Sat.Nov 09, 2024 - Fri.Nov 15, 2024

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When they search for new staffers, cities and counties should cast a wide net and recruit globally

American City & Country

State and local governments employed 20.5 million as of October 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Among those workers, there was an increase in the number who quit (about 22,000) in September, the BLS reported. Job openings in September 2024 in state and local governments in the U.S. totaled 703,000, says the BLS. So, if local governments need to hire qualified workers to replace those leaving, where can they turn to when recruiting?

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Why Many Government Agencies Depend on the Cloud for AI

State Tech Magazine

When it comes to innovative and emerging technology, everyone’s talking about artificial intelligence. There is palpable excitement around the efficiency and cost savings that many government IT leaders predict as a result of AI adoption. But there’s also a sense of uncertainty as many organizations struggle to identify best practices for full implementation.

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How to increase climate resilience in urban areas

American City & Country

In the face of climate change, cities around the world are experiencing unprecedented weather patterns that have profound impacts on urban life. City planners and policymakers must leverage weather data to design resilient urban environments capable of withstanding these changes. One of the most pressing issues is the increasing focus on heat, driven by alarming trends in annual weather data by city.

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Finally… Here’s the First Ever Email Benchmark Report for Libraries

Super Library Marketing

Watch this video now #LibraryMarketing Show, episode 266 For the first time ever, libraries that email their community to promote their services have metric benchmarks! I will discuss how this new report came about (spoiler alert: it was born out of my annoyance!) and how you can get your hands on it in this episode of The Library Marketing Show. Plus we’ll give kudos to a library that reached a whole new audience to promote their collection.

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Municipal Maintenance: Ready, Set, Inspect!

Speaker: Noratek

Maintaining municipal operations is no small task, especially when budgets are tight and public expectations are high. In this webinar, we’ll explore how local governments can streamline their maintenance operations while ensuring safety, compliance, and efficiency. What You’ll Gain: Proven strategies for effective inspection management Insight into leveraging digital tools Practical tips for addressing common maintenance challenges Examples of municipalities that have achieved success.

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A proactive approach to navigating geopolitics is essential to thrive

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Business leaders must go beyond mitigating geopolitical risks to seizing the opportunities presented by the new world order. Here’s how.

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Implementing a unified search platform for educational content on Amazon OpenSearch Service

AWS Public Sector Blog

This post discusses how Amazon Web Services (AWS) can help you set up a unified search platform for educational content using Amazon OpenSearch Service. Amazon OpenSearch Service is a managed service that makes it easy to deploy, operate, and scale OpenSearch clusters in the AWS Cloud. With digital learning becoming increasingly popular, managing a vast amount of educational data can be challenging.

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Can FEMA and Flood Insurance Keep Up with the Rising Tide of Risks?

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

A busy and destructive hurricane season will soon come to a close. But months and even years may pass before homeowners across the Southeast are able to fully rebuild and recover from this year’s major flood damage—including that caused by Hurricane.

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Harnessing AI to reshape consumer experiences in healthcare

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

AI-powered solutions can unlock insights from previously inaccessible data and enable consumer engagement and personalization at an unprecedented scale, in turn lifting healthcare business outcomes.

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Transforming DoD's data utilization with generative AI

Google Public Sector

Generative AI presents both immense opportunities and challenges for the Department of Defense (DoD). The potential to enhance situational awareness, streamline tasks, and improve decision-making is significant. However, the DoD's unique requirements, especially their stringent security standards for cloud services (IL5), necessitate carefully crafted AI solutions that balance innovation with security.

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Skills Benchmarking Lays Groundwork for AI Success

GovLoop

In the coming years, government agencies are looking to artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI solutions to transform all aspects of their operations and services. The challenge is that they need to develop the workforce to support that vision. The October 2023 Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence emphasized the importance of training employees in the benefits, risks and limitations of AI for their job functions.

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How Breckenridge, CO Ensures Tax & Licensing Compliance

Breckenridge’s short-term rental boom—over 4,200 licenses —put intense pressure on the town’s small staff and manual processes. Facing compliance and efficiency challenges, the town teamed up with GovOS to automate its STR licensing. The new system: Cut admin time Reduced errors Improved the experience for property owners and town staff Discover the full impact of automation on Breckenridge’s STR management—download the case study.

