Fostering Stronger, More Resilient Communities With Data
Tyler Tech Podcast Episode 113, Transcript
Our Tyler Technologies podcast explores a wide range of complex, timely, and important issues facing communities and the public sector. Expect approachable tech talk mixed with insights from subject matter experts and a bit of fun. Each episode highlights the people, places, and technology making a difference. Give the podcast a listen today and subscribe.
Show Notes:
In this episode of the Tyler Tech Podcast, we explore how data is strengthening resilience in government operations, fostering transparency, and driving innovation in the public sector. With Open Data Day approaching, now is the perfect time to discuss how making data more accessible can empower communities, improve decision-making, and enhance public services.
Justin Bruce, director of client services for Tyler’s Data & Insights Division, shares his expertise on the role of open data in government. Drawing from his experience deploying open data solutions for the City of Jackson, Mississippi, Justin discusses how governments can leverage data to improve resident engagement, increase operational efficiency, and bolster resilience across multiple areas—including cybersecurity, disaster management, and economic development.
Throughout the conversation, Justin highlights real-world examples of how public sector organizations are using data to improve transparency, enhance service delivery, and make data-driven decisions that benefit their communities. He also shares insights into the emerging trends shaping the future of government data, including artificial intelligence (AI), predictive analytics, and digital accessibility.
Tune in to learn how public sector leaders can harness the power of data to build more resilient, responsive communities while ensuring security, accuracy, and public trust.
This episode also highlights Tyler Connect 2025, our annual conference designed to bring public sector professionals together to empower, collaborate, and imagine. Join us in San Antonio, Texas, from May 11–14, 2025, for product training, networking, and inspiration to help drive your organization forward. Early registration is now open — visit tylertech.com/connect to secure your spot!
And learn more about the topics discussed in this episode with these resources:
Listen to other episodes of the podcast.
Let us know what you think about the Tyler Tech Podcast in this survey!
Transcript:
Justin Bruce: I’ve seen in real-time how being able to understand and predict where an emergency or a type of emergency may occur more often or where it may have the worst impact, helps you prepare for issues and circumstances that may come.
Josh Henderson: From Tyler Technologies, this is the Tyler Tech Podcast, where we explore the trends, technologies, and people shaping public sector innovation today.
I’m Josh Henderson, part of the corporate marketing team here at Tyler. Thanks for joining us.
Each episode, we bring you thought-provoking conversations on the tools and strategies driving public sector innovation.
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider subscribing, giving us a five-star rating, and sharing the show with others.
In today’s episode, we’re talking about data and how it helps governments be more resilient, transparent, and innovative in the face of challenges.
With Open Data Day approaching, it’s the perfect time to explore how data can empower residents, improve decision-making, and drive meaningful change. Data allows people to stay informed and gives public sector leaders the insights they need to enhance services, foster economic growth, and strengthen their ability to adapt to disruptions.
Joining us on this episode is Justin Bruce, director of client services for Tyler’s Data & Insights Division.
Drawing from his experience deploying open data solutions for the City of Jackson, Mississippi, Justin will share key insights on how governments can harness data to drive transparency, improve engagement, and make informed decisions.
So, let’s get right into my conversation with Justin Bruce. We hope you enjoy the episode.
Alright. Justin, thanks so much for joining me today on the Tyler Tech Podcast.
Justin Bruce: Oh, man. I’m excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
Josh Henderson: Of course, so glad to have you here. So, to start, can you just tell us a little bit about your experience with open data, particularly your role in developing and deploying the open data portal for the city of Jackson, Mississippi?
Justin Bruce: Absolutely. One of the coolest things I’ve probably ever done in in my entire career. I had the opportunity there in Jackson to start a department for innovation and performance.
And as a part of that department, we took on the banner of attempting to take whatever data we could that existed in the city, bring it together, analyze it, walk through it with our department and agency heads, and determine whether or not we could create better outcomes from that data. As a result of that, we also attempted to take that data, clean it up in a user-friendly way and provide it to the public so that they could have some level of interaction with the truth of what their government was doing. And so that they could ask, honestly, better questions, harder questions, tougher things of us as a government agency to drive and force us to be better.
So, it was kind of a two two-sided coin, for lack of better words – both internal -- efficiency came from surfacing that data, and some external trust was built when we shared the nuts and bolts of what is actually going on behind the closed doors of government. So, yeah, super fun time at the city of Jackson.
Josh Henderson: So, Justin, Open Data Day is a global celebration held annually every March, sort of promoting data to drive innovation and public sector improvements. It’s also an opportunity to highlight the value of transparency and accessibility in government data. Why do you think data is such a critical component for public sector organizations today?
