Jerry Petersen
The recent Elastic Public Sector Summit offered several key takeaways into how government agencies could better handle data in order to improve citizen engagement and deliver public service more efficiently, according to Chris Townsend, vice president of public sector at search analytics company Elastic.
First, tools that can rapidly transform large data sets into actionable insights must be deployed in order for agencies to keep pace with the demands of modern governance, Townsend said in a column published Friday on Government Technology Insider.
Another key element is the use of advanced search and analytics, which, on the one hand, can help surface and prioritize information relevant to an agency’s needs, and, on the other hand, improve citizen experience by simplifying with government tools.
Townsend describes advanced search and analytics “catalysts for change” because they can “empower agencies to make a tangible difference in citizen service and tackle the complex problems facing government today.”
An element that Townsend considers “non-negotiable” is cybersecurity, which must go hand-in-hand with innovations in artificial intelligence, a technology that, according to General Services Administration Chief Information Officer Dave Shive, enables the government to “operate on our data environment at the speed of the 21st century.”
A final, recurring element is collaboration, which can help with threat management on the one hand and with ensuring that technology offerings are tailored to the needs of government customers on the other hand.
“In our ever-evolving digital landscape, only by transforming data into actionable insights can agencies remain truly ahead of the curve,” Townsend said.
