2024

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Individualism Is Making Public Transit Worse

Next City

For buses and trains to work well, they must meet the needs of many different people at the same time.

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New Houston mayor reverses course on bike, pedestrian improvements

GCN

Mayor John Whitmire ordered pedestrian islands removed, froze projects with bike lanes and suggested cyclists stick to “recreational” trails. It’s a big change in direction from his predecessor’s approach.

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Federal Government Made $236 billion “Improper Payments” Last Fiscal Year

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

The federal government reported an estimated $236 billion in “improper payments” during the most recently completed fiscal year (FY 2023). Such payments are essentially payment errors that can be the result of many things—include overpayments.

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What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)?

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a theoretical AI system with capabilities that rival those of a human. Many researchers believe we are still decades, if not centuries, away from achieving AGI.

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The Ultimate Playground Inspection Handbook

Dive into the world of playground safety with this complimentary guide. It offers a detailed exploration of essential practices to ensure the utmost safety for children. Delve into inspection techniques, from assessing equipment conditions to evaluating surfacing materials. Gain insights into maintenance strategies to keep playgrounds in top-notch condition year-round.

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How to balance Accessibility and Security in an AI world

Microsoft Public Sector

With the recent announcements around Copilot, especially Copilot for Microsoft 365, many agencies are excited to adopt the new capabilities and unlock user productivity and accessibility. However, there is one lingering question that has always and continues to be in the background: “How to balance accessibility, productivity and security in an AI world.

Security 136
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Future of Government Awards 2023 celebrate use of technology to transform people’s lives

AWS Public Sector Blog

Today, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)—the leading UN organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change—the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Institute , and Public Digital , a consultancy whose purpose is to help global institutions thrive in the internet era, announced the recipients of the Future of Government Awards 2023.

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More Trending

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It’s FAFSA Week of Action: Time to Take a #FAFSAFastBreak!

Homeroom

It’s FAFSA Week of Action (April 15-19) and to kick off the effort the U.S. Department of Education is thrilled to announce the launch our #FAFSAFastBreak campaign, a national effort to drive FAFSA submissions among high school seniors and returning college students. Everyone has an important role to play! We have already received nearly 200 Continue Reading The post It’s FAFSA Week of Action: Time to Take a #FAFSAFastBreak!

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There Goes the Sun: NASA Upgrades Technology to Prepare for a Total Solar Eclipse

FedTech Magazine

To prepare for the total solar eclipse in 2017, NASA focused on technology that would keep its livestreams running for those who couldn’t see it in person. This time, the agency has looked at how to spend less money for even better service. About 12 million people watched the eclipse on NASA sites on Aug. 21, 2017, the first to cover much of the U.S. in more than a century.

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5 Ways Internet of Things Devices Can Benefit Public Safety

State Tech Magazine

Internet of Things devices provide state and local agencies with a force multiplier. These technologies make data collection and processing more efficient, allowing for quicker and more accurate responses in an emergency. Here are five questions to ask when considering IoT devices for public safety. Click the banner below to learn more about modernizing cities with the Internet of Things.

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Coming to terms with generative AI’s early potential for government

Open Access Government - Technology News

Following the recent international AI Summit, many government executives are assessing how to get started exploring the technology’s potential to improve citizen services One year after generative AI publicly emerged with the launch of ChatGPT and similar tools, it is clear the rapid evolution from AI to generative AI is opening major new frontiers for improving customer service, streamlining processes, and enhancing efficiency in government services.

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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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OUR RESPONSE TO RESPONSE TIMES

Barrett & Greene

When it comes to many vital public services, including police, fire and EMS, one of the primary – and sometimes the only – performance measurement that people use is response time. On the surface this makes a lot of sense. For emergency services, particularly, every moment can spell the difference between a minor incident and a tragedy. To the general public, fast response times are real tangible evidence that they are getting good service.