Justin Bruce: I think it goes without saying that data is the foundation of it all, in my opinion. And I think if I had to really synthesize that answer down to a couple true tenets. I would say productivity – access to data – provides you with such an opportunity to be much more proactive, much more productive, and to actually accomplish things.
And you see that you’re accomplishing those things when you’re looking at the data. It gives you a little bit of a leg up, which is always helpful, especially in the public sector. I think decision-making is another tenet there – the ability to have access to analytics and insights, the ability to both predict risk and prepare for it or eliminate it, the ability to make really, really strong and determined, let’s say, suggestions based on what the data is showing you.
I also think that gives you an opportunity to be a leader rather than a group of folks that are just reacting to the situations that occur. It gives you the opportunity to control it a bit. And then lastly, I think service delivery. Everything we do in public sector, everything I did in public sector was all about the residents.
And so, I think there is data that helps us to provide the best possible outcomes, the best possible services, and really connect people to the things that they need most in critical times with less stress and less drama — with a much more straightforward ability to get them to the point of access that they’re requiring. And so, I think those three tenets — productivity, decision-making, and service delivery — to me, shape why data is foundational to both the public sector and government as well as why we celebrate things like Open Data Day.
The ability to share transparently what your government and the folks you’ve elected are doing to benefit you is kind of a party and a celebration of us hitting all three of those tenets together.
Josh Henderson: Absolutely. And tied to those tenets, I think, is another key benefit of data, the potential to enhance resilience across multiple areas.
How would you say data supports resilience efforts in areas like cybersecurity, in areas like fraud detection, and disaster management?
Justin Bruce: Across all of those areas, the common consistency I will see is, within all of them, you want some form of data analytics or predictive analytics, or you want some form of data lens that you can apply to your data to see and understand the scope of what you’re dealing with. Every government wants to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse.
So, we look at data and financial data very, very toughly. We all want to be safe and secure when it comes to, our cyber identity, cyber health, the cybersecurity of our cities and counties.
And so, we put in robust programming to ensure that we are looking for risk factors and anomalies, and we can make changes and updates based on what the data shows us. And then for disaster management, I’ve lived that. I’ve seen in real-time how being able to understand and predict where an emergency or a type of emergency may occur more often or where it may have the worst impact, helps you prepare for issues and circumstances that may come.
And even when you’re in those crises, it might give you the opportunity — much like it did with COVID — to give us the lens to see data in a way that helps us to understand the patterns of our constituencies, to understand the needs of the folks that we serve, and to better prepare — but also create a plan of action to address the things in that moment and the things we see coming in future moments — that would give our residents the best opportunity to have a peaceful life. And so, yeah, resilience is big. Without the data, without our ability to think ahead while also addressing the problems of today, I think we wouldn’t be saying cities and counties are resilient, but they are.
They really are. Because I think, for the most part, this is a tenet of public sector. We use the data to help us maintain, to scale, and to really get from the current state to a brighter future state.
We use the data to help us maintain, to scale, and to really get from the current state to a brighter future state.
Justin Bruce
Director of Client Services, Data & Insights Division, Tyler Technologies
Josh Henderson: And now, considering economic resilience and urban planning, data has this potential to empower cities to make those really informed decisions, those really critical decisions. How have you seen data contribute to economic development and local government planning in your experience?
Justin Bruce: A couple different ways. As a city employee, one of the things I always wanted was the best for my city, as anyone would.
And that means, sometimes, betting on opportunities. That means, sometimes, going after events and marathons and games — international games that may come. And those types of things have strong economic impact.
When you bring in hundreds of thousands of people to participate in an event, you get quite a boost — and you like that when that happens. And so, having market research, having research about your city, understanding the challenges that hosting an event of that nature would bring to you, all those things help you to form a really robust response or create a really robust plan. So, where you need to do some maybe we need to do some land development in some places, we need a few more hotels to really qualify for something of this caliber. All of those things go into the decision-making process when you’re starting to think about the economic vitality of your city, your county, etc.
And even beyond that, making small incremental changes — I watched my friends in the city of Chattanooga make a really big bet that producing and creating fiber Internet across the entirety of their city was going to bring more business into their area. That’s an infrastructure investment that led to very great economic development. Businesses absolutely wanted to move in to take advantage of fiber in a time where fiber was, far and wide, hard to acquire. So, we think they’re really small decisions, but underneath the surface, they do have major impact that can benefit that city, that county, or that individual who’s attempting to do something for their residents.
