Big Data

What’s the Best Way to Transform and Modernize Cities? The Debate in The Economist

I love debates, whether it is Lincoln vs. Douglas, Biden vs. Ryan, or Harry Potter vs. Twilight*. Listening to experts challenge each other’s views teaches us about a topic and makes us rethink preconceived notions. At the end of a debate you may not have changed your mind. But a good debate, at the veryRead… Read more »

Avoiding the Legislative Roadblocks – A Year In Review

The end of the year means two things: setting unrealistic New Year’s resolutions and endless retrospectives. While we can’t force you to put down the cake and pick up a carrot, we can help you do your job better by highlighting some of the biggest and best innovations to come out of government in theRead… Read more »

Five practical applications of government big data

2013 may go down as the year of big data and data analytics. But according to a new report by IBM and the Partnership for Public Service, big data has been around since the 1970s. The report titled,From Data to Decisions III – Lessons from Early Analytics Programs, showcases five government cases studies where agenciesRead… Read more »

Do You Know What Government’s $80 Billion Problem Is?

Today, your agency is collecting more data than ever before. For many agencies, they are not only challenged by the volume, velocity and variety of data, but also extracting meaningful insights from the information. It’s fair to say that the world has become data-driven. Government agencies are well aware: data will shape the agency ofRead… Read more »

Go Further Faster – How to Leverage Your Data Across Your Agency

This post was written by Sharon McCoy, GovLoop Research Fellow, and Patrick Fiorenza, Senior Research Analyst. Today, agencies are collecting, storing and managing more data than ever before. Across all sectors, organizations are exploring how to extract knowledge and value from the data they collect. Leveraging data in the public sector presents unique challenges forRead… Read more »

Making Better Decisions: Leveraging Your Resources In Challenging Times

Often times it seems like the government’s answer to a problem is to add more regulations or requirements. To pile on the problem rather than really look for a solution. AGA and six national associations of government officials released a call-to-action guide designed to help promote trust in government by limiting government requirements to thoseRead… Read more »

Why Metrics Matter

The Administration is pushing for more performance metrics. They launched Performance.gov in June 2011. So how is it going? And why should these metrics matter? Dennis D. McDonald is an independent consultant. He has written a white paper on web-based performance metrics, “Developing Digital Strategies for Web-based Public Access.” He told Chris Dorobek on theRead… Read more »

Understanding the Potential of Big Data and GIS

In the private sector, big data has been used to improve customer engagements, gain efficiencies in processing requests, streamline internal processes and even as a means to have information tailored to suit a customer’s specific needs. Although the way we measure success is different between the private and public sector, the general theme is theRead… Read more »