These are the Smart Government news stories that the FreeBalance Strategy and Innovation group found most interesting in June. We saw more evidence of the need for improved public finance tools for “smart” and the rising policy leadership of cities.
GOVERNMENT RESOURCE PLANNING DRIVING $11B SMART GOVERNMENT MARKET. “Government resource planning system solutions are expected to have the largest market share during the forecast period…It comprises modules such as financial management, asset lifecycle management, supply chain management, workforce management, order and contract management, and document management. This system ensures transparency in activities, provides authorized access which ensures data privacy, and maximizes the effectiveness of resource allocations.” http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smart-governments-market-expected-to-reach-usd-2824-billion-by-2022-300476165.html
SMART CITIES NEED SMART PLANNING: Public investment planning can be enhanced with visualizing construction. http://www.cbronline.com/4th-revolution/mapping-future-smarter-planning-smarter-cities/
6 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & BIG DATA LESSONS FOR SMART GOVERNMENT:
- Urbanization is driving innovation because of infrastructure challenges and the promise of technology solution.
- The impact of artificial intelligence to government is not yet understood.
- Legacy government mechanisms for budgeting and procurement stand in the way of smart government innovation.
- Decision Support in the big data era is complex.
- Privacy and cybersecurity are critical concerns for smart government.
- Opendata is an ingredient for smart government.
EXISTING GOVERNANCE METHODS IN WAY OF MAKING SMART CITIES SMART: Gartner public sector research director Bill Finery describes the cities governance gap. http://www.itbusiness.ca/news/why-gartner-believes-cities-need-to-pursue-digital-transformation/91220
CITIES WILL ENSURE OUR FUTURE SURVIVAL: More evidence of the governance shift from nation states to cities to deal with major global challenges like climate change. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/06/as-nation-states-falter-cities-are-stepping-up
CREATIVE THINKING NEEDED FOR SMART CITIES: Smart Cities planning and implementation is complex. Public procurement rules constrain Smart Cities investments, according to Deloitte. http://diginomica.com/2017/06/01/deloitte-smart-cities-investment-requires-creative-thinking/
THE SMART CITIES GOVERNANCE GAP: Policy, planning, technology, financing, infrastructure and transparency gaps described. http://freebalance.com/smart-government/what-is-the-smart-city-governance-gap/
A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE GOVERNANCE GAP: Lack of trust in government. http://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/governance-gap-can-we-bridge-it
NICARAGUA BECOMING WORLD LEADER IN RENEWABLE ENERGY: Central American country becoming “green energy powerhouse. http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/03/11/392111931/nicaraguas-renewable-energy-revolution-picks-up-steam
THE CASE FOR PUBLIC INVESTMENT FEEDBACK LOOPS: “Public investment planning is often inaccurate because of poor estimates. Projects are often delayed, and budgets are often exceeded. There are often unexpected operation costs after the bridge, road, street, hospital or school is built.” http://freebalance.com/smart-government/what-is-the-use-case-for-public-investment-planning-feedback-loops/