Josh Henderson: And, of course, you know, not to sound too cliche about it, but with great data comes great responsibility. So, what would you say are some of the challenges cities are facing in managing and securing data?
How are they able to overcome these obstacles?
Justin Bruce: I think data literacy, having folks who don’t necessarily understand or comprehend the data that you’re providing, that’s a challenge.
Data access. Some folks don’t actually have access to the greatest Internet or mobile device or computer, and so, how do you disseminate data and information to those folks? And then data accuracy. Like, we’ve come from governments that were built on paper and the mechanism of signing documents daily and filing them away.
And so, to come into more of a digital age, sometimes there’s a gap in historical understanding and data. And so, all of those things kind of tie into both education and awareness. And I think part of it is a little bit of patience. One of the first things that I always suggested to folks that were new coming into the data program was — let’s just pause before we get up before we get too upset.
Let’s just do an inventory. What do you have?
What is available? Let’s figure that out first. Let’s figure out if it’s usable, if someone would understand it, and let’s create some education and awareness around it. Let’s just ease into it in a way that allows the stakes to be a little lower for all of us but also provide everyone benefit. So, yeah, I think those are some problems that’ll probably never go away, but there are ways that we can work on it.
Josh Henderson: Stay tuned. We’ll be right back with more of the Tyler Tech Podcast.
Hey there, Tyler Tech Podcast listeners, have you heard the buzz? Our annual user conference, Tyler Connect 2025, is officially on the horizon. And I’m here with my colleague, Jade Champion, with some exciting news to share.
Jade Champion: That’s right. Early registration is now open and trust us, you don’t want to miss this. Mark your calendars for May 11 through May 14, 2025, because we’re heading back to sunny San Antonio, Texas.
Josh Henderson: I can picture it already. The unique charm of historic Market Square, the vibrant Riverwalk, and, of course, the iconic Alamo. And let’s be honest, it’s not just the location that makes Tyler Connect a must-attend event.
Jade Champion: Absolutely. Tyler Connect is one of the largest gatherings of public sector professionals, and it’s your chance to collaborate with peers who are solving challenges with innovative solutions. It’s packed with product training, network opportunities, and inspiration to help you and your team thrive.
Josh Henderson: Whether you’re a first-timer or a Connect veteran, this conference always delivers. And let’s not forget, you’ll leave with new knowledge, practical tools, and meaningful connections to apply in your work and share with your teams.
Jade Champion: Head to tylertech.com/connect to take advantage of our early registration pricing, which secures your spot for an unforgettable time in San Antonio.
Josh Henderson: We can’t wait to see you at Tyler 2025 – a place to empower, collaborate, and imagine what’s possible for the public sector, all in the heart of Texas.
Now let’s get back to the Tyler Tech Podcast.
And now, we’ve talked about the internal challenges when it comes to data — or the internal opportunities when it comes to data — but beyond just collecting and sharing that data, engaging the community is also a vital aspect of the success of it all. How would you say public sector organizations can foster better engagement and collaboration with residents using data initiatives?
Justin Bruce: The first thing is the data has to tell a story.
You know, ones and zeros don’t always translate for everyone — sometimes charts and graphs are a better representation of data to someone who’s not familiar with a spreadsheet. Sometimes being able to bullet point the highlights of what something is sharing or showing or a trend that’s important.
And so, I think it’s about making sure we meet people where they are. We live and breathe in spreadsheets every single day. So, throw me a couple functions, and I’m happy. But for my family, my wife, anyone else that’s, just a normal resident, there could be some issues there with being able to translate data in its rawest form into something that is cohesive, and that makes sense. And so, I think that’s the first place to start. In order to engage the community, we’ve got to be able to provide them with context that helps them to understand what exactly we’re showing them, we’re telling them, and why it’s important.
Josh Henderson: I think that’s really great, perspective there. Thanks so much for that, Justin.
And now, obviously, we work in the tech space. Technology continues to evolve. It’s evolving rapidly. It’s beyond our control how quickly this all this stuff is evolving. But it’s influencing how data is used and accessed as well. What emerging data trends do you see shaping the future for public sector and whether or not there’s any sort of consequences or opportunities there that you can share?
Justin Bruce: To be very frank, a few years ago, it was machine learning. People were knocking down the door. How can we let data be used in machine learning and predictive analytics and predictive models so we can figure out forecasting for all these other things?
Today, I think it’s no surprise that is it’s AI.
AI is the biggest, really — trend and friend of technology right now — that exists.
