By Alfred Tat-Kei Ho with Bo McCall University of Kansas, IBM Center for the Business of Government, 2016

The trend toward Big Data initiatives is likely to accelerate in future years. In anticipation of the increased use of Big Data, Professor Ho identified factors that are likely to influence its adoption by local governments. He identified three organizational factors that influence adoption: leadership attention, adequate staff capacity, and pursuit of partners. In addition, he identified four organizational strategies that influence adoption: governance structures, team approach, incremental initiatives, and Big Data policies.

Based on his research findings, Professor Ho sets forth 10 recommendations for those responsible for implementing cities’ Big Data initiatives—five recommendations are directed to city leaders and five to city executives. A key recommendation is that city leaders should think about a “smart city system,” not just data. Another key recommendation is that city executives should develop a multi-year strategic data plan to enhance the effectiveness of Big Data initiatives.

Read the study at http://www.businessofgovernment.org/sites/default/files/Ten%20Actions%20to%20Implement%20Big%20Data%20Initiatives.pdf.

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