Today, 54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. But what about the other 46 percent? Take Carson Valley, Nevada. Population 40,000. In comparison, Nevada’s two largest counties, Clark County (Las Vegas) and Washoe County (Reno) have populations of 1.9 million and 650,000 residents respectively. In a state of three million people, moreRead… Read more »
“Follow the money,” the now iconic line from the Watergate scandal, urged reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward to follow the money trail to root out government corruption. But, just as Bernstein and Woodward discovered, following the government money trail can be incredibly difficult. The reason? Funds from different programs often overlap or are reportedRead… Read more »
Oftentimes customer service is an afterthought for overworked, under-budgeted and underappreciated states. And citizens are obligated to use government services, so why does the experience matter? Why waste the money? It matters, says Illinois Chief Information Officer Hardik Bhatt because, “governments don’t go out of business, but businesses go out of government.” In 2013, IllinoisRead… Read more »
In the wake of countless breaches, state chief information officers (CIOs) are attempting to hire a more robust cybersecurity staff. But it’s not easy. One of the major stumbling blocks is the lack of talented cyber professionals-this is especially true at the state and local level. Historically, CIOs have typically been viewed as the managersRead… Read more »
Whoever said size doesn’t matter may have been onto something. States with a larger population size do not necessarily have all the success stories. At times, smaller states have a greater advantage. A smaller workforce can lead to less red tape and easier modes of communication. One of the state leaders in information technology (IT) innovation is WyomingRead… Read more »
Do you ever wonder where our taxpayer dollars are going? Sometimes, it seems like our money is being invested in the newest trends of government instead of addressing reoccurring issues, such as fixing those bumpy highways we all know. It is hard to manage citizens’ wants and desires while maintaining a positive cost benefit environmentRead… Read more »
Government Chief Information Officers (CIOs) have a lot on their plate. They are not just the head of their state’s IT department, but they are also charged with setting the state’s overall IT strategy. In order to help improve efficiency and stay up to date, CIOs are now focusing on agile project management. Agile projectRead… Read more »
Storytelling predates the written word. Storytelling predates hieroglyphics and it even predates Twitter – seriously. The first orators used storytelling to inform, engage and entertain. But even with all that history, effective storytelling remains elusive for many. One of the reasons the art of storytelling has fallen to the wayside is the emergence of technology.Read… Read more »
Often called the Oscars for government employees, the Sammies represent the best and brightest government employees. And man, do they deserve some recognition. The Sammies honorees break down barriers, overcome huge challenges and get results. Whether they’re defending the homeland, protecting the environment, ensuring public safety, making scientific and medical discoveries, or responding to natural… Read more »
In the children’s movie, Robots, Rodney Copperbottom grows up hearing his role model, Mr. Bigweld, teach the world, “see a need, fill a need.” I won’t ruin the movie for you, but let’s just say that he ends up living this mantra out to its fullest. What I love about the movie (aside from itsRead… Read more »