2021 Review: Data as a Strategic Asset

Data could be mere information. But when leaders put data into service toward community challenges such as reducing arrests, protecting public health, addressing racial disparities in policing, and improving government operations, they transform data into a powerful strategic asset.

At Tyler Technologies, we believe there is no other asset in the world that provides more opportunities for public-sector leaders to advance mission-critical work than data.

Over the past year we shared standout stories from the Tyler community of innovative government leaders who are making smart use of data. As you consider what the new year holds for your community, read on for inspiration and insights from your peers across the country.

Georgia’s Fulton County Connected Data Sources For New Insights to Reduce Arrests

Fulton County is using data to help divert people with mental illness out of the criminal justice system and into behavioral health and social services systems where they can get the support they need. Tyler’s built-for-government Enterprise Data Platform, powered by Socrata, helps the county to integrate and share data across organizational boundaries. Police officers can use insights to determine whether to transport a person to jail or to see a behavioral health provider. Corrections officers now have greater insight into intake placement, services provided, and where to seek past treatment records for people in jail. Health providers can use the new approach to make the intake process more efficient. And judges will have insights into people being detained and can produce a more complete history when it comes to behavioral and mental health services. Fulton is helping to reduce incarceration as the “go-to” response for many low-level crimes.

Listen to Conversations

Tyler offers Community of Practice groups that provide government data leaders the opportunity to connect with peers and share best practices. Listen to conversations from 2021 from Pinellas and Fulton counties and the cities of Fort Collins and Los Angeles.

Open Data Guided the State of Connecticut in its Pandemic Response

In response to COVID-19, the state of Connecticut expanded its use of its Open Data Portal, enabled by Tyler’s Enterprise Data Platform. The state increased the engagement of agencies including the Department of Public Health and the Connecticut State Department of Education in the open data program, developing a repeatable framework for interagency collaboration. Tyler’s cloud-based solution gave the state a secure, centralized platform for COVID-19 data collection, analysis, and reporting, which in turn facilitated interagency collaboration through data-sharing. These enhanced connections plus publicly available datasets, APIs, dashboards, and visualizations facilitated weekly official updates that met the public’s demand for in-depth and contextualized information. In addition, timely and accurate data supported critical decisions across agencies and jurisdictions on public health and school learning models.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, Launched a Data Initiative to Track Racial Disparities in Policing

The city of Chattanooga was already a leader in open data and civic engagement, so taking a data-driven approach to unpack racial disparities in policing was a logical next step. A dashboard powered by Tyler’s Enterprise Data Platform combines public safety data with census demographics, information on recidivism reduction programs, neighborhood-based planning, and even the local budget. Insights from the dashboard are helping the city in areas such as determining which public safety calls need an officer or a mental health provider, planning for community transparency, and changing outcomes for the public by diverting people away from the criminal justice system.

Los Angeles Quickly Launched a Real-time Financial Dashboard to Reassure the Public

The Los Angeles Controller took quick steps to help Angelenos understand the health of city finances following the COVID-19 crisis. The Controller’s team understood that openly accessible, up-to-date finance data would be a critical asset for enhancing transparency and trust during the city’s recovery from the pandemic. In the space of four weeks, the team launched a real-time financial dashboard using Tyler’s easily configurable Finance Insights solution. The dashboard’s storytelling and visualization features gave the public an easy-to-understand look at budgets, fund balances, revenues, and spending.

Read About Effective Digital Government

Take an in-depth look at how CIOs can drive digital transformation through human-centered design, digital platforms, and purposeful data. Find out what analysts say about digital government in action to drive technology innovation and improved outcomes.

Florida’s Pinellas County Created a Comprehensive Self-service Dashboard for Performance Reporting

Pinellas County used the power of Tyler’s Performance Insights solution to pave the way for technology adoption and employee buy-in for enhanced performance reporting. The county’s performance management team crafted a data dashboard story with key initiatives that spanned all 20 county departments. Hands-on project training built excitement around the performance data and dashboard. The refined approach to reporting has engaged county commissioners and led to a more efficient planning process. For county staff, performance reporting is now seen as a vital tool for innovation rather than a cause for concern.

Stockton, California, Leveraged Data for the Improvement of City Services

The city of Stockton created an Office of Performance & Data Analytics to enable the city to deliver better, faster, and smarter services. The office rallied city staff around using data for performance improvement during a pilot program in the fall of 2020. Through the speed and ease of using Tyler Technologies’ cloud-native Open Data Platform, they launched an open data portal in June of 2021. Already, data has highlighted connections between city services and important community issues — pointing to areas such as public works and public safety where the city can take proactive steps to improve services to constituents.