Horizons Spring/Summer 2019

While our governmental information technology (IT) structures are set up for our traditional accounting and enterprise resource planning systems, this additional data requires some planning on the government’s part. Is your current IT system set up to collect, store and transmit this data for users? Will your entity need additional hardware? Will you partner with new organizations to implement this approach? There is no shortage of new partners in the marketplace that are willing to assist your government with this undertaking. Several governments have utilized public private partnerships (P3s) to fund and embark on this transformation. Many governments have also taken the position that this data, much like the financial data we already produce for transparency purposes, should be available to the public. This allows the users to obtain answers real time and often can enable those outside of the government to propose solutions and initiatives based upon the observations gleaned from this data. AI & Robotics One of the primary opportunities that goes hand and hand with a smart/data driven approach is the opportunity to deploy emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

AI is currently being utilized to complete reconciliations and other compliance and administrative applications in the private sector. Bots are often utilized to complete much of the heavy lifting as far as initial analysis and categorization of data. This frees up the government’s current resources to focus on a higher level of analysis or even possibly an entirely different task. AI can be utilized to identify trends and highlight significant variances outside of the norms, which can be an early detector of impending challenges. The cost of AI and related technologies is constantly evolving and becoming increasingly obtainable. Utilization of AI could also reduce the strain on the talent recruitment and retention in the governmental space by allowing fewer required field technicians and more high- level analysis and decision-making positions. The implementation of AI is not without some additional investment in talent, as you likely need to not only invest in your IT infrastructure but also the team. This would not be limited to the traditional IT types of roles, but would be expanded to analysts, network engineers, database administrators and so on. Many governments have even charged a senior level manager or a director with innovation, which often encompasses this data driven approach.

34 What will the Next Decade Bring for the Public Sector Industry

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