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Feds move to make gov websites more accessible to people with disabilities

GCN

It’s the first time the federal government has ever issued rules clarifying how the more than 30-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act applies online. But the new rules come with a hefty price tag for state and local governments.

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A Warning About the Nation’s Fiscal Health

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

The federal government is on an unsustainable long-term fiscal path that poses serious economic, national security, and social challenges if not addressed. And the longer we wait to act, the more dire the consequences will be on the economy and the.

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Latinos in Hollywood: Amplifying voices, expanding horizons

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Improving on- and off-screen representation of Latinos, their stories, and their culture could generate billions of dollars in new revenue for the industry, according to new McKinsey research.

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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.

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CISA, OMB, ONCD and Microsoft collaborate on new logging playbook for Federal agencies

Microsoft Public Sector

As part of our efforts to increase security defaults and follow the principle of secure by design, we are happy to share that a feature change initiated by Microsoft engineering will enable more logging capabilities for Purview Audit (Standard). We have worked closely with the Executive Office of the President (EOP), the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to prioritize this effort for U.S. government customers.

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A tech pipeline for rural communities: West Virginia joins AWS Tech Alliance

AWS Public Sector Blog

Last year, Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched the AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance to improve the employment gap by increasing tech skills globally. The initiative brings together a coalition of Fortune 500 companies and other employers, government agencies, workforce development organizations, and education leaders to better prepare learners for entry-level tech careers.

Education 136
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What’s Next for the Affordable Connectivity Program?

NLC (National League of Cities)

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), created in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has provided more than 22 million low-income households with a monthly $30 discount on home broadband service from participating internet service providers.

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Ways to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day

GovLoop

National Employee Appreciation Day is the first Friday in March, which this year falls on March 1. Here’s a few ideas to help you honor the occasion. Take a moment to think about each person and communicate thanks. An individualized note can mean a lot. Recognize an employee at a meeting. Consider a creative gesture like a photo collage for the team that points out employee contributions.

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Sustainable Facility Maintenance Management for Small Local Governments

Unlock the potential of sustainable facility management! This guide empowers small local governments to lead with climate-resilient infrastructure, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and more. Elevate your community's resilience, reduce costs, and embrace eco-friendly practices. Discover the role of facility maintenance teams in green cleaning, sustainability analyses, and infrastructure upgrades.

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WEST 2024: Artificial Intelligence Still Needs a Human Touch

FedTech Magazine

Artificial intelligence can be a valuable military tool, but several top military officials and industry experts said this week that they believe it will work best only if humans remain involved in its use. Speaking at WEST 2024 in San Diego, several officials talked about the coming use of AI in the Navy’s future hybrid fleet, a combination of manned and unmanned vessels.

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State and Local Governments Should Embrace the Geolocation Capabilities of 5G

State Tech Magazine

Research has shown that 9 in 10 companies worldwide use location data, and that use is expected to grow in significance over the next few years. However, geolocation data from telecommunications service providers is currently heavily underused. And while other sources of geolocation data, such as smartphone application data, are harder to come by after recent privacy policy changes, 5G geolocation data is only improving as the technology advances.

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Artificial intelligence outperforms humans in creative thinking

Open Access Government - Technology News

Artificial intelligence has overtaken humans when it comes to creative thinking, according to research into generative AI and its untapped abilities Researchers from the University of Alberta have conducted a study that compared the creative potential of humans against GPT-4, an advanced generative language model. PhD students Kent F. Hubert and Kim N.

