Tech

Before We Turn to Big Data, Have We Made the Most of Small Data?

It seems like everywhere we look, we see big data calling our name. The profession of “data scientist” has been deemed the next hot job. Big data promises to solve all kinds of problems, from business logistics to tracking and treating diseases. These promises seem to have cropped up almost overnight. Think back to fiveRead… Read more »

Cyber Breaches: Hacking into Your Company, Your Home

In 2013 alone, there were 253 cyber breaches of major organizations and over 552 million identities were exposed. 2013: it quickly became known as the year of the Mega Breach. Earlier this week, GovLoop hosted an online training with leaders in the cybertech industry to discuss today’s cyberthreat environment. Kevin Haley, director of security responseRead… Read more »

10 Steps to Create More Resilient Communities

Often when we think about government, we think of a slow, bureaucratic system that cannot adopt quickly to change. But many government organizations have fought through these stereotypes and transformed their agencies into lean and agile institutions, able to meet the complex demands of public sector service delivery. How? Transformative organizations understand that the keyRead… Read more »

Innovations that Matter: The Future of Public Sector IT Consumption [New GovLoop Guide]

It’s hard to believe that, just a few years ago, most government employees could only access email from their primary desktop computers. Even those with the ability to access their enterprise e-mail accounts from other devices could only view new messages; archives were stored locally on their desktops. Now it is possible to check emailRead… Read more »

Resilient Communities, Efficient Governments: Tools for Today and Tomorrow

Natural disasters. Budget crises. Significant technological failures. In today’s interconnected world, a single disruptive event can have negative repercussions on a community long after the initial impact. This makes the imperative for a swift recovery a priority for state and local government. The ultimate goal is to make the community resilient to such events; itRead… Read more »

Mad Men and the Fear of Trading Martinis for Spreadsheets

“Now, try not to be overwhelmed by all this technology,” Joan tells new secretary Peggy Olson, showing her to a Selectric typewriter in the series opening of Mad Men. While humorous to the viewer, actual secretaries in the 1960s had a substantial learning curve when getting a new and improved typewriter. Since then, things haveRead… Read more »

The First Cut is the Deepest – Especially When It’s From Your Boss

“The first cut is the deepest” is a lyric from a popular Sheryl Crowe song – but it could also easily be the mantra for any employee struggling with an abusive boss. Many bosses (not mine, thankfully) like to employ the fear tactic to inspire their employees to work harder and stay on task. ButRead… Read more »

Should the Government be Involved in Product Commercialization?

Some government research programs place a large emphasis on product development. At the same time, as government employees, we must be very careful not to appear to endorse any particular company or product. How can we reconcile these two concepts? One thing that probably doesn’t surprise you about being a government employee is that weRead… Read more »

3 Ways Developers Can Give Back to #LocalGov

From the very beginning our app has always been about helping local governments, residents, and organizations on a local level. Reporting graffiti in your neighborhood, fighting for clean air, sharing comments with your neighbors, or even just getting news updates from your local council member. But, more than just helping our customers, we as aRead… Read more »

10 Actions You Should Take Now to Be a Successful Leader

You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself. — Sam Levinson I’ve interviewed over 450 government and contractor managers over the last fifteen years as part of a business growth assessment process. Besides getting to know a lot of sincere dedicated individuals, I’ve beenRead… Read more »