August, 2024

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Improving the State of Federal AI

FedTech Magazine

Money is starting to flow to help agencies implement President Biden’s October 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence. In May, the U.S. General Services Administration’s Technology Modernization Fund Board awarded $18.2 million to help the State Department deploy generative AI that helps employees derive insights and make data-driven decisions quickly.

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Does Political Decentralization Improve Urban Governance? Balancing Efficacy and Representation in Rajasthan’s Small Towns

The City Fix

“Hum faltu hai [in English, “We are useless”] …I don’t even know what the budget of the council is. Nobody tells me about the procurement process [or] the number of tenders that have gone public…I don’t have enough knowledge about.

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A Breath of Fresh Air in San Diego Port Communities’ Long Fight Against Industrial Pollution

Next City

San Diego’s Port has doubled its commitment to offset the impacts of industrial pollution in neighboring Barrio Logan and National City. Is it enough?

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Social Housing Isn’t Just a Vienna Thing. It’s Core to New York’s Past – and Could Be Its Future.

Next City

The policy wonk who helped pen the state housing authority bill says it's time to revive New York’s history of social housing.

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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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6 Elements to Make Streets #SaferByDesign

The City Fix

India’s vibrant streets, a reflection of its dynamic culture, are unfortunately also the setting of a grim reality. Every year, approximately 150,000 people die on Indian roads, which translates to an average of 47 accidents and 18 deaths every hour. In.

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The energy transition: Where are we, really?

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Scaling up deployment of decarbonization technologies is crucial to achieve net zero, but there is a reality gap—the lack of firm EU and US project commitments could slow momentum.

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State and Local Government IT Influencers Worth a Follow in 2024

State Tech Magazine

As cutting-edge technologies, especially artificial intelligence, charge onto the scene, leading state and local officials have collaborated closely with private sector organizations to securely, compliantly and sustainability enhance citizen experiences while modernizing the back-office functions that support them. IT infrastructure modernization, cloud optimization, smarter cybersecurity and agile software development will rapidly facilitate a truly modern citizen experience, one that can more

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Department Convenes States to Elevate Support for Educators

Homeroom

By: Roberto J. Rodríguez, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Through the Raise the Bar: Lead the World initiative, the U.S. Department of Education is working in partnership with states and school districts to eliminate educator shortages in our nation’s schools. Thanks to the leadership of state and local education Continue Reading The post Department Convenes States to Elevate Support for Educators appeared first on ED.gov Blog.

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New Jersey’s Legislature Stalled Reparations Inquiry For Years. Local Advocates Picked Up the Slack.

Next City

In 2025, a committee of advocates will propose how New Jersey can implement reparations for Black people. Here is what we know so far.

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Tips for Introverted Leaders

GovLoop

If you consider yourself to be an introvert, you may have at one point come across the misconception that introverts make poor leaders. The truth is, there is a lot of value in tapping into your authentic self and using that as your leadership strength. During the most recent New Supervisors in Government Community of Practice, Susan Schneider, Director of Anhinga Coaching, LLC, offered advice on how to manage more effectively based on your personality.

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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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What employees say matters most to motivate performance

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

A survey of over 1,000 employees creates a data-backed view of what motivates employees to perform.

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Using Amazon Timestream and Amazon Location Service to detect transportation route deviations and anomalies

AWS Public Sector Blog

Transit authorities have to maintain the location and schedule of large numbers of vehicle fleets on a daily basis. Most commonly, GPS coordinates are used to track vehicle location and transportation route. GPS coordinates often have anomalies that can contaminate location reporting. Additionally, if a vehicle takes a detour, it will offset public transportation schedules.

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How the NSA Ensures Technology Remains Accessible and Usable for All Employees

FedTech Magazine

There is strength in diversity; that’s one of the messages delivered in the 2023 National Intelligence Strategy, which provides strategic guidance to the U.S. intelligence community. Among the major goals listed in the document are recruiting, developing and retaining a talented and diverse workforce across the entirety of the IC. The guidance aligns with efforts already taking place at the National Security Agency, which recently touted its unprecedented hiring efforts in 2023.

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4 Strategies for State and Local Governments to Secure Contact Centers

State Tech Magazine

State and local government teams are constantly thinking about how to improve customer service. Making things more efficient, reducing barriers to doing business with agencies, simplifying paperwork and moving to online processes wherever possible are all top-of-mind strategies for managers who want to deliver better constituent services. One piece of that equation is often contact centers.

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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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Modular Construction Is on the Rise. Can It Build High-Quality Affordable Housing?

Next City

The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority built dozens of affordable units through modular construction. Is this a sign of things to come?

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Ease Into Internet Self-Care Day

GovLoop

What is Internet Self-Care Day ? It’s a day, celebrated on August 21, when we think about our online behavior and make proactive changes, to improve our well-being. That might run contrary to how we usually use the internet, because many of our automatic daily habits may not be supportive of mental wellness. For instance, it is well-documented that social media can exacerbate mental health problems.

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Reimagining insurance with a comprehensive approach to gen AI

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Insurance companies are at an inflection point with their generative AI use cases. Three McKinsey partners discuss the value of combining generative AI with other technologies.