I think there are a couple different takes on it. My take, as a former govvy and as someone who now works in the private sector and works with folks like me, who were like me, I think AI is going to be a game changer for the public sector.
I think that there are some who believe it is a mechanism in a way to limit human jobs and interaction, all that stuff. From my lens, just being honest, I actually think what AI is going to do is provide, especially in public sector, greater efficiency that allows the humans to get to the core issues and problems that face us and solve those.
It’s clear to me that if problems could have been solved by algorithms and arithmetic, we would absolutely live in a perfect society by now. That’s not true. It takes some human thinking. So, there’s that component of using technology to benefit the common good that I think this trend in AI eventually is going to land us in, especially dealing with public sector folks.
Josh Henderson: It’s no surprise to me that your answer to that question was AI.
It pretty much comes up in every time we are future-focused near the latter half of these episodes. So, no surprise there. Well, thank you so much, Justin, for this conversation. It’s been really, really great. I just have one last question for you. For cities or organizations just getting started with data initiatives, what advice would you give them or what advice would you offer them to ensure successful implementation and long-term value?
Justin Bruce: I would, first off, say, number one, you’re doing the right thing by opening the lid, looking through the cupboard, and seeing what’s in stock. That number one. It’s amazing.
The second thing I would say is don’t be surprised at what you see and what you find as you continue the journey of becoming both data mature as well as attempting to implement these data practices and data standards throughout your organization. And maybe I skipped over that, you know, as you prepare to create these programs, you will want to have a robust set of data practices and data standards and data process and procedure so that not only can you hang your hat on the fact that you’re sharing data — that’s both accurate and valuable — but also that you’re doing so in a secure and approved manner. Something that can be scalable and maintained long beyond our years. You’re creating that legacy and posterity for others.
I think the last thing I’ll say, in order to ensure successful implementation and long-term value, is ensuring that you use that data to tackle the most prominent issues that face your specific constituency so that the value of your program, the value of your efforts, is almost exponentially seen and grown across the folks you serve. Because once you have the public behind you, especially when it comes to data, transparency, analysis, once they believe and trust in those methods, they tend to jump on board pretty quickly. One thing I think about, Josh, is, when I was in government, we had this opportunity to levy a tax against our residents, and that tax was for the infrastructure of our city.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to an urban city, but, yes, we have potholes. They abound, quite a bit.
So, what the citizens wanted us to do was take every single penny of that money and put it towards street repaving.
However, what the data told us was that if we repave those streets, but we didn’t fix the pipes underneath them, we would only be walking in a circle for the next 10 to 15 years.
So, like I said earlier, we had to trust the data. We had to tell the story. And then we had to make sure we got buy-in and trust from the citizens to understand that our desire was not to go against their will. It was to do it in the most efficient way possible so that they wouldn’t keep being plagued by a systemic issue where, for decades, people would just slap a Band-Aid over something, call it done.
And so, I would say, if you want to have some sustainability and you want this thing to actually work, you’ve got to be okay with knowing that the data’s also going to show you some things that maybe you don’t want it to show you, but they will be beneficial and efficient and helpful in the future. And so, Ilove it. I think, anyone who’s after, you know, data efficiency and data transparency will love it too. So, I guess my only last comment would be, you know, best wishes to anyone that gets started. Best wishes to anyone that’s doing it.
And if you if you ever think you needed some support, you got this guy rooting in your corner, hoping that you win and that your residents are happier for it.
Josh Henderson: What a perfect place to wrap things up. And we’re awfully lucky to have you here at Tyler, and we’ll absolutely have you back on for a future episode. So, really appreciate you taking the time today.
Justin Bruce: No. Thank y’all.
Josh Henderson: Thanks for joining us for this conversation with Justin Bruce, director of client services in Tyler’s Data & Insights Division.
Data plays a crucial role in helping governments foster transparency, innovation, and resilience in their communities.
By making information more accessible and actionable, governments can empower residents, drive economic growth and make informed decisions that lead to stronger communities.
At Tyler, we’re dedicated to the tools and expertise public sector organizations need to harness the full potential of their data. And with Open Data Day right around the corner, it’s a great time to explore how your organization can leverage open data to better serve your community. If you’d like to learn more about what we discussed today, check out our show notes for additional resources.
Let us know your thoughts by filling out the survey linked in the show notes or reaching out to us anytime at podcast@tylertech.com. Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast so you won’t miss any upcoming episodes where we’ll continue exploring the innovative ways technology is empowering the public sector.
For Tyler Technologies, I’m Josh Henderson. Thanks for listening to the Tyler Tech Podcast.