A new state mandate requiring local governments in California to post an online inventory of their enterprise IT systems has data wonks thinking about new possibilities for collaboration and innovation.
State Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, hosted on Oct. 7 a Senate subcommittee meeting (video) in Los Angeles to discuss the early impact of his legislation, which set a July 1, 2016, deadline for cities, counties and other local entities to comply.
The bill, SB 272, came about from conversations with data experts who said the notion of an inventory of data systems would be a good place to start. Hertzberg said there are more than 4,800 subdivisions of government in California, and they're all buying software and running their own systems "lots of times at cross purposes, lots of times if they coordinated together could be much more effective in delivering of services."
Robb Korinke, principal of GrassRoots Lab, explained that the new local data inventories show that many neighboring governments — cities and counties, special districts and water districts — maintain similar types of systems and similar data sets that can be useful for cross-cutting issues like housing, transportation and public housing.
But often those local systems aren't in the same data format, or they define data sets differently. Korinke illustrated that a researcher might have to gather dozens of data sets from cities and counties for a comprehensive look at a statewide topic. Until now, there wasn't a road map of where to go.
"Creating this sort of policy-based mapping of information I think is incredibly useful, and it's the thing SB 272 is going to allow us to do that has never been done anywhere before," Korinke said.
Korinke said he anticipates that SB 272 could enable nonprofits and private companies to invent groundbreaking solutions with this new trove of government data. (Similar to how Google Maps, Waze and other consumer projects have revolutionized transportation.)
Matt Barrett of the L.A. County Metro Transportation Authority said the SB 272 data also could propel private companies to submit better ideas to the authority's "Office of Extraordinary Innovation," which recently began accepting unsolicited proposals from companies and the public.
Meanwhile, Ventura County CIO Mike Pettit said the bill is forcing his county to think about how it uses data across silos and can use information to identify problems and solutions. Ventura County is looking at ways it can use consumer products to deliver government services. Imagine if you got your dog license on Amazon, or restaurant inspections on Yelp," Pettit said.
Compliance with SB 272 