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Policy & Politics Highlights collection on new Special Issue on Policy Learning and Policy Innovation: Interactions and Intersections by Claire Dunlop, Claudio Radaelli, Ellen Wayenberg and Bishoy Zaki

Policy & Politics Journal blog

by Sarah Brown, Journals Manager The idea of innovation has become one of the most persistent and sought-after today.

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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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Chief AI Officers Ready Agencies for What’s Next

FedTech Magazine

Generative AI, chatbots, large language models and machine learning have taken the world by storm. The federal government is no exception. As chief artificial intelligence officers take the helm to advance the many AI/ML initiatives now taking shape in every agency, new ideas and innovation — which only two or three years ago wouldn’t have seemed possible — are more welcome than ever.

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Q&A: New Orleans CIO Kimberly LaGrue Discusses Cyber Resilience

State Tech Magazine

Kimberly LaGrue is CIO of New Orleans and president of the Cities Today Institute North America Cities Leadership Forum on Digitalization. She began her IT career with New Orleans in telecommunications. Mayor Mitch Landrieu appointed her as acting CIO in 2017, and Mayor LaToya Cantrell made her appointment to CIO permanent in 2018. Shortly before Christmas in 2019, New Orleans suffered a significant ransomware attack, and LaGrue led the city’s recovery and subsequent IT modernization efforts.

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A Pioneering Program Paying NYC’s Low-Income Youth to Learn to Swim

Next City

The NYCHA Swim Corps program brings swimming lessons to youth in New York's public housing developments. It’s harder than it sounds.

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Fighting Fire with Fire—The Forest Service Plans to Increase Use of Prescribed Fires

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

The U.S. is in the midst of an active wildfire season. Wildfires are generally becoming more common and intense. To address this growing threat, the U.S. Forest Service plans to increase its use of “prescribed fires.” By deliberately burning specific.

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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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Healthy organizations keep winning, but the rules are changing fast

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Driving higher organizational health and performance means focusing on new practices: empowering employees to make decisions, using technology to create value, and updating leadership styles.

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MĂ©dica Panamericana revolutionizes medical exam prep with AWS generative AI

AWS Public Sector Blog

This post is part of a series that discusses how generative artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in education. The series includes stories from Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers that are using generative AI to create more personalized and engaging learning experiences. Read the first post in the series: Harnessing the power of generative AI in the classroom and beyond.

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TechNet Augusta 2024: The Army Faces 3 Big Challenges, and Better Asset Management Helps

FedTech Magazine

The Army needs to improve its IT asset management to complement its security operations and create a more robust environment for the modern warfighter, according to CDW Government technology experts. While the Army uses ServiceNow for asset management of its hardware and software, there are ways it can get more value out of the platform, such as providing the SecOps module to all its components, says Paul “Doc” Burnham, IT asset management portfolio manager for CDW.

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7 Best Practices for Public Sector Contact Centers

State Tech Magazine

Public sector call centers play a key role in connecting citizens with essential services. Yet, many face challenges such as outdated technology, high call volumes and limited resources. Modernizing call centers is not just about upgrading technology. It’s also about transforming the entire service experience to meet the growing demands of the public, reduce operational costs and deliver faster, more reliable support.

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Municipal Maintenance: Ready, Set, Inspect!

Speaker: Noratek

Maintaining municipal operations is no small task, especially when budgets are tight and public expectations are high. In this webinar, we’ll explore how local governments can streamline their maintenance operations while ensuring safety, compliance, and efficiency. What You’ll Gain: Proven strategies for effective inspection management Insight into leveraging digital tools Practical tips for addressing common maintenance challenges Examples of municipalities that have achieved success.

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Inside Detroit’s War on Abandoned Cars

Next City

Detroit has targeted 8,000 abandoned vehicles as part of a major a blight crackdown. Not all residents know the rules.

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European Union’s new AI law: What programmers need to know

Open Access Government - Technology News

On August 1st, the European Union’s landmark legislation, the AI Act, came into effect , ushering in a new era of regulation aimed at governing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across its member states This legislation, spanning 144 pages, marks a significant step in addressing the potential risks posed by AI while fostering innovation in the region.

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How innovation can accelerate industry momentum

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Sparking a new surge of growth through innovation can benefit an entire industry, but those who light the spark tend to gain the biggest rewards.

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AN OPEN LETTER TO ELECTED OFFICIALS

Barrett & Greene

Good day, Last week we were talking to an inquisitive person who is rising in the local public sector world. The conversation turned to performance management (one of our favorite topics) and the question was posed to us: “What do you think are the biggest impediments to more widespread use of that discipline? A few answers quickly sprang to our minds, including limited resources and difficulties hiring staff with the necessary skills.

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Holiday Safety Tips for Municipal Operations

The holiday season brings joy and celebration, but it also introduces unique challenges for municipal operations. From ensuring safe snow removal and managing icy sidewalks to organizing festive events and addressing increased community needs, municipalities play a critical role in keeping residents safe and operations running smoothly. This eBook provides actionable safety tips to help your team navigate the holiday season effectively, protect staff and citizens, and ensure compliance with safe