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On the Tech Horizon—Health, Space, and Environmental Innovations

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

Technology is rapidly evolving—raising questions for policymakers about how to promote innovations while also protecting Americans from harm. Perhaps no example is as striking as the debate over Artificial Intelligence (AI). But AI isn’t the only.

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What are AI guardrails?

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

AI guardrails help ensure that an organization’s AI tools, and their application in the business, reflect the organization’s standards, policies, and values.

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How AWS can help mission-focused organizations comply with the White House National Security Memorandum on AI

AWS Public Sector Blog

On October 24, 2024, the White House released a National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Artificial Intelligence (AI) , which focuses on ensuring US leadership in developing advanced AI technologies. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is uniquely positioned to address the critical needs of the defense and national security customers in advancing their AI capabilities.

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From Cloud to Procurement: How the FITARA Scorecard Is Progressing

FedTech Magazine

Agencies’ improved grades on the 18th FITARA scorecard reflect their growing commitment to enhancing their IT infrastructure and management practices. This iteration of the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act scorecard saw agencies achieve the highest number of A grades ever recorded, with 13 out of 24 agencies receiving top marks and 10 others securing B grades.

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Empower Digital Government: Strategic Workbook for Modern Transformation

Digital transformation is reshaping government interactions, bringing agencies closer to the communities they serve. However, while many have adopted new digital tools, few have implemented comprehensive strategies to maximize their benefits. Our Strategic Workbook for Modern Government offers a step-by-step guide to developing a sustainable digital strategy.

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Nonbank Mortgage Servicers: Proposing a Better Path to Reduce Their Risk to Financial Stability

The Stoop (NYU Furman Center)

Introduction The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) 1 published its “Report on Nonbank Mortgage Servicing 2024” 2 (the Report) earlier this year. This nearly-50-page document concluded that nonbank mortgage servicers (NMSs) collectively are a potential threat to financial stability. However, in my view, the Report’s recommendations are not well-constructed, particularly because they fail to address head-on that threat’s actual root cause: two long-established mo

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Delivering the strategy: The COO agenda

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

In recent discussions, COOs reflect on the need for an often-missing defined agenda that reflects the role’s unique responsibilities. Here’s how to start.

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New Mexico Lays the Foundation for the Future of Education with Better Connectivity 

Government Technology Insider

Of the many lessons learned during the pandemic, one of the most impactful is that education doesn’t–and shouldn’t–happen only in the classroom. The digital world and the multitude of online educational tools offer so many learning opportunities that can help students and teachers prepare for the future. But for states like New Mexico with tens of thousands of students in remote areas, ensuring equitable access to a wealth of digital opportunities can be challenging.

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Countries Have Been Overlooking Their Biggest Climate Allies: Local and Regional Governments

The City Fix

Cities are home to more than half the world’s population: 4.4 billion people commuting, working, eating, shopping, and using light, heat and air conditioning. As a result, cities collectively produce over 70% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions warming the planet. They.

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7 Signs Your Local Government ERP Is Holding You Back: A Guide for Small Municipalities

Local governments and municipalities serving populations under 200,000 face distinctive challenges in delivering efficient and effective services to their communities. To overcome these challenges, many rely on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems tailored to their specific needs. Not all ERP systems are created equal, and some may hinder progress rather than support it.

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Policy Minute: Eliminating Minimum Parking Requirements

The Stoop (NYU Furman Center)

New York City zoning laws require minimum off-street parking in many areas, which often results in an oversupply of parking spaces where market demand for off-street parking is relatively low. These mandates increase development costs, reducing the feasibility of new housing projects and ultimately limiting the supply of housing. The New York City Council is currently considering the Department of City Planning’s City of Yes for Housing Opportunity (COYHO) zoning reform proposal, and is se

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Improving organizational health in the public sector: Achieving tangible impact

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Governments often face more constraints in meeting their objectives than most private sector companies do. Adopting practices that enhance organizational health can help.

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Are combination inspectors a good choice for municipalities?

American City & Country

The success of building inspections is often measured in terms of things that don’t happen (e.g., collapses, fires, etc.). The unfortunate thing about this is, it makes it harder to demonstrate their value to officials. If you were to investigate the history of building codes, you would find they have played a critical role in public safety. Our history has shown how cyclical the importance placed on building codes and their enforcement has been.

