On June 5th and 6th, I had the privilege of attending the 2019 Summit on Government Performance and Innovation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet local government employees and learn how they are leveraging data and technologies to build a more connected, innovative, and sustainable government. This two-day event was packed with sessions, ranging from demonstrations from forward-thinking cities to panel discussions with innovative government decision makers.
A theme throughout the conference was that cities are increasingly transitioning their data from legacy systems to the cloud for more efficient, connected, and secure experiences. This is a move that can save local governments hundreds of thousands of dollars. For government agencies that went through this change, the key takeaways were clear:
- Ask the question: “Are we making the right decision when it comes to how we are approaching cloud?”
- Moving to the cloud is secure, despite the assumptions of traditionalists.
- Data migration to the cloud will be less time investment and result in more cost savings over time than agencies predict.
- You can “right-size” your cloud solution and only pay for what you need now while allowing you to maximize the use of the solution as needs change.
Data was the buzzword in all sessions – with a huge focus on data-driven decision making. When a city makes a change, they must know that they are looking at the full story data tells, and not just a piece of that story. The importance of using data for decision making in local government cannot be understated. Being able to tell the data’s story and ensure you are increasing efficiencies within your systems is a vital piece of an innovative government. Whether that comes from providing an open government with an open data portal, updating government legacy data systems, or using data for key analysis and decisioning, power comes from data you can trust.
Overall, the Summit on Government Performance and Innovation was two days of nonstop networking and learning. There were ample opportunities to learn about how cities and counties nationwide are collaborating and sharing ideas to ensure they’re doing everything they can for their citizens. The takeaway is clear: governments are engaging with their data now more than before, which will improve efficiency and the lives of the citizens they serve.
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