Splunk’s Frank Dimina: Government Agencies Should Advance Data Democracy

Frank Dimina, vice president of public sector at Splunk, wrote in a Nextgov article published Tuesday that providing government employees and citizens access to data through the concept of data democracy could help agencies improve customer experience and regain public trust.

Dimina said agencies should empower frontline employees by sharing data with them to enable them to make decisions and address problems in real time.

“This creates benefits from two fronts. First, it engenders higher employee satisfaction by providing greater autonomy to workers who feel like they are making a difference first-hand. Second, it elevates the customer experience, allowing government agencies and civil servants to truly serve citizens, businesses and constituents,” he wrote.

“Creating data democracy in government agencies will help restore shaken trust in public institutions as constituents and stakeholders see their government being more transparent, reachable and responsive to their needs,” he noted.

Dimina called on the federal government to increase access of innovators and researchers from private enterprises, nongovernmental organizations and private research institutions to open data.

“As we surge forward into the Data Age, making more of this data available will allow more people to ask more questions and derive more answers. Some of our best moments as a nation happen when public and private innovation are harnessed together,” he added.