Big data. Citizen data. Open data. Data for good. No matter what you call it, if your government organization is collecting data of any kind, you are in a position to make use of that data to improve the lives of your citizens.
You may wonder where to start in using analytics to improve operations and enrich the lives of citizens. Quite simply, analysis begins with a problem. What issue do you want to solve? What task needs to be simplified? Start by solving that one problem. Then, after gleaning value from that first solution, use analytics to solve other problems throughout the organization.
The end result? Better policy making occurs, more effective legislation is enacted, targeted programs and services are appropriately directed to those who most need the assistance, and we can sleep well knowing our taxpayer dollars are being used to their fullest potential.