In an era where we're often asked to "do more with less," government is finding the need to do more with more when it comes to data. There is no lack of data within government systems. The challenge has always been getting the right access to it and then making it usable. Data can go a long way in helping meet key government-wide goals of better customer experience and increased equity in government service. There are a number of interesting applications of Big Data solutions across government to illustrate the power of data to make a difference.
Mapping Climate Impact
The Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation portal provides real-time information about extreme weather threats. It integrates data from across the Federal government to show viewers their current exposure to climate-related hazards such as flooding, wildfires, and extreme heat. It also shares projections for future weather threats, allowing users to zoom into specific counties, towns, or census tracts to see what hazards may impact life there in the coming years.
This information not only informs the public, but allows local governments and community organizations to plan response, mitigation, and resiliency programs. It also includes information on Federal grant funds available for financing programs so that those organizations can more efficiently begin their planning.
Keeping People Moving
Partnering with Waze, states can create a two-way data exchange that combines data from Departments of Transportation with crowdsourced data created by Waze users to help inform decisions and planning around road safety and closures. Crowdsourced data frequently comes in faster than 911 dispatch reports. Someone will indicate an accident on the app quicker than someone else can make a 911 call and have it relayed to traffic management. For Waze users, the integration with state transportation systems means they get alerts on road closures in real-time and get rerouted before they even arrive to the problem area.
Easing the Burden of Reporting Death
Nothing is certain but death and taxes? Turns out having the government declare you dead is not so certain. Officials have been trying to improve how information about deaths gets shared across government in a timely way. Doing so reduces improper payments of social security and other benefits and alleviates the stress of survivors who must sort out details with multiple agencies while grieving the loss of a loved one. Solving these issues requires better data-sharing solutions between states that report deaths to Social Security and then additional integration with other agency programs including the Treasury Department's Do Not Pay program.
As the amount of data grows, along with citizen expectations for personalized service, government must continue to learn from past successes and innovate to solve the data-sharing challenges that still exist. Luckily, GovEvents and GovWhitePapers provide a wide array of resources on big data strategies for government.
- Shifts and Transitions of AI and Data Analytics in Federal Government (November 3, 2022; virtual) - Government and industry leaders will explain the challenges they're facing integrating, updating, and training new and current employees on AI and leveraging data as a strategic asset as well as the solutions they're deploying to address them. They will detail where they see the future of AI and data analytics heading and what it means to strengthen an agency's AI and data posture.
- 10th Annual Big Data for Intelligence Symposium (November 9-10, 2022; Washington, DC) - This symposium will feature the perspectives of various senior level leaders and stakeholders who are working to enhance the processing, analyzing, management, and accessibility of large data sets in order to produce usable intelligence that will both increase the speed of mission and deliver an enhanced capability to the Warfighter.
- Data Management & Analytics Government Insights - Fall Edition (November 30, 2022; virtual) - Public sector data professionals have tremendous influence in shaping an equitable society. With a theme of "Cutting Through Complexity to Deliver Clarity for Actionable Insights," this event will discuss a range of topics surrounding data and equity including how business intelligence tools communicate important analyses in a clear and simple way; how COVID-19 data has revealed disparities in healthcare access and health outcomes across different communities; and how ethical questions regarding data management impact 21st-century government agencies.
- Accelerate your Mission with Data in Motion (white paper) - Every level of government is awash in data, and the global pandemic did little to slow its growth. Agencies are now struggling to figure out how to effectively ingest, route and analyze the data to achieve its full potential. This paper summarizes a roundtable discussion of the concept of "data-in-motion" and how to harness and deploy next-generation data platforms and other new technologies that simplify data acquisition and delivery.
- Building a Data-Driven Government with AI (white paper) - Government agencies that can efficiently and securely manage and leverage data have a distinct advantage. Learn how Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and High-Performance Computing are helping agencies make more informed decisions to improve quality of life and ensure our nation's security.
- The Data Dream Team: Enhancing Organizational Value to Achieve Mission Success (white paper) - Before organizations think of employing next-gen capabilities like Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on a scale, they must truly understand the environment and people involved to make that a reality. This paper seeks to expand the understanding of what a data team is, how to approach developing a team, and which roles are needed.
For more information on big data in government explore the resources on GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.