Where State and Local Governments Should Focus Their 2016 Efforts
Austin, Texas BrianPapkePhotography / Shutterstock.com
Balancing partnerships among three critical areas is a must, according to a new Onvia report.
State and local jurisdictions should modernize by making the most of public-private partnerships in the realms of smart infrastructure, efficient government and open data, according to a new report from Seattle-based Onvia, a government business intelligence company.
Procuring more responsive services ensures jurisdictions within the state, local and education (SLED) government market can compete with their neighbors when it comes to public transit, reasonable taxation structures and transparency.
Government leaders, in turn, earn the public’s favor for being frugal and keeping pace with younger generations of early adopters.
In order to make cities more livable and poised for growth, governments will invest an estimated $39.5 billion on smart infrastructure projects in 2016—from networked LED lighting to bus rapid transit to parking systems.
SLED vendors can boost their attractiveness by showing the product or service can make the most of existing infrastructure.
“Smart cities are willing to invest in innovation...a critical ingredient in a growing, competitive community,” said Jesse Berst, Smart Cities Council chairman, according to the Onvia report. “Vendors that can provide the most innovative, integrated solutions to address cities’ infrastructure challenges will have a clear advantage.”
Agencies have also begun employing non-traditional procurement methods like cooperative purchasing and multi-year, fixed-term contracts to limit the number of times they go out for bid, according to the report.
Paperless contracting systems are another way governments can streamline the bidding process.
A final trend Onvia identified for 2016 is the increase in agencies building open data portals to improve internal collaboration and responsiveness, as well as economic development. Such portals also increase citizens’ trust in governments.
Using open data to host civic hackathons can generate new business models and jobs for agencies.
According to the report:
Businesses across a range of industries need to be aware of the open data resources available and leverage them in working with public clients. A diverse range of vendors are directly affected as agencies increasingly rely on open data to create transparency and easily accessible, valuable products and services.
Read the full report here.
Dave Nyczepir is a News Editor at Government Executive’s Route Fifty.
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