Tag Archives: High performance computing

Big Data in Government: Doing More With More

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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. Continue reading →

Coordination is Key to CDO Success

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Chief Data Officers (CDOs) are one of the newer positions in government, but their role is quickly becoming one of the most critical. A CDO is charged with overseeing data-related functions, including data management, ensuring data quality, and creating data strategy. For government agencies, this requires close coordination with the Federal Data Strategy and the DoD Data Strategy.

Both of these documents define the specific roles and responsibilities of data officers and provide a framework for working with and securing data. Of course, each agency has unique requirements and missions, leaving the CDO to work out how to apply this guidance and standards to their organization.

Agencies are meeting these guidelines and integrating CDOs in different ways. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced a department-level CDO office to better integrate data into its operations and those of other agencies. The need for this level of coordination was underscored as DHS launched a department-wide COVID-19 vaccination campaign in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs health centers. DHS needed to identify, contact and manage responses from workers, which meant collecting and reconciling many different datasets from across the department.

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