCMS guide is closely tied to and integrated with related guides on NC boards, committees, agendas, and minutes.

I also offer free training on NCMS to all users. Email me at info@ncmanager.org, to schedule a time.

And of course, I am always available by email.

I look forward to hearing about anything that is confusing, difficult, or non-obvious, as well as anything I can do to make NCMS better for you. I need to hear those things in order to make NCMS better.

How many devices can NCMS be installed on?

NCMS is web-based, so it doesn’t need to be installed on your devices. There is no limit on the number of devices you can use.

Is there an annual maintenance fee?

NCMS is offered on a subscription basis. The annual charge pays for use by the NC as well as all maintenance and updates.

How do you handle updates?

Updates to NCMS are deployed on the servers on a regular basis. They include improvements in performance, reliability, security, and improved functionality. Users get the updated software immediately, in most cases without ever noticing.

What type of devices can I use?

You can use NCMS on any device that has a web browser and Internet access.

Is the data backed up? How? Where?

All NCMS data is stored in a database with continuous protection. This takes snapshots of the database and stores them in the cloud to allow instant recovery in case of hardware failure, data corruption, or large-scale service interruption.

Also, logical backups of all NCMS data are taken daily.

How is the data secured?

All NC data coming to or from NCMS is transported over SSL using a 2,048 bit RSA key that is rotated at least every 90 days. This is the same security protocol used in online banking.

The ability to modify NCMS data is restricted to authorized and authenticated users.

Is NCMS endorsed by BONC, DONE, the City Attorney, or the City Clerk?

NCMS does not have any official endorsements from any department of the City of Los Angeles. I believe that is not something the City of LA does or can do.

However, I have shown it to multiple staff members at DONE, members of BONC, and a staff member that supports NC in the Clerk’s office. Every one was supportive and approving.