Using Government Data Analytics to Guide Decision-Making

A recent report from the Pew Charitable Trusts highlighted ways to use government data analytics to inform decisions. Data provides a necessary measurement tool from which states can justify decisions, balance their budgets, and ensure their fiscal responsibility. Applying data-based metrics to better understand areas from spending to staffing has helped improve state decision making.

What it comes down to is simple: factual evidence shapes policy. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts article, “Using rigorous evidence in policymaking can help ensure that state governments enact policies that are proved to work, reduce wasteful spending, increase accountability, and expand innovative and effective programs.”

When issues of policy arise, states have found it valuable to fall back on data-based evidence to understand the reality of their challenges. Policymakers have used data to address existing issues and also prepare their offices for future issues through data-based predictive analytics. This has led to fewer unexpected setbacks and a superior awareness of the state’s status. Data will also reveal potential areas of improvement. “Data has helped some states address rapidly growing budget and resource restraints, and create efficiencies,” the article notes.

Applying such metrics to administrative concerns is more difficult, as it’s a challenge to find the time to process such data and qualify staff efforts. The article cites an “overall lack in the number and skills of staff to perform the work.” However, states have found that setting goals or structuring tasks in a way that makes them quantifiable and measurable improves their ability to problem solve on the administrative side as well. Of course, finding the time and understanding the wealth of information at your fingertips is an entirely separate concern for many organizations.

IC System can relate, as we have been an industry leader in our use of an extensive, secure data warehouse. We store and access metrics on success rates, call quality, dialing approaches, and more—and these details inform our collection strategies, thus optimizing and creating efficiencies in how we deliver results to our clients.

In the digital age, using data to guide your organization is just a best practice. Contact IC System to learn how our advanced data analytics can produce a higher return of revenue to your government office.

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