September, 2023

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How Smart Cities Can Leverage the Power of Digital Twins

State Tech Magazine

Municipalities generate vast volumes of data, and digitally enabled smart cities go even further. They leverage the Internet of Things to gather information about traffic flows, population trends, water, sanitation and a range of other indicators. What if you could pull all that together to make a virtual model of the whole city, with its many interconnected parts and pieces?

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Can a city really die? | Financial Times

Rebuilding Place in Urban Space

Opinion piece in the Financial Times special section on City Living. The author makes a couple points, focusing on San Francisco, and all the coverage on the city's demise. First, many times in the past, people say a particular city, including SF is now dead. Second, cities wax and wane, in cycles, and that working in and out of these cycles takes a long time.

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Protecting private and public sector organisations from cyberattacks

Open Access Government - Technology News

The rise of smart technology in the UK has led to more cyberattacks, so organisations need strong, adaptable cybersecurity plans, as shown by the Capita incident, with a focus on risk assessment, employee training, and cyber insurance The growing integration of smart technologies into the infrastructure of private and public organisations has created a greater surface area for attacks from bad actors.

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Disaster Relief Often Leaves Disabled People Behind. Disabled First Responders Are Changing That.

Next City

Disability inclusion in emergency preparedness and response doesn’t just mean supporting disabled victims of extreme weather. It also means including disabled communities in disaster relief strategy.

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A Look Inside the Minds of Government’s Most Innovative Leaders

Successful partnerships start with knowing what public sector leaders care about. This report spotlights global innovators shaping the future of public service by tackling real-world challenges across AI, digital identity, citizen experience, and data strategy. Their work reveals the priorities, pain points, and investment areas that are driving transformation.

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More Fraud Has Been Found in Federal COVID Funding—How Much Was Lost Under Unemployment Insurance Programs

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

Criminal charges against individuals in alleged COVID-19 funding fraud are growing. Last month, the Department of Justice announced over 700 new enforcement actions—including criminal charges—against 371 defendants for more than $836 million in.

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AWS selects 13 startups to innovate public safety solutions through the GovTech Accelerator

AWS Public Sector Blog

Pictured: The AWS 2023 Justice and Public Safety GovTech Accelerator cohort at Amazon’s HQ2 for Week Zero, a three-day onboarding event to kick off the accelerator. Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced 13 startup companies selected to participate in the inaugural AWS GovTech Accelerator. Launched in June at the AWS Summit in Washington, D.C., the Accelerator supports government technology (GovTech) startups as they develop innovative solutions enabling justice and public safety agencies to

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Major Milestone for OpenGov Permitting & Licensing: The Journey to 500 Empowered Communities

OpenGov

OpenGov Permitting & Licensing recently hit a big milestone—the number of communities powering every permitting and licensing workflow has hit 500. That’s over 500 municipalities where we’re having a direct […] The post Major Milestone for OpenGov Permitting & Licensing: The Journey to 500 Empowered Communities appeared first on OpenGov.

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Wildfire Risks and Lack of Readiness to Insure Properties Exists in Washington State

Disaster Zone blog

The state has not had the catastrophic losses that California and Oregon have experienced.

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They Stopped A Pipeline Planned For Their Memphis Community. Now Can They Get Clean Drinking Water?

Next City

A private solution to a public problem”: In South Memphis and other Black neighborhoods, residents are often forced to rely on corporate solutions for safe drinking water.

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Artificial Intelligence’s Use and Rapid Growth Highlight Its Possibilities and Perils

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

The rise of artificial intelligence has created growing excitement and much debate about its potential to revolutionize entire industries. At its best, AI could improve medical diagnosis, identify potential national security threats more quickly, and.

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Local Government Tax Guide: 6 Benefits Businesses Will Buy Into for Compliance

In a survey of U.S. business owners, more than 64% indicated their local government’s online tax portal needs improvement. It’s clear that while business owners want to work with their local government to stay in compliance, many online tax systems do not enable them to do so effectively.

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Healthy people, healthy planet: Supporting sustainability in healthcare with the cloud

AWS Public Sector Blog

If the health sector were a country, it would be the fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) on the planet. To become more sustainable, the health sector is turning to the cloud. A sustainable healthcare system is one that “improves, maintains, or restores health, while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and leveraging opportunities to restore and improve it, to the benefit of the health and well-being of current and future generations,” according to the World Healt

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Fact or Fallacy: Hybrid Cloud’s Potential Benefits to State and Local Governments

State Tech Magazine

The age of digital transformation is upon us, and hybrid cloud solutions are taking center stage in managing state and local government agency operations. Hybrid cloud is an environment that blends on-premises, private cloud and third-party public cloud services. But does a hybrid cloud really benefit state and local governments? Does it aid in sharing information and analyzing data as it claims to do?

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Leadership Moments

Careers in Government

For a team member and even for a leader, visibility begins by accepting an invitation to something. The post Leadership Moments appeared first on Careers in Government.

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Pet Disaster Preparedness Is Important

Disaster Zone blog

Pets have become family members.

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Municipal Maintenance Guide: Inspections

Get this municipal maintenance guide that provides municipalities with a detailed and structured approach to maintaining city infrastructure. This guide outlines systematic inspection procedures and best practices, ensuring the safety, longevity, and operational efficiency of municipal assets. From roadways and bridges to public buildings and utilities, the guide covers all aspects of municipal maintenance.

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A Coal Mine Turned Garden Is Feeding 2,000 Texans Every Month

Next City

The 1-acre garden, in the middle of a 35,000-acre former mine, is supplying thousands of pounds of fresh produce to families in three Texas counties that have few grocery stores.

