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The Federal Government Needs Platform Evangelists
If shared services like Login.gov are going to be successful in the long run, they need a healthy, vibrant, and growing community of users around them. This is a job that is perfectly suited for a platform evangelist. Continue reading
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Revisiting “Density and Destiny”
Governor Kathy Hochul’s plan to change the way affordable housing is approved in New York State is sorely needed and will help not only alleviate the current affordable housing crisis, but address factors at the heart of segregation and income inequality. Continue reading
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A Resolution for Digital Transformation
No one gets fit overnight, or even in a whole month. It is a process that takes time and requires consistent commitment and the right approach to be successful. Digital transformation are the same. If you approach the process correctly, you’ll change the way your organization works forever. Continue reading
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Bad choices, good reasons
Sometimes government make poor technology decisions for good and entirely rational reasons. Understand this dynamic is important for those of us working to make government adoption of technology more successful. Continue reading
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Back to the 90’s, the Hard Way
If you need an object lesson to demonstrate how inextricably linked technology is to the basic functioning of government, just look at the municipal governments that have been hit with cyber attacks recently and forced to shut down their digital systems. For these governments it’s like a bumpy trip back to the way they used… Continue reading
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Moar Reading in 2023
In the last couple of years, I’ve been trying to read more books. Here’s what I have done to pick my reading habit back up. Maybe one of these strategies will work for you if, like I once did, you miss being a reader. Continue reading
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Civic Hacking Nostalgia
The PhilTel project is a reminder of the power of civic hacking to highlight ways that cities can be better. To show how innovative thinking can foster creative solutions to complex problems. Let’s not forget. Continue reading
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Ethics and Algorithms
Who do we hold accountable for decisions that get made or actions that are taken by government when some part of the decision making has been ceded to an algorithm? And because the consequences of algorithm use in government are now much more immediate for specific individuals, how do we ensure that their use is… Continue reading
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Finding Balance In How We Budget for Government IT
When we talk about the government budgeting process, we almost always talk about the first three phases. But the often overlooked fourth phase of the budget process is one reason why cross-agency funding for things like a better customer experience is so hard. Continue reading
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Frivolous Lawsuit by Shadowy Astroturf Group threatens to Derail Community Grid in Syracuse
We should insist on fair and open processes by our state and federal leaders, and we should dismiss baseless claims against these processes by self-interested parties out of hand. Continue reading
About Me
I am the former Chief Data Officer for the City of Philadelphia. I also served as Director of Government Relations at Code for America, and as Director of the State of Delaware’s Government Information Center. For about six years, I served in the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), and helped pioneer their work with state and local governments. I also led platform evangelism efforts for TTS’ cloud platform, which supports over 30 critical federal agency systems.
Civic Innovations 