GovEx Data Points

Transparency in policing has come to national attention in recent years due the exposure of numerous civilian deaths at the hands of police officers across the country. To help improve understanding of police and community interactions, the Police Data Initiative was formally launched by the White House in May 2015. Although the Police Data Initiative is a federal initiative, it seeks to work with state and local governments to improve public safety and relations with police departments.

In this episode, we talk with Clarence Wardell and Denise Ross who lead the Police Data Initiative on behalf of the White House to find out how the initiative came about, what it entails, and how police departments can start to work with the initiative to improve public relations.

To learn more about the Police Data Initiative, visit: htnbv ntps://www.policefoundation.org/

A phrase often used in our field without much clarity is "data science." This week we try to demystify some buzzwords and explain data science through a discussion with two GovEx staffers who recently attended the Data Science for Social Good conference held in Chicago. GovEx Senior Implementation Advisor Matt Pazoles and Analyst Nick Hadjigeorge attended the conference a few weeks ago and in this episode they shared their thoughts on the highlights and implications of the conference.

Through the discussion, we try to answer questions like: What is data science? What is the coolest data science project you've seen? Why should data scientists really be called data janitors? If the answers to those questions aren't enough and you want to learn more about data science, read up on Data Science for Social Good and check out GovEx's Data Science 101 resources.

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Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the US and has long been known for being data-savvy due its association with companies like Amazon and Microsoft. However, it's not just the private sector that's promoting innovation and data use. The City of Seattle also works hard on incorporating data, being open about its practices, and pushing the envelope on providing better services to residents.

This week guest host Matt Raifman and I talked with Candace Faber, Civic Technology Advocate for the City of Seattle, about what the city is doing to better use data to support residents. As the first ever person in this role, Candace connects actors across the technology and civic ecosystems to advance the Mayor's vision for Seattle to be a safe, affordable, vibrant, innovative, and connected city. Candace also helped champion the recent release of Seattle's Open Data Playbook, which helps guide city staff through the process of opening data.

Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch

You can find updates to the podcast in several ways.

Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points

Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast

Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Gun violence is an issue that plagues many major cities in the US. It is a complex and politically fraught issue, with a variety of causes and strategies to address it. This week, we try to get a better understanding of gun violence in the US through a discussion with Ted Alcorn, Director of Innovation at Everytown for Gun Safety. Originally founded by a group of concerned mayors, Everytown is a nonprofit focused on building a movement of Americans who work together to end gun violence and build safer communities. To do this, they provide research, convene stakeholders, and advocate for legislation that will help reduce gun violence across the US.

As Director of Innovation for Everytown, Ted focuses much of his work on exploring new frontiers for reducing gun violence. This includes looking deeply at data from across the US to find ways for government leaders and community members to join forces to address critical public safety issues. Check out everytownresearch.org to learn more about Everytown’s research and data analysis on gun violence and read their most recent report – Strategies for Reducing Crime in American Cities.

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You can find updates to the podcast in several ways.

Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points

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Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

The concepts of sunshine laws and open government have grown in prominence around the US in recent years. However, governments often have difficulty keeping up with changes and determining what works in terms of transparency and accountability. One of the oldest nonprofits focused on helping communities make sense of these shifts is the Sunlight Foundation. If you’re not familiar with Sunlight, it is a nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates for open government globally and uses technology to make government more accountable to all. The GovEx team also works closely with Sunlight on our What Works Cities engagements focused on open data.

This week I had the chance to talk with Alex Howard from Sunlight to discuss how governments and communities can effectively and productively focus on transparency. At Sunlight, Alex is Senior Analyst focusing on advancing openness and accountability at all levels of government. Alex has also had an extensive career in data journalism and has a unique perspective on how government and communities can engage around data to build public trust.

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You can find updates to the podcast in several ways.

Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points

Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast

Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

A lot of US cities are just getting started with open data, but Philadelphia has been in the data game for awhile. Philly's open data program has released over 200 datasets, including those focusing on city contracts and the city budget. In this episode, Sharon and Eric chat with Chief Data Officer Tim Wisniewski of the City of Philadelphia to discuss how cities can improve their data practice and learn from the experience (both good and bad) of Philadelphia.

Tim has served in the Philadelphia city administration since 2012, helping to build a nationally renowned open data and digital services program.  Tim is a Philly native and was previously Executive Director of the Frankford Special Services District, where he led efforts to revitalize the Frankford Avenue Business Corridor. You can read more about Tim, his hobbies, and his current projects at timwis.com.

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You can find updates to the podcast in several ways.

Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points

Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast

Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

A lot of people these days are using the buzz word "analytics," but few people actually know what it is or how it works in government. Getting started with analytics can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, Sharon and Eric chat with What Works Cities fellow and former New York City Chief Analytics Officer Mike Flowers to discuss how analytics works and how cities can get started with their own analytics programs.

Mike has a wealth of experience using data to drive improved decision-making in government. He founded the Mayor's Office of Data Analytics (MODA) in New York City and has worked with governments around the world to infuse analytics into government operations. Throughout his career, Mike has focused on improving operational decision-making by arming public servants with the information they need to improve outcomes.

Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch

You can find updates to the podcast in several ways.

Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points

Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast

Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Nearly 30,000 acres of land. 600,000 trees on city streets. How does the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation manage so much of the city?

“Everything starts with a map,” says Jacqueline Lu, NYC Parks Director of Data Analytics. Visualizing and analyzing data to understand how all the assets it oversees is the Department’s fundamental approach.

In this episode, Andrew chats with Jackie not just about what data usage on such a scale looks like, but also about the Parks’ street trees census. The Department is in the midst of its third such census now. Because NYC Parks relies heavily on 2,500 volunteers to collect tree census data, the project is also a community stewardship opportunity.

Learn more about the New York City Department of Parks by visiting nycgovparks.org or following them on Twitter @nycparks.

Thanks for listening!

Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch

You can find updates to the podcast in several ways.

Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points

Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast

Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

"Open source kindness." That's how OpenReferral talks about how it helps people connect to food pantries, medical clinics, mental healthcare, youth services, computer refurbishment programs, et cetera.

OpenReferral, a "non-organization" community of practice, is the latest advancement in a century-old field helping people access human services. GovEx's Director of Open Data, Andrew Nicklin, sits down with OpenReferral's Chief Organizing Officer, Greg Bloom to talk about how are they leveraging old-fashioned network development and cutting-edge technology.

Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch

You can find updates to the podcast in several ways.

Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points

Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast

Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

What is a "nudge?" How can human behavior, and errors, affect the everyday work of government? How can data help government start to correct those errors? We discuss these questions and more with Elspeth Kirkman of the Behavioral Insights Team (or BIT) in this week's episode of Data Points. Elspeth is the Head of BIT North America, which launched last year as a part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Initiative (which also launched GovEx).

BIT grew out of 10 Downing St, where it was the United Kingdom’s “nudge unit” and the world’s first government institution dedicated to the application of behavioral sciences. BIT's work focuses on redesigning services based on empirical evidence from the behavioral science literature. Their work also involves rigorous testing of behavioral science concepts to ensure that governments know what works before they scale up new practices.

Through What Works Cities, BIT has expanded its work to the US and is working with several cities across the country on low-cost evaluations. These evaluations help cities test different a variety of techniques in service delivery to determine which ways are more effective, and which ways aren't, to improve service delivery.

Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch

You can find updates to the podcast in several ways.

Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points

Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast

Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.