Insights

Data & Analytics in Local Government- Canada

Local governments manage large sources of information and data and are involved in a wide variety of work, much of it underpinned by data. In fact, data often allows various local governments to collaborate and was crucial during the height of the pandemic. Jazz Pablo, the Director of Information Services at the City of Kelowna in southern British Columbia, says that in order “to solve common problems,” particularly the large ones “that we see across the country” like homelessness and other forms of inequality, “we need to come together. It’s all about relationships. COVID has taught us that.” Data is …

Rosie Fea General

9 Jun 2021

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Transforming 0s & 1s into Actionable Insight

Data is just a bunch of ones and zeros. Or at least that’d be the case without the expertise of professionals who turn information into actionable insights, and tools that make gigabytes of data digestible. Today, more and more organisations – in the private and public realms – are opening up their doors to big data and unlocking its power—increasing the value of a data science and scientists who know how to tease action from binary information. We surveyed attendees at the recent Data Science and Machine Learning Virtual Event, which was attended by almost 200 APS data professionals, to …

Paris Armstrong Data, Analytics and AI

8 Jun 2021

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Spatial Data and Analytics

Open spatial data, or geospatial data is increasingly being used in a variety of sectors to assist with planning and delivery of infrastructure, as well as predicting how things will be shaped and assessed. Martin Karm says that they mostly use Microsoft products, but also rely on hybrid digital platforms. However, to match their specific need, they have “essentially developed our own platform from scratch.” Since they deal with schools and students, though platforms are important, “it is the investment in the skills and capabilities of the team that will see us truly deliver.” Many of the team members have …

Rosie Fea General

7 Jun 2021

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Process Excellence- Canada

Lyne Lacroix, the Process Improvement Lead for Major Projects within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at Shared Services Canada, says that though COVID-19 was one of the major spurs, their “process improvement division was created in late 2020.” Putting the pandemic to one side, the division was created because some employees noticed that “there are serious problems with the process” within the organization, thus “our vision is to really enable and empower employees through the improvement of the challenging processes that stop them from doing their work.” Since they are at the start of their journey, this …

Teresa Anderson General

4 Jun 2021

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Big Data in the Public Sector: Three Ways Big Data is Reshaping Government Services

Data is the currency of the technological economy, with data science incorporated into almost every industry in 2020. The public sector, while trailing behind private enterprise, has become increasingly aware of the value that can be extracted from data sets. With advancements in technologies such as machine learning and cloud computing, coupled with global Open Government initiatives, emerging Big Data use cases in healthcare, transport, agriculture, justice and resource management are all shedding light on the opportunities of data as a critical asset. Most public sector data and information management professionals across Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) understand data for …

Milena Tsitovitch Data, Analytics and AI

4 Jun 2021

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Defence Communication Systems

In our modern, connected world, the speed and ease of communication greatly matters. Many of us rely on devices and the internet not just for work, but for our entertainment and leisure, and when there are outages or disruptions, they affect us on a visceral level. The stakes are even higher for deployed forces across the Australian army, navy and air force, where reliable and efficient communication infrastructure can have serious safety and security implications. The ASA was created in July 2018. Its purpose is to “transform and grow a globally respected Australian space industry that lifts the broader economy, …

Public Sector Network General

4 Jun 2021

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Improving CX and Engagement in Local Government- Canada

All large organizations, and public sector institutions in particular, generally have complicated, bureaucratic processes, developed over time. Some of these require a lot of repetitive employee input, whilst others were simply developed in a different age – before the digital age – and would benefit from an upgrade. These upgrades can take many forms, from Robotic Process Automation (RPA), to just a simple improvement or advancement in processes. This is a lot of new construction, and thus the City decided to conduct a “development services review,” designed to look at “how development functions interact and are coordinated, and to identify …

Teresa Anderson General

4 Jun 2021

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Improving Contract and Supplier Management- Canada

Tamara McNulty, the Director of Procurement, Contracting, and Contributions at Parks Canada, has a slightly more nuanced and possibly “old school” approach to procurement. As much as it should be a disruptor, it should also be about “adding value to services.” Procurement, especially in large and public sector organizations, is still often described “as a necessary evil; as something we go through in order to get what we need.” As much as that is true, it doesn’t make the function appealing or attractive. If however it could be seen “as a value-added service, then it would be embraced as an …

Teresa Anderson General

4 Jun 2021

Data & Analytics in Local Government- Canada