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June 19, 2012 By News Staff
A Technology and Innovation Task Force organized within the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is asking city leaders to join a new Open Government Innovation Partnership.
The task force, chaired by San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, wants mayors to partner to “to help build an ecosystem that will help cities advance and prioritize innovation to improve government. ”
In Orlando, Fla., last week during the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual meeting, the Technology and Innovation Task Force passed a resolution supporting open government and the release of data at all levels of government to spur entrepreneurship, foster economic growth and create jobs. The mayors resolved to work closely with Congress and the White House on future initiatives.
The action plans promote transparency, support a marketplace for entrepreneurship, energize civic engagement and collaboration, and leverage new technologies.
“This is a time for cities to confront challenges by taking risks and embracing innovation,” Lee said in a statement announcing the new Open Government Innovation Partnership. “In San Francisco, we are using technology and innovation to improve city services that impact our everyday lives, from transportation to education to civic engagement.”
According to Lee, the USCM Open Government Innovation Partnership will:
• strengthen and increase civic use of innovation, cross-collaboration and improved accountability through open government initiatives;
• showcase the leadership of cities highlighting innovation and creative best practices to increase opportunities for collaboration with the private sector;
• secure commitments that will make city governments more efficient, effective, and responsive by embracing the use of open government innovation; and
• empower private-sector organizations to partner with government to make services more efficient, effective, and responsive to residents.
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http://www.govtech.com/e-government/US-Mayors-Open-Government-Innovation.html
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I couldn’t agree more with Mayor Lee. He clearly understands data transparency and its importance to cities, from increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of projects and programs to adhering to mandates and public disclosure requirements. However, the real challenge in freeing data is not just taking a leap of faith, but to do so efficiently and effectively without having to spend valuable resources in developing open data solutions. The next step is to deploy a platform that turns the difficult task of opening data into an easy and controlled process transforming data into readable, searchable, and usable insights that everyone can share. John C. Tran Senior Marketing Manager http://www.junar.com