As discussed yesterday in part one of this interview, there is a lot to recommend testing government agencies to glean quantifiable results or grades. Having numerical values to analyze the government’s performance allows for a better understanding of the status quo, and improved decision-making. Deloitte University Press recently authored a report entitled “Accountability Quantified: WhatRead… Read more »
There’s a lot of power in being able to say exactly and numerically just how smart and successful you are. For instance, certain job applications have minimum college GPA requirements. Alternately, who hasn’t been amongst friends when the loaded discussion of SAT scores surfaces? Contentious or not, it’s important tool for professional development (and braggingRead… Read more »
One of the most basic lessons you learn in kindergarten is the value of sharing. It makes you allies on the playground, and keeps you in your teachers’ good graces. But, it also makes the world a friendlier and more efficient place. In government as in kindergarten, sharing is caring. On January 8, 2015, theRead… Read more »
…Along with the mandate to publish open data, is the opportunity to consume open data and get it into their analytics engines, thus, supporting the agency’s mission!…
What might be the largest index of government data in the world is about to come to light. How did this radical big data reveal come about? Back in May 2013, President Obama signed the Open Data Executive Order to make government data more accessible to citizens, companies, and entrepreneurs. The order required agencies to create indexes of the datasets theyRead… Read more »
Let me make one thing clear: Utah has been in the open data game for years. But now, with their new open data catalog, they are streamlining the process and making it easier for users to find the right data sets. David Fletcher, Chief Technology Officer at the Utah Department of Technology Services, told meRead… Read more »
If you’re a government geek (like me) you love to see how federal, state, and local governments set their budget priorities. And (like me) you probably get even more excited when you can see those priorities linked to revenue and spending in an easy-to-find, read, and understand format. Below, I’ve shared some of the bestRead… Read more »
Back in elementary school you learned via School House Rock how a bill becomes a law. But in the catchy song, they don’t tell you a law could be changed – or amended. The Data Act became law back in May of 2014, but just like any new law there are still some kinks toRead… Read more »
In February, the Commence Department opened the Office of Digital Engagement. The idea was simple. Create an office where users can interact with the department on any communication channel. Twitter? Of course. Facebook? You bet. Even Instagram. “This year we put our Secretary on Instagram. She was the first cabinet member to be on Instagram,”Read… Read more »
2014 may very well go down as the year of open data. The federal government passed the Open Data Act back in May. Major cities like Los Angeles and Philadelphia hired Chief Data Officers. And many states like Maryland and New York followed suit. But the push for governments to open data sets does haveRead… Read more »