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For the 30th Anniversary of National Public Lands Day—We Look At How Federal Agencies Are Addressing Ongoing Land Management Challenges

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

The federal government manages around 640 million acres, or about 28% of all land across the United States. But increasingly, federal agencies are grappling with how best to manage public lands in the face of challenges posed by more frequent and.

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How to detect wildfire smoke using Amazon Rekognition

AWS Public Sector Blog

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , the effects of climate change, such as increased heat, extended drought, and more, have been a key driver in the increasing risk and extent of wildfires in the United States. Wildfires, then, contribute to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions, destruction of ecosystems, and lost carbon storage in the destruction of forests.

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State and Local Agencies Increase Email Security with Anti-Phishing Applications

State Tech Magazine

When Shane McDaniel, the CIO of Seguin, Texas, walks out to his truck after work, it’s not uncommon for someone in the parking lot to shout: “Nice try, Shane — I didn’t click on it!” McDaniel’s colleagues are referring to the simulated phishing emails that his department periodically sends out, one of a number of efforts the city is taking to beat back the social engineering cyberthreat.

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Empower Digital Government: Strategic Workbook for Modern Transformation

Digital transformation is reshaping government interactions, bringing agencies closer to the communities they serve. However, while many have adopted new digital tools, few have implemented comprehensive strategies to maximize their benefits. Our Strategic Workbook for Modern Government offers a step-by-step guide to developing a sustainable digital strategy.

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6 Must-Ask Questions to Ask When Hiring and Promoting Leaders

Careers in Government

Leadership isn’t just about holding power; it's about inspiring and guiding others towards success. The post 6 Must-Ask Questions to Ask When Hiring and Promoting Leaders appeared first on Careers in Government.

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Disaster Zone Podcast: Litigating Insurance Claims After a Disaster

Disaster Zone blog

Understand that insurance companies are "for profit.

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What Sunrise El Paso Learned From Its Historic Youth-Led Climate Charter Campaign

Next City

El Paso's youth launched a historic fight for the country's first municipal climate charter. After a failed ballot initiative, the group is launching a new effort to bring climate action to Sun City.

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Improving Communication Could Strengthen Federal Efforts to Prevent the Next Major Cyberattack

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

We’ve already seen what can happen when one of the nation’s critical services is disrupted by a cyberattack. In May 2021, a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline led to the temporary disruption of gasoline and petroleum product delivery across much.

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7 Signs Your Local Government ERP Is Holding You Back: A Guide for Small Municipalities

Local governments and municipalities serving populations under 200,000 face distinctive challenges in delivering efficient and effective services to their communities. To overcome these challenges, many rely on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems tailored to their specific needs. Not all ERP systems are created equal, and some may hinder progress rather than support it.

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Helping micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises make economic and societal impacts with cloud technologies

AWS Public Sector Blog

At Amazon Web Services (AWS), we have the privilege of helping organizations of all sizes solve complex societal challenges. Cloud computing and cloud-enabled technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are driving innovations that are making positive and lasting impacts on economies and communities around the world. From addressing disparities in access to quality healthcare, to fostering sustainability, our customers and partners are using technology to address som

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Local Technology Leaders Share Their Top Priorities

State Tech Magazine

In June, the Public Technology Institute published its 10th annual State of City and County IT National Survey. In it, 61 local government IT executives ranked their top management and operational priorities, and to no one’s surprise, cybersecurity remained at the top of the list. The survey found that “following cybersecurity on the list of IT executive priorities are modernizing outdated IT systems and applications, and innovation/applying technology in new ways to help solve problems.

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The organization of the future: Enabled by gen AI, driven by people

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Generative AI can empower people—but only if leaders take a broad view of its capabilities and deeply consider its implications for the organization.

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Disaster Zone Podcast: A New Generation of Emergency Managers Becoming Leaders

Disaster Zone blog

Make way for new leadership.

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ASPA TIMES Magazine: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

PA TIMES Magazine is a publication of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), a not-for-profit corporation. This edition focused on diversity, equity and inclusion in public administration, including guest columns, insights for the field and interviews with city government DEI officers about their work at the local level.

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Starting America’s First East African Magnet School – In Just Three Months

Next City

After decades of declining enrollment, St. Paul Public Schools made a bold bet: offer families a school with support in seven different languages. The school’s first-time principal had one summer to get it done.

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Are We Really Helping? U.S. Security Assistance to Partner Nations Faces Challenges

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

The U.S. spends billions of dollars to train and equip foreign security forces in order to address global threats such as terrorism and narcotics trafficking. But is this assistance working? Today’s WatchBlog post looks at our two recent reports.

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Collaborating for sustainability: How higher education and cloud providers foster change

AWS Public Sector Blog

Sustainability, planetary health, and climate action have become priority topics within governments and organizations of all sizes, with universities playing a pivotal role to inspire and empower the future generations. On the journey of finding answers and solutions to address global sustainability challenges, universities are integral in delivering ground-breaking knowledge and scientific advancements.

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Review: Simplify With SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability

State Tech Magazine

Many state governments are in various phases of digital transformation projects, with some legacy applications served by on-premises equipment while others move to hybrid clouds. And, it’s entirely possible that a single state or local government, especially one with a more federated IT environment, might even employ multiple cloud providers and different cloud types.

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How Gilbert, AZ Prepares for the Future While Protecting What Makes It Great

A top-rated place to live, Gilbert, AZ struggled with outdated short-term rental management—low compliance, lost revenue, and growing administrative strain. By adopting the GovOS Tax & Compliance suite, the Town: Increased compliance from 40% to 90% Generated over $85K in new revenue Has a single digital system to manage tasks more efficiently With a centralized hub for short-term rental registration and enforcement, Gilbert balances tourism and community needs.