Sat.Jul 27, 2024 - Fri.Aug 02, 2024

article thumbnail

Local Governments Modernize Their Networks to Support Free Public Wi-Fi

State Tech Magazine

When the annual Spokane County Interstate Fair comes around this September, most of those who attend the 10-day event will first have to purchase a ticket at the gate. What won’t they need to buy once they’re cleared to go inside? Access to the fair’s public Wi-Fi network, which is free to anyone who wants to use it. Free public Wi-Fi has been a fixture onsite at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center since the early 2000s.

article thumbnail

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.

Housing 305
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

Compensating Community Participation

Social Pinpoint

In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in individuals receiving compensation for their participation in community engagement initiatives. What used to be seen as just a voluntary or civic duty has now become a more nuanced approach that truly recognizes and values the contributions of community members in meaningful ways. Deliberative panels across Victoria, Citizens Juries in South Australia, and the Queensland Plan deliberation all included equitable payments or compensation for tra

article thumbnail

Opportunity@Work: Addressing the opportunity gap and improving workforce equity outcomes

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

The cofounder and CEO of Opportunity@Work talks about the nonprofit’s mission to broaden equitable access to career opportunities for workers skilled through alternative routes.

123
123
article thumbnail

A Guide For City Managers & CAOs to Achieve Operational Excellence

This guide addresses the unique operational challenges faced by smaller municipalities, such as limited resources, budget constraints, and diverse community needs. By leveraging digital tools, City Managers and Municipal Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) can streamline workflows, enhance communication, and improve service delivery. The guide covers identifying operational challenges, choosing the right software, and implementing digital solutions.

article thumbnail

Book Bans Are Not Just Bad Policy; They Can Raise Civil Rights Issues

Homeroom

By: Matt Nosanchuk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Operations and Outreach, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education All students deserve access to learning environments that are inclusive and free from discrimination and that nurture their intellect, wellbeing, and creativity, preparing them for success in school and beyond. Books have been the gateway to Continue Reading The post Book Bans Are Not Just Bad Policy; They Can Raise Civil Rights Issues appeared first on ED.g

Books 145
article thumbnail

Havana Syndrome—Americans Affected by Mysterious Symptoms May Struggle to Get Care

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

Severe headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, vertigo. About a decade ago, American officials and their families living and working at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, started experiencing mysterious symptoms like these. Symptoms usually.

135
135

More Trending

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

5G technology could be the saviour of struggling public buildings and boost green goals

Open Access Government - Technology News

Cash-strapped councils and their local facilities across the UK could see a much-needed financial boost thanks to innovative 5G technology According to a poll of 2,000 UK, 92% revealed they are worried about the future of their local facilities and three-quarters (77%) have already seen libraries, leisure centres and even schools close due to a lack of council funding – with figures showing 1,000 swimming pools have closed in England since 2010 alone.

2030 119
article thumbnail

Summer & Learning Programs: A Mayor and Superintendent Collaboration in Madison, WI

NLC (National League of Cities)

By Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Superintendent Dr. Joe Gothard “Which one of you is the Mayor and who is the Superintendent?” asked Aubrey, a curious 9-year-old, as the guests walked into her classroom at the Bayview Foundation. It was quickly sorted out who was who.

114
114
article thumbnail

Is Your Commute Harming Your Health?

The City Fix

Daily commutes via car have evolved into more than mere trips – they greatly influence both our mental and physical well-being. Research shows that relentless car journeys don’t just occupy our time, they significantly shape our mood and overall outlook.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

The Iberian green industrial opportunity: Electrification and renewables

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Cooperation from all stakeholders can drive Iberian decarbonization through electrification and renewables deployment. Here we discuss the ambition, challenges, and potential unlocks for Spain.

137
137
article thumbnail

CrowdStrike Chaos Highlights Key Cyber Vulnerabilities with Software Updates

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

Earlier this month, a software update from the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused Microsoft Windows operating systems to crash—resulting in potentially the largest IT outage in history. Disruptions were widespread. Around the world, businesses and.

article thumbnail

Federal CAIOs Outline Early Use Cases and Challenges with the Emerging Technology

FedTech Magazine

Listen in on a conversation among federal IT leaders, and it won’t be long before artificial intelligence, with all its promise and challenges, comes up. Such discussions, in fact, are now mandatory: Last October, the White House issued an executive order on the federal government’s role in the development and use of AI. A few months later, the Office of Management and Budget released a memorandum directing agencies in the areas of AI governance, innovation and risk management.

Budgeting 105
article thumbnail

How are Local Governments Investing Opioid Funds? The Supplantation Debate Explained

NLC (National League of Cities)

In May, John Oliver’s show spotlighted the use of opioid settlement funds in state and local governments to highlight the opportunity for meaningful public health investments. In the segment, Oliver explained that some states are using opioid settlement funds for supplantatation: the practice of substituting existing dollars with opioid settlement funds.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Making more medicines that matter

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Productivity in biopharmaceutical R&D has slumped for a decade or more. We propose a recipe for sustainable, value-creating innovation, even in the face of strengthening industry headwinds.

article thumbnail

How Students Helped Spur $40 million in Federal Investments in Mental Health Across Kentucky

Homeroom

By: Abigail Swisher, Rural Impact Fellow, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Sam Smith – then a student at Daviess County High School in Owensboro, Kentucky – saw that his classmates were struggling in the wake of the pandemic, so when Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman asked if Sam and his peers on the Commissioner’s Continue Reading The post How Students Helped Spur $40 million in Federal Investments in Mental Health Across Kentucky appeared first on ED.gov Blog.

