March, 2024

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How to prevent ideas from getting lost in translation

GCN

Policy researchers and government administrators often seem like they’re speaking different languages. A new book aims to help experts communicate more clearly, so their ideas can have real-world impacts.

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Federal Government Made $236 billion “Improper Payments” Last Fiscal Year

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

The federal government reported an estimated $236 billion in “improper payments” during the most recently completed fiscal year (FY 2023). Such payments are essentially payment errors that can be the result of many things—include overpayments.

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There are 100,000 fewer Election Day polling places in 2024

GCN

A major Supreme Court decision, a pandemic and localized issues have all conspired to reduce the number of physical voting locations. Advocates say that’s bad for democracy.

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How New Jersey’s new affordable housing law aims to ease the housing crisis

GCN

The new law lets municipalities know exactly how much affordable housing they have to build. It’s an approach that states are increasingly trying in an effort to pressure local governments to increase affordable options.

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How Breckenridge, CO Ensures Tax & Licensing Compliance

Breckenridge’s short-term rental boom—over 4,200 licenses —put intense pressure on the town’s small staff and manual processes. Facing compliance and efficiency challenges, the town teamed up with GovOS to automate its STR licensing. The new system: Cut admin time Reduced errors Improved the experience for property owners and town staff Discover the full impact of automation on Breckenridge’s STR management—download the case study.

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Why so many election officials are leaving

GCN

Some states are seeing high rates of turnover among local election officials, according to new research. It’s a troublesome trend that may have a silver lining.

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Africatown Is Still Trying to Breathe

Next City

Black and Hispanic communities in America's port cities are fighting an uphill battle against environmental racism and industrial expansion. Next up in Africatown, the Alabama neighborhood founded by formerly enslaved people: a new rail line.

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Generative AI: The next S-curve for the semiconductor industry?

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

The surge of interest in and use of generative AI translates to higher demand for semiconductors, pushing the industry to innovate faster and produce more capable and efficient chips.

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Microsoft Copilot for Security and NIST 800-171: Access Control

Microsoft Public Sector

Microsoft Copilot for Security and NIST 800-171: Access Control Microsoft Copilot for Security in Microsoft’s US Gov cloud offerings (Microsoft 365 GCC/GCC High and Azure Government) is currently unavailable and does not have an ETA for availability. Future updates will be published to the public roadmap here. As of this writing we’ve received the Proposed Rule of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0, and the public comment period ended on February 26.

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6 foundational capabilities you need for generative AI

AWS Public Sector Blog

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is easy to use—and that’s what makes the technology so exciting. But it’s important not to confuse ease of use with effortless deployment. The value of generative AI is inextricably linked to the technology’s reliability and traceability, as described in our earlier blog post, Generative AI: Understand the challenges to realize the opportunities.

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Why is it so hard to build housing near transit stops?

GCN

Two recent studies look at the obstacles to building more apartments and other dense housing options near transit to address environmental, urban development and housing goals.

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Overcoming Operational Challenges in Parks & Recreation

Speaker: Noratek

Maintaining parks and recreation facilities efficiently is no easy task, especially when faced with scheduling issues, aging infrastructure, and inconsistent inspections. Join us for this insightful webinar where we explore the most common challenges departments like yours are facing and how digital tools like CityReporter can help you streamline operations, ensure safety, and make better use of your resources.

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Repair Cafes Are the Beating Heart of the Right-to-Repair Movement

Next City

Op-ed: Right-to-repair legislation is crucial to systemic change. But every item salvaged through America’s growing patchwork of local repair movements is its own victory.

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SCP 203: Exploring Specialty Camps (Part 2)

Summer Camp Programming

SHOW NOTES In the second installment of their discussion on specialty camp ideas, Curt and Chris share an array of unique camp themes, drawing from both their personal experiences and broader trends. They delve into a variety of specialized camp options, including cooking, survival, archery, scuba diving, music production, detective camp, and fitness camps, among […] The post SCP 203: Exploring Specialty Camps (Part 2) first appeared on Summer Camp Programming.

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Scaling gen AI in banking: Choosing the best operating model

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Generative AI is transforming financial services, offering opportunities for efficiency and innovation. As banks race to deploy gen AI, the right operating model can help unlock its potential.

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How to balance Accessibility and Security in an AI world

Microsoft Public Sector

With the recent announcements around Copilot, especially Copilot for Microsoft 365, many agencies are excited to adopt the new capabilities and unlock user productivity and accessibility. However, there is one lingering question that has always and continues to be in the background: “How to balance accessibility, productivity and security in an AI world.

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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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Raising the Bar for Multilingualism and English Learners Through a Re-Imagined National Professional Development Program (NPD)

Homeroom

The U.S. Department of Education Invites Applications for NPD Competitive Grant By: Beatriz Ceja, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and Loredana Valtierra, Policy Advisor, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD) The need for bilingual and multilingual teachers is critical more than ever, as over five million of our public-school Continue Reading The post Raising the Bar for Multilingualism and English Learners Through a Re-Imagined Na

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Supreme Court clarifies when public officials can block citizens on social media

GCN

The Supreme Court unanimously found in a pair of cases that whether a government official can block a constituent on their personal social media account hinges on if a post is a state action or is private conduct.

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The Music Industry Chooses Winners and Losers. Cities Can, Too.

Next City

By creating a robust music ecosystem policy, cities can incubate talent and launch new stars, Shain Shapiro argues in his new book.

