Skyline.

The majority of the CityDorms system is automated and self-serve. However, things don't always go according to plan, and Advocates stand ready to help.

Level 1 Advocates: Available within 5 minutes
Available 24/7, these Advocates staff the live chat lines and answer the phone. This job is ideal for telecommuting. Something like a cross between technical support and 911, these staff members goal is to resolve the problem quickly or refer it to the correct person. Examples:

• Door lock malfunctioning or water pressure dropping? An Advocate will dispatch a maintenance person to fix the problem. 

• Can't find what you need on the website? An Advocate will direct you to the information you need.

• Having trouble with something on the website? An Advocate will walk you through the process.

• Something not working right on the website? An Advocate can confirm that it's really broken, report the bug to the IT department, and develop a temporary work-around to solve your immediate problem.

• Going on vacation and need to pay rent three weeks in advance? An Advocate can manually override the rent collecting system and let you do that.

• Not getting any task alerts? An Advocate can figure out why and fix the problem.

• Frightened by a weird banging on your wall? An Advocate can check the security cameras and send the security team out to deal with the drunken neighbor...or reassure you that it's just a confused woodpecker. 

• Getting harassed by a neighbor? An Advocate will document your concerns and refer your case to a Level 2 Advocate.

• Have a complaint about a CityDorm resident? An Advocate will document your concerns and refer your case to a Level 2 Advocate.

• Had a bad experience at a CityTask? An Advocate will document your concerns and refer your case to a Level 2 Advocate.

Level 2 Advocates: Will respond within 24 hours
Working only during the day, Level 2 Advocates investigate more serious or complex problems that require in-person contact. They serve as allies, mediators, and educators, with the goal of resolving problems in a manner satisfactory to all. They respond to cases filed by Level 1 Advocates by directly contacting the relevant parties, ideally in person. Examples:​

• Perform a welfare check when a CityDorm resident abruptly stops paying rent with no explanation.

• Contact the medical examiner if a CityDorm resident is found deceased.

• Do a basic search (jails, hospitals, etc) for a missing CityDorm resident, and file a missing persons report if they cannot be located or contacted within a reasonable time frame.

• Connect a CityDorm resident experiencing a health crisis (mental or physical) to appropriate resources.

• If a CityDorm resident has been locked out of their unit due to failure to pay rent and does not intend to earn the necessary volunteer credits to re-establish tenancy, a Level 2 Advocate will help them retrieve their belongings.​

• Follow up on any situation in which a CityTasker was fired and received a zero.

• Provide guidance and instruction to a TaskLead whose average evaluation has dropped below a 2.

• Provide guidance and instruction to a CityTasker whose average evaluation has dropped below a 2.

• Directly investigate any situation where somebody has reported a concern or potential problem. For example, if a CityTasker's identification is being held by someone purporting to be a "helper", a Level 2 Advocate would investigate to check for domestic violence or human trafficking.

• Gently counsel unsuitable TaskLeads, CityTaskers, or tenants to consider voluntarily leaving the CityDorms system or using it differently.

• Refer serious problems to a Level 3 Advocate for enforcement.

• propose changes to training for Level 3 Advocates to consider

• Approve deleting saved security camera footage. (Deleting footage also requires permission from tenant.)

Level 3 Advocate: Response time varies
A Level 3 Advocate is the final step for trying to resolve an individual problem. They also have authority to decide that a problem can't be resolved and to take punitive action. They also hire, train, and supervise Level 1 Advocates and Level 2 Advocates. Duties of Level 3 Advocates include:

• Evict a CityDorm member who has repeatedly caused problems for neighbors and all efforts to resolve those problems have failed. They may also suspend their rights to rent a CityDorm again for up to 12 months for the first offense, up to 5 years for a second offense.

• Evict a CityDorm member who has been using the CityDorm for illegal purposes (such as storing stolen goods) and suspend their rights to rent a CityDorm again for up to 5 years, depending on the severity of the offense.

• Freeze the ability of a CityTasker to accept jobs or restrict them from certain kinds of jobs for up to 12 months for the first offense, 5 years for the second offense.

• Work with the police to press charges on a neighbor who is repeatedly harassing CityDorm residents, and all efforts to resolve those problems have failed.

• Place a Level 1 or Level 2 Advocate under probation, or fire them.

• Work closely with Program Managers to ensure the smooth running of the CityDorms System

• Order removal of a CityDorm that should not be released back into the general housing stock

• Develop and modify training, including the online training

• Work with the IT department on website design and useful features

• Work with Program Managers

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Program Manager: Only addresses systemic issues, not individual problems

​Program managers lead the implementation of the CityDorms system, monitor the overall balance of the CityDorms system, adjust the system as necessary, manage the budget, and coordinate with other departments. They don't address individual problems, but systemic problems and improvements. Their duties include:

• manage the budget

• work with other departments and private contractors.

• work with the maintenance staff, and ensure good connections between maintenance and Advocates

• work with the public relations department to promote positive attitudes towards CityDorms and CityTaskers

• select new installation sites for hookups to ensure the system can grow appropriately

• monitor the market value of the volunteer credits and adjust the system as necessary to maintain stability

• Monitor and adjust the balance of the micro-economy. The supply of CityTasks offered should always slightly exceed the number accepted. Posting a CityTask is a call for volunteers and not all calls are answered. Likewise, the number of volunteer credits earned should slightly exceed the number of volunteer credits spent, to account for people not currently renting. If the micro-economy starts to move out of balance, prompt action must be taken to nudge it back in a desirable direction.

• examine the system for unintentional bias and work towards fairness

• Hire, train, supervise, and fire the Level 2/3 Advocates. As the level 2/3 Advocate jobs separated, Level 3 Advocates would take over managing the level 2 Advocates.

• Collect information about what's working and what's not.

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