Blog 98
article thumbnail

How to Convince Your Boss to Send You to the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference

Center for Community Progress

So you want to attend the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference (RVP). It sounds awesome, right? Three days of networking, learning relevant skills, and seeing real-life examples of neighborhood revitalization up close. But your boss needs some convincing. After all, you’ll have to be away from your day job and spend money on travel and conference registration—it can be a tough sell for a manager!

2007 96
article thumbnail

Legacy Reborn: Reenergizing a Historically Black Shopping District

NLC (National League of Cities)

Once a bustling business district from the early 1900s to the 1960s, The Shops at Sharp End, located in Columbia, Missouri, stood as a cornerstone of the Black community. This vibrant hub encompassed high-end shopping, barber shops, and restaurants, becoming a cherished one-stop destination for Black residents.

96
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Five differentiators of outperforming family-owned businesses in India

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

India has many family-owned businesses, but only a few can boast of sustained success for generations. We explore five points of difference between the best and the rest.

article thumbnail

From Research to Review: A Breakdown of a Government Grant Proposal Writing Timeline

Professional Grant Writer

Grant proposal writing requires careful planning, research, and execution. Whether you’re new to grant writing or experienced, understanding the timeline from research to. The post From Research to Review: A Breakdown of a Government Grant Proposal Writing Timeline appeared first on Professional Grant Writers.

article thumbnail

Unlocking the power of generative AI: The advantages of a flexible architecture for foundation model fine-tuning

AWS Public Sector Blog

A large language model (LLM) is a general-purpose language model that can understand and respond to human input in a conversational manner. It’s trained on a massive dataset of text from the internet and can generate humanlike responses to a wide range of topics and questions. There are two primary approaches to adapting a model to a specific task or domain: the in-context approach and fine-tuning the foundation model (FM).

article thumbnail

What Does the Surgeon General’s Declaration on Gun Violence Mean for Cities?

NLC (National League of Cities)

On June 25th the Surgeon General issued an advisory declaring firearm violence a public health crisis. This crisis impacts individuals, families and communities in cities, towns and villages across the country. In 2022 alone, there were over 48,000 deaths from firearms in the United States, representing nearly 132 people dying each day.

article thumbnail

Key Strategies for Public Works Employees to Embrace Government Software

In a rapidly evolving landscape, the integration of digital software into Public Works teams has become imperative. This shift presents an opportunity to transcend traditional approaches, unlocking new levels of efficiency, cost savings, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This eBook offers comprehensive strategies to navigate this transformation.

article thumbnail

The Iberian green industrial opportunity: Seizing the moment

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Possessing natural endowments and mature industrial infrastructure, Spain and Portugal have an unprecedented opportunity to lead the energy transition and create significant value for the region.

114
114
article thumbnail

FHA Updates 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program to Increase Accessibility

Center for Community Progress

For background on the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)’s 203(k) rehab mortgage program, please visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website. On July 9, 2024, the FHA released revisions to the 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program. The revisions will come into effect for FHA 203(k) mortgages originated on or after November 4, 2024.

2024 97
article thumbnail

Documenting the use of Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling groups in DoD

AWS Public Sector Blog

Many Amazon Web Service (AWS) customers in regulated environments such as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) struggle to gain security approval to take advantage of the scaling of Amazon Elastic Cloud Compute (Amazon EC2) using its Auto Scaling capabilities. This is often attributed to configuration management, total asset inventory, compliance with agency third-party security tools, and agency authorization documentation.

article thumbnail

Local Officials’ Guide to Federal Action to Address Extreme Heat

NLC (National League of Cities)

As temperatures continue to rise globally, so does federal action to address community needs in managing extreme heat.

article thumbnail

A Guide For Everyone: Accessibility & Inclusivity Inspection Handbook

Dive into this comprehensive guide to inclusivity and accessibility! This handbook equips you with indispensable insights and practical strategies to ensure every space welcomes all. Whether you're an inspector, designer, or municipal employee, streamline compliance with regulations while fostering genuine inclusivity. From detailed checklists to case studies, we cover every aspect, empowering you to create environments that prioritize accessibility without compromising service.

article thumbnail

Reimagining labor to close the expanding US semiconductor talent gap

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

The US semiconductor industry is poised to expand exponentially by 2030. But how can an industry already facing attrition staff its growing operations? With a paradigm shift in its approach to labor.

2030 108
article thumbnail

A Key Piece to Mastering Zero Trust? Mobility

FedTech Magazine

Federal IT teams must weigh the latest zero-trust tools to ensure safety while also allowing for mobility in where and how employees work. IT experts continue to refine best practices around squeezing the most out of mobile devices while adhering to zero-trust principles, according to those on a June 27 webinar hosted by the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center.

Webinar 67
article thumbnail

How Prompt Engineering Can Support Successful AI Projects

State Tech Magazine

Artificial intelligence is quickly making its way into state and local governments. Understanding how to effectively query the models is fast becoming an essential skill. Welcome to the realm of prompt engineering. It’s a growing discipline governing how to best draw usable output and avoid the fabrications, biases and misrepresentations to which AI platforms are prone.

Webinar 64
article thumbnail

By Restoring India’s Kham River, a City Revives Its Cultural Legacy

The City Fix

The Kham River in India, which flows through the city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly known as Aurangabad), fluctuates from a torrent during monsoon season to barely a trickle during dry months. Years ago, the Kham provided drinking water to the.

article thumbnail

The Ultimate Playground Inspection Handbook

Dive into the world of playground safety with this complimentary guide. It offers a detailed exploration of essential practices to ensure the utmost safety for children. Delve into inspection techniques, from assessing equipment conditions to evaluating surfacing materials. Gain insights into maintenance strategies to keep playgrounds in top-notch condition year-round.