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Ep 31: Exploring Camp Traditions: A Rapid Fire Discussion

Summer Camp Programming

SHOW NOTES Hosts Kelie and Shauna, after a series of serious episodes, decide to lighten the mood by introducing a fun, rapid-fire segment focused on camp traditions. Utilizing a wheel to randomize selections, they explore their experiences and thoughts on a variety of camp traditions, such as the Apache Relay, family/parent days, awards for campers […] The post Ep 31: Exploring Camp Traditions: A Rapid Fire Discussion first appeared on Summer Camp Programming.

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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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What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)?

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a theoretical AI system with capabilities that rival those of a human. Many researchers believe we are still decades, if not centuries, away from achieving AGI.

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State and Local Governments Should Embrace the Geolocation Capabilities of 5G

State Tech Magazine

Research has shown that 9 in 10 companies worldwide use location data, and that use is expected to grow in significance over the next few years. However, geolocation data from telecommunications service providers is currently heavily underused. And while other sources of geolocation data, such as smartphone application data, are harder to come by after recent privacy policy changes, 5G geolocation data is only improving as the technology advances.

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What’s the Status of U.S. Assistance to Ukraine? Our First Reports on Oversight Efforts

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

The war in Ukraine has had devastating consequences—creating a humanitarian crisis, threatening Ukraine’s democracy, and exacerbating global challenges, such as food insecurity. Congress has approved $113 billion in response to the Ukraine crisis.

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February 2024 - Microsoft 365 US Public Sector Roadmap Newsletter

Microsoft Public Sector

Release News Teams Meeting organizers can now see time-zone information of participants while scheduling a meeting Share contact information of people in Microsoft Teams chat Integrate Chat notification with Meeting RSVP status – GCC February, GCCH & DoD March Mute On Air External call routing settings - GCC & GCCH Ability to block users from joining externally hosted Teams meetings Privacy link in Teams meeting join flow changing to organization's privacy statement Meeting invite improv

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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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School vouchers continue momentum in state legislatures

GCN

2023 was considered a landmark year for school choice. It’s a trend that is showing no sign of slowing down, as lawmakers push proposals with fewer restrictions and costly price tags.

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Silly “Survival Kits” for Summer Camp Fun

Summer Camp Programming

Long ago, I discovered a charming concept of creating playful “survival kits” to give to friends and colleagues, bringing a smile and a moment of appreciation to their day. Recently, I stumbled upon my collection of these whimsical kit ideas, and I figured they were perfect for the challenges of camp life. These kits can […] The post Silly “Survival Kits” for Summer Camp Fun first appeared on Summer Camp Programming.

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The human side of generative AI: Creating a path to productivity

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

The number of employees who use generative AI is expected to soar, freeing many to focus on higher-level cognitive work. Can organizations use this moment to make jobs more people centric?

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Supreme Court Issues Important Decision Impacting Elected Officials and Use of Social Media

NLC (National League of Cities)

By Amanda Karras, Executive Director, International Municipal Lawyers Association, and Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman, Legislative Director, Human Development, National League of Cities On March 15th, in Lindke v. Freed, the Supreme Court established the test for when local government officials are considered “state actors” for the purposes of the First Amendment when they post on social media.

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Boost Revenue With Simple Short-Term Rental Registration and Tax Collections

Government agencies that rely on tax revenue to fund critical services and infrastructure are finding it more urgent than ever to bridge the gap between under-reported tax revenue and taxpayers’ understanding of the processes. This is especially true as things like short-term rentals (STRs) have grown in popularity and become new sources of income for residents.

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3 Technology Trends That Improve Hybrid Work for State and Local Governments

State Tech Magazine

Whether an organization is hybrid or fully remote, having a digital-first culture and strategy for collaboration is a wise move for ensuring employees are able to do their work in any setting, at any time. This means prioritizing tools and technology that enable an agency to create a digital experience that is scalable, secure, reliable and cost-effective.

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How Pearson improves its resilience with AWS Fault Injection Service

AWS Public Sector Blog

Introduction Application owners are committed to developing new applications and enhancing existing ones rapidly as a top business priority. However, when it comes to mission-critical applications, whose availability is vital for business operations, owners must allocate dedicated time to design and rigorously test the resilience of their applications.

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Artificial intelligence outperforms humans in creative thinking

Open Access Government - Technology News

Artificial intelligence has overtaken humans when it comes to creative thinking, according to research into generative AI and its untapped abilities Researchers from the University of Alberta have conducted a study that compared the creative potential of humans against GPT-4, an advanced generative language model. PhD students Kent F. Hubert and Kim N.

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How Agencies Should Prepare for NARA’s Deadline to Digitize Federal Records

FedTech Magazine

Agencies face an uphill battle to scan, convert, tag and secure documents ahead of the National Archives and Records Administration’s deadline for digitizing permanent government records in June. Although the time, labor and cost savings of digital records will be beneficial to agencies, the sheer volume of records is daunting, requiring federal IT leaders to tap into an array of technology solutions to get the job done.

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Easy to Do Business With: Why Simplifying Business Licensing Is a Best Practice

Many business license applications still can't be completed online, creating a frustrating user experience and lowering compliance. Shifting to a digital process makes it easier for staff and businesses alike. This guide covers: How to build a licensing and registration experience that works for your staff and local businesses. Why technology is your best partner for improving licensing and registration compliance.