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Building a Scalable and Secure FedRAMP-Compliant Cloud Environment: Socure’s Proven Strategies with AWS and Complementary Tools

AWS Public Sector Blog

At Socure, we’re committed to leading the way in identity verification and fraud prevention. We’ve developed a FedRAMP-compliant environment from the ground up using our Socure ID+ for Government (“SocureGov”) solution. In this blog post, we’ll delve into Socure’s journey of building a FedRAMP-compliant cloud infrastructure from the ground up that uses a comprehensive suite of AWS services, enhanced by key third-party tools such as Sumo Logic, Istio, Terraform, and Trend Micro, to create a moder

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Holiday Safety Tips for Municipal Operations

The holiday season brings joy and celebration, but it also introduces unique challenges for municipal operations. From ensuring safe snow removal and managing icy sidewalks to organizing festive events and addressing increased community needs, municipalities play a critical role in keeping residents safe and operations running smoothly. This eBook provides actionable safety tips to help your team navigate the holiday season effectively, protect staff and citizens, and ensure compliance with safe

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How to Protect Against Identity Threats

GovLoop

Identity-based cybersecurity threats are on the rise. The number of phishing attempts — the most common type of cyberattack — increased 62% from 2023 to 2024, for instance, and identity-related incidents have directly affected 84% of organizations this year, a 68% increase from 2023. What’s more, identity breaches are often the first step to a larger cyberattack, and the public sector is a primary target.

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Elevating the risk function in insurance: Building a strategic advantage

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Today’s rapidly developing risk landscape demands a new, more nimble approach for insurance companies to assess and respond to risks, a function inherently in their DNA.

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Small budget, strong security: Why Zero Trust is key to protecting critical infrastructure

American City & Country

Earlier this year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a joint advisory , warning government agencies of potential disruptions to U.S. critical infrastructure by cyber actors. Since then, reports have surfaced highlighting state and local governments as increasing targets for these attacks, particularly from foreign adversaries.

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4 Ways Governments Can Modernize Contact Centers for Emergencies

State Tech Magazine

When a natural disaster hits, the affected community’s first instinct is to seek answers — fast. People want to know how to evacuate, where to find shelter or when it will be clear to return home. The contact center becomes the heartbeat of the emergency response. This isn’t just a phone system, it’s the first direct connection between citizens and the support they need, often making the difference between confusion and clarity and safety and danger.

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Boost Revenue With Simple Short-Term Rental Registration and Tax Collections

Government agencies that rely on tax revenue to fund critical services and infrastructure are finding it more urgent than ever to bridge the gap between under-reported tax revenue and taxpayers’ understanding of the processes. This is especially true as things like short-term rentals (STRs) have grown in popularity and become new sources of income for residents.

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How SLED Can Secure OT, Critical Infrastructure

GovLoop

In state and local governments, much of the operational technology (OT) that monitors and controls critical infrastructure is based on legacy technology. That presents a major challenge. “Outdated OT systems were not originally designed with cybersecurity in mind. They may lack modern security features, and they are difficult to patch and update,” said Bryan Schneider, Director, Public Sector, with Fortinet.

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The cybersecurity provider’s next opportunity: Making AI safer

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

New technology means new challenges—and new solutions—for cybersecurity providers.

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OpenAI shares its five-pillar blueprint for building AI infrastructure in the U.S.

American City & Country

Numerous local governments have taken huge strides in just the past year to embrace emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology, whether applying it to streamline government tasks or simply establishing guidelines for its usage. But OpenAI believes the technology’s potential is bigger. The creator of ChatGPT and one of the leading purveyors of AI, OpenAI has shared what it described as its blueprint for building AI infrastructure in the U.S.

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4G upgrades in rural Wales to improve connectivity and economic growth

Open Access Government - Technology News

The 4G network is set to reach thousands of households and businesses across Wales The new rollout of faster and more reliable 4G hopes that people living and working in rural Wales can benefit from mobile network upgrades. Connecting rural Wales to the rest of the world 7 government-funded mobile network upgrades are now switched on, these seven sights are located in North, South West and West Wales.

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ASPA TIMES Magazine: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

PA TIMES Magazine is a publication of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), a not-for-profit corporation. This edition focused on diversity, equity and inclusion in public administration, including guest columns, insights for the field and interviews with city government DEI officers about their work at the local level.