By Beth Blauer, Vice President for Public Impact Initiatives, Johns Hopkins University

When I founded GovEx in 2015, I knew we were meeting a moment. The energy around open data and the potential of evidence-driven government was palpable. But I didn’t realize that, even though I had years of experience working in government, I had so much to learn about how to help passionate public servants leverage data to deliver real results for residents.

Over the next ten years, GovEx partnered with hundreds of cities around the world. We visited countless city halls, sat across from mayors and frontline staff, and have seen up close how data can transform not just decision-making, but entire communities. We’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and what it takes to build a data-driven culture that lasts.

Here are some hard-won lessons from ten years of working shoulder to shoulder with local leaders around the world:

Meet Cities Where They Are In the beginning, we were laser-focused on helping cities launch open data portals. But once we got on the ground, it became clear that many lacked the foundational practices to make their data work effective. So we shifted. We listened. We partnered with cities not to prescribe solutions, but to boost what was already working and help them grow from there.

Guardrails Are Critical The benefits of data innovation only materialize when solid foundations are in place. Without clear governance, consistent standards, and aligned infrastructure, data efforts can quickly unravel or disappear. Guardrails aren’t bureaucracy; they’re the framework that allows innovation to thrive. Especially as cities begin exploring generative AI, it’s more important than ever to ensure the data feeding those tools is accurate, ethical, and well-managed. Guardrails also create the space to prototype, take risks and learn responsibly without undermining long-term goals.

Data Innovation Doesn’t Require a Data Science Degree Some of the most impactful data leaders we met were front-line workers delivering core services, city communicators, and mayors. What mattered was their curiosity, commitment, and respect for institutional knowledge. Our job at GovEx has always been to meet that energy with tools, training, and support. Democratizing data means building capacity across the board.

Cities Are the Frontlines of Innovation Federal policy might set the tone, but the real work happens at the local level. Mayors don’t get to sidestep hard decisions. They have to keep neighborhoods safe, lights on, and roads paved. That pressure creates the perfect space for innovation, where smart use of data can lead to better, faster, fairer results. Especially now, cities have to lead.

Working Well and Respecting Boundaries With the Private Sector “Smart city” promises have often translated into expensive vendor contracts and little lasting value. We’ve seen too many cities lose ownership of their own data or get locked into tools that don’t serve their goals. Cities need internal capacity and strong procurement guardrails to avoid repeating those mistakes and to ensure any technology partner serves the public, not the other way around.

Don’t Tie Data Practices to Politics If your data systems are built around one leader or administration they won’t survive in the long-term. We saw this in Baltimore, where early data successes were seen as belonging to one mayor and were largely abandoned when another administration stepped in. The work must be flexible enough to serve different leaders and durable enough to outlast them.

Beware of Temporary Solutions Some outcomes take years. If we build systems around short-term wins, we risk undercutting long-term change. Housing is a prime example. Real equity comes not just from new units, but from wealth-building and ownership opportunities. That kind of transformation requires patience, continuity, and a commitment to measuring what matters over time.

As GovEx enters its next chapter, its mission stays grounded in service to the public leaders doing the work and the communities they serve. The past ten years have taught us that progress is not about having perfect plans. It is about showing up, listening, adjusting, and staying accountable.