In today's episode, we discuss our engagement with the City of Baltimore and its CleanStat program. We'll also look at how the city relied on this initiative to care for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Podcast #65 – Knowledge Management in City Government
We know that collecting and analyzing data generates insights. But how can we transform those moments of insight into enduring knowledge that guides the organization, even when priorities and staff change? In today’s episode, we discuss Knowledge Management - the work...
Covid-19 Data Is a Mess. We Need a Way to Make Sense of It.
Our Johns Hopkins University Centers for Civic Impact Executive Director Beth Blauer along with Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, wrote an op-ed in The New York Times on November 23, 2020.
Podcast #64 – GovEx Engagement with Rochester, MN
Today, we take a look at GovEx's engagement with the City of Rochester, MN to support their affordable housing initiative. We'll look at where the initiative came from, explore how Rochester collected and leveraged its data, and cover valuable takeaways for other...
Podcast #63 – Distance Learning During COVID-19
We're all under pressure to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. But how can we make the most of this time, and what benefits of this situation might we be overlooking? Today, members of the GovEx Academy explore how COVID-19 has placed a greater emphasis on distance...
Podcast #62 – Food System Resilience during COVID-19
Today, we discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on food system resilience. Joined by two graduate students focused on this work, we’ll take a look at what cities focused on this issue are doing right now, and how hazard and vulnerability assessment plays a role in the...
Podcast #61 – Asheville Reparations
Today, we join the City of Asheville’s Equity and Inclusion Director Kimberlee Archie and IT Director Jonathan Feldman to discuss the city's work on embedding equity into its data work. We'll also talk about how the work has pivoted after the George Floyd protests,...
Data storytelling – Maximizing one pager reports to tell your story
A crucial part of every successful performance management program, — really, of any program — is communicating outcomes. To engage local constituents, the ability to capture their attention and tell them a compelling story is vital.
Banish the thumb drive: a call for better internal data sharing
Some people’s pet peeve is loud chewing; others hate the Oxford comma. Here’s mine: thumb drives. First of all, can we choose one name for these things? They’re also referred to as “flash drives,” “jump drives,” and “USB drives,” plus a few other names. Let’s choose...
A Message from Our Executive Director, Beth Blauer
We stand with those fighting against racism and police murdering black people and unequivocally believe that Black Lives Matter.
Podcast #60 – Food Insecurity & Teens
During the holidays, food drives and charitable giving campaigns raise awareness of food insecurity, but people experience disruptions in access to healthy food year round. New research by Dr. Kristin Mmari and colleagues at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School...
Podcast #59: Improvement Science in Education
When we thinking of measuring outcomes in education, we often think of test scores as the ultimate indicator. But a team of practitioners and researchers in Baltimore City are working together to use a science-based method to identify and implement incremental...
Podcast #58 – Counties and Data
At GovEx, a lot of our work is focused on cities. But counties play a crucial role in using data to improve public outcomes as well. From health to elections and justice programming, counties provide critical services to people across the US. To explore these often...
Podcast #57 – Ethics and Algorithms
Algorithms are a growing part of government work. They play a part in items ranging from traffic light decisions to criminal sentencing and a variety of topics in between. However, there is not a consistent way to think about algorithms as a public sector employee,...
Algorithm Toolkit Released to Reduce Bias Affecting Residents from Automated Decisions Made By Local Governments
As cities throughout the country work to address issues of inequity as a result of algorithms and the negative impact it has on residents, the toolkit helps local leaders to proactive ask specific questions to quantify risks and also provides recommendations on ways to handle those risks.
4 Tips to a Clear and Friendly Dashboard
A city dashboard’s primary goal is to give citizens a clear, user-friendly tool to see how well their city is doing. When designing your dashboard, always keep in mind how easy it would be for the average citizen to use. If you include too many factors into your...
So you want to start a data academy…
Data can be powerful. But to really harness your data, you need people skilled in analysis, data management, and data-informed decision-making. Many cities are taking that lesson to heart and launching their own data academies to help employees learn to use data better.
GovEx Releases New Smart Cities Guide As Part of Research Collaborative
Smart cities projects have proliferated in recent years, and this guide captures some of the best examples around the country along with resources and guidance to help cities understand the foundations of data practices that are necessary for any successful smart cities initiative.
On the Right Path: Improving Bike Safety & Infrastructure in Florence
In partnership with GovEx, Florence has become a model for other cities to improve cycling safety through data analysis, cross-departmental collaboration, and community involvement.
Richmond, VA’s Neighborhood KPIs
Richmond is in the process of aligning its priorities, goals, and metrics and has identified 44 KPIs in its seven focus areas to track progress toward the city’s strategic priorities.