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Raising the Bar for Multilingualism and English Learners Through a Re-Imagined National Professional Development Program (NPD)

Homeroom

The U.S. Department of Education Invites Applications for NPD Competitive Grant By: Beatriz Ceja, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and Loredana Valtierra, Policy Advisor, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD) The need for bilingual and multilingual teachers is critical more than ever, as over five million of our public-school Continue Reading The post Raising the Bar for Multilingualism and English Learners Through a Re-Imagined Na

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Proactive vs Reactive Maintenance: Making the Case for Preparedness

Discover comprehensive strategies for optimizing operations and achieving cost efficiency! This document offers insights into efficient inspections, data-driven decision-making, goal alignment, and resource optimization. It empowers local governments and maintenance departments to streamline operations and ensure significant cost savings. From aligning maintenance goals with community needs to leveraging data for strategic planning, this guide provides a roadmap for smoother, more reliable opera

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West Virginia’s top election official on trust, social media and secure elections

GCN

Ahead of what promises to be a hectic election season, Secretary of State Mac Warner spent part of his last National Association of Secretaries of State Winter Conference touching on conspiracy theories, among other topics.

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Lack of Sleep Has Left Our Military Less Combat Ready and More Prone to Accidents with Dire Consequences

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

Lack of sleep among active duty service members has led to fatal accidents and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to ships, vehicles, and aircraft. Many service members reported slower reflexes and responses, lower cognitive function, and.

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The human side of generative AI: Creating a path to productivity

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

The number of employees who use generative AI is expected to soar, freeing many to focus on higher-level cognitive work. Can organizations use this moment to make jobs more people centric?

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February 2024 - Microsoft 365 US Public Sector Roadmap Newsletter

Microsoft Public Sector

Release News Teams Meeting organizers can now see time-zone information of participants while scheduling a meeting Share contact information of people in Microsoft Teams chat Integrate Chat notification with Meeting RSVP status – GCC February, GCCH & DoD March Mute On Air External call routing settings - GCC & GCCH Ability to block users from joining externally hosted Teams meetings Privacy link in Teams meeting join flow changing to organization's privacy statement Meeting invite improv

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Facility Maintenance Trends for 2024: What's Changing in the Industry?

This comprehensive article delves into the transformative trends reshaping local government facility maintenance in anticipation of 2024. From embracing smart technology for efficient management, sustainability's pivotal role to data-driven decision-making, workforce upskilling, and predictive maintenance strategies, each aspect is explored. Insights into outsourcing collaborations, digital twins, safety enhancements, and the broader industry evolution highlight the critical adaptation needed.

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15 startups selected for the inaugural AWS Education Accelerator

AWS Public Sector Blog

Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced 15 startup companies selected to participate in the inaugural AWS Education Accelerator. Announced in October 2023, the AWS Education Accelerator supports education technology (EdTech) startups who are innovating to enhance the teaching and learning experience and improve educational outcomes. As education continues to evolve, data-driven decision making is a powerful strategy to transform teaching and learning practices and unlock new opportunities for

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How AI Can Support Cities’ Sustainability Goals

NLC (National League of Cities)

Chatter about AI has become like the weather — talked about seemingly everywhere yet increasingly difficult to predict with absolute confidence. While the meteoric rise of generative, language-wielding platforms, like ChatGPT, are catching big media waves, many cities are already established AI enthusiasts.

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Why is it so hard to build housing near transit stops?

GCN

Two recent studies look at the obstacles to building more apartments and other dense housing options near transit to address environmental, urban development and housing goals.

Housing 140
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How New Jersey’s new affordable housing law aims to ease the housing crisis

GCN

The new law lets municipalities know exactly how much affordable housing they have to build. It’s an approach that states are increasingly trying in an effort to pressure local governments to increase affordable options.

Laws 136
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Efficiency and Sustainability: Leveraging Digital Solutions in Facility Operations

Speaker: Alan Kavanaugh, BA, CRM, CCPI ​​​​​​​Director of Loss Control & Risk Management

This session is designed to unveil the transformative potential of digital solutions in reshaping conventional practices, offering a roadmap towards greener and more efficient facilities regardless of municipality size. Attendees will learn: Insights into cutting-edge trends and strategies in sustainable facility management. Practical knowledge to effectively incorporate digital solutions for operational efficiency.