With today’s mass amounts of data collected at unprecedented rates across all levels of the government, data collaboration is critical. Having the element of collaboration woven into each agency’s individual strategy ensures that data is properly and appropriately used to benefit the public. Yet, despite its importance, collaboration has not been one of the government’s strengths.
A report by the Partnership for Public Service and EY states that, given the ongoing digital transformation, today’s data workload size pales in comparison to what’s to come. The report also – and most importantly – describes a stronger, more productive government that can come as a result of collaboration, specifically as it pertains to sharing data.
According to the report, “In the area of data, workshop and interview participants envisioned a future government that has an abundance of data scientists, a data-literate workforce, and leaders who understand the value of data and use it to inform their decisions. They described a government that makes high-quality data readily available and easy to share, while also protecting people’s privacy.” But how can this be made possible? How can agencies master data collaboration?
To answer this question, public sector leaders will gather for Snowflake’s Data Champions 2020, a monthly virtual meet-up series. Previously, the series has covered topics including workforce management and most recently, the evolving role of the Chief Data Officer in government. The September segment will include insight from Carlos Rivero, Chief Data Officer, Commonwealth of Virginia and Stu Davis, Public Sector Managing Director, Sense Corp, former Chief Information Officer, State of Ohio, and former president, National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO).
Together they’ll discuss the explosion of data managed by agencies across government. They’ll also talk about the strategies and tactics needed to ensure data collaboration and its benefits, including how it’ll better serve the public and help to deliver on missions.
“For agencies to thrive, and extract valuable insights from their data, data collaboration is nonnegotiable,” explained Nicholas Speece, Chief Federal Technologist at Snowflake. “For data collaboration to be achievable, agencies must support secure – yet easily accessible — data exchange in addition to many other important factors. This is where experts including Carlos and Stu can shed light on some of their best practices that have led to overall agency success.”
In the past — as noted by the Partnership for Public Service and EY — data collaboration has not been an area of strength for government as a whole. In order to make it one, it will take guidance and direction from those in the public sector that have seen success and use data collaboration to positively impact their missions and how they serve the public. It will take data visionaries and, of course, collaboration.
You can register for the September Data Champions event, here.
