How You Can Effectively Use Data Analytics

So much data, so little time. We can all relate to the feeling of information overload, with data coming at us from all directions but not having the time, resources or know-how to make the most of it all. That’s why data analytics is crucial for day-to-day operations and intelligent decision-making for a growing number of government agencies. Using analytics, organizations can understand all the information out there in context.

Data analytics allows agencies to glean important insights from massive amounts of data in real time and apply them to detecting fraud, responding to cyberthreats or designing better services and products for a particular audience. Additionally, policymakers are increasingly using analytics for evidence-based policymaking, which lets them better determine the most cost-effective programs to achieve desired outcomes.

For newcomers, however, actually implementing data analytics can be arduous and time-consuming. According to a recent poll of the GovLoop community, the top challenges are getting started on an analytics project (28 percent) and understanding the data (20 percent).

To help, this GovLoop playbook breaks down the process of introducing data analytics to your organization. The guide focuses on five plays with step-by-step suggestions to make the most of your agency’s data. Plus, you’ll get firsthand insights and tips from data scientists in and around government, in addition to cheat sheets to help you implement these plays at your organization.