Canadian Government Executive - Volume 24 - Issue 02

20 / Canadian Government Executive // March/April 2018 F ederal efforts to increase the use of data to inform and improve services may soon cross paths with parallel efforts at the mu- nicipal level. Smart City strategies have been gaining momentum worldwide. A Smart City uses information and communication tech- nology to manage a city’s assets, such as public transportation or power systems. Using sensors and other infrastructure connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Cities can collect real-time data to improve efficiency. The intent is to use technology to reduce energy consump- tion, save money, reduce traffic, and over- all improve urban life. The City of Ottawa is currently consider- ing the development of a Smart City action plan that would build on the existing fi- beroptic infrastructure. For example, new residential developments could integrate technologies connected to the Internet to monitor service delivery, collect data and send back analytics to refine those servic- es. The plan would also include improving the processes of government and generat- ing feedback through service delivery per- formance data. Reliable and quality performance data is essential to Smart City initiatives. World- wide, cities are developing new data and methods to evaluate and improve pro- grams and services, identify more effec- tive ways to use resources to serve their communities, and address a range of so- cial challenges—from tackling poverty to increasing citizen engagement. In the U.S., the Bloomberg Foundation launched the What Works Cities initiative in 2015 to accelerate cities’ use of data and evidence to improve services, inform local decision-making, and engage citizens. It is led by Results for America, a national non- profit organization that supports the use of evaluation, evidence and cost-based analytics to improve services and results. The initiative has four components: per- formance-based contracting, performance measurement for results, evaluation and open data. The objective is to develop a benchmark system to collect standardized data that will enable citizens to compare their services to similar cities. In Canada, Municipal Benchmarking Network Canada (MBN) is a partnership of 16 Canadian cities who believe in the power of measurement to support con- tinuous improvement of services to com- munities. Partner municipalities collect consistent and reliable data in 37 service areas and report the findings annually. The network is also used to discuss results and share best practices and strategies. If these initiatives work, the impact will be felt not just by cities but by federal gov- ernments as well. The U.S. Commission on Evidence- based Policymaking released its Final Re- port in September 2017 with recommen- dations on how to increase the availability and use of data to build evidence on the performance of government programs. Infrastructure Canada launched its Smart City Challenge recently to chal- lenge communities of all sizes to come forward with their best ideas to improve the lives of their citizens through innova- tion, data and technology. The federal gov- ernment also has an Open Government portal that provides links to participating cities and initiatives and toolkits. At both provincial and federal levels, governments have launched Open Gov- ernment initiatives in an effort to dem- onstrate transparency and accountability. For years of course, federal departments have been required to publicly report on performance through Departmental Per- formance Reports. In addition, the federal government recently established a results tracker related to government commit- ments and ministerial mandate letters. These “report cards” could be improved by including more quantitative data and evidence that demonstrates effectiveness and efficiency of services and how they have had a real impact on the lives of Ca- nadians. Contrast this to the Queensland Government in Australia, where open data sets are quantitative and performance-ori- ented – for example, activity based costing of hospital services. Or the city of Seoul, South Korea which has been using data and analytics for years to develop sustain- able growth. In 2016, Seoul became the fourth largest economy in the world after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles, and ranked #1 in the Arcadis Sustainable Cit- ies Social Sustainability Index (e.g. crime, education, social influence, health). There is much to be learned from mu- nicipal efforts in Canada and internation- ally on how data and evidence can be used to truly demonstrate service performance, cost effectiveness and improvements to citizen’s lives. A lison T aylor is a former federal government executive and President of Performance Solutions Inc. She is also a CGE Advisor on Leadership and Conferences. alison.taylor@live.com EXECUTIVE BRIEF Smart Cities By Alison Taylor