Report: Governments Need to Share More Data to Solve Complex Issues, Grow Economy
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But governments should use the expertise of private companies to help guard sensitive data that is shared, according to a Georgetown University study.
The public provides an incredible amount of data to governments and companies. Yet much of this data is being wasted, remaining in silos rather than being shared across sectors to enhance the common good, such as treating residents with opioid addictions and dealing with other complex societal issues, according to a report by Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation.
The report states that governments are more willing to share information across agencies, but the process can take up time and cause risks with data sets. It advises the use of private companies to help protect data that is being shared amongst governments.
By re-evaluating laws and regulations surrounding the sharing of data, governments can best use the expertise of private companies to help guard sensitive data shared. According to the report, these steps will assist in lowering the costs of data sharing and can lead to the greater good.
The study points to the sharing of personal information with governments and companies, which reveal shopping habits, family sizes and financial transactions, as well as who people associate with.This is cited as a long process where valuable data is normally wasted and ends up in silos.
According to the center’s findings, citizens should receive more benefits from the public information that is stored. It is suggested that sharing data across private and public sectors can help improve societal problems and grow the economy.
The Beeck Center authors also stress the importance of nonprofit intermediaries that can help lower costs of data sharing by providing legal, technical and political advisory options. However, they recommend that governments lead the way in this data-sharing process to foster a healthy data analysis process.
The analysis comes as private and public entities are sharing increased amounts of data across sectors to help address the nation's challenges. The Biden administration has emphasized the use of data to solve many of the challenges the country is facing. More states are attempting to use data more effectively and many governors now use data to be a regular part of their messaging.
To see more on the details surrounding the Beeck Center report click here.
Brent Woodie is an associate editor at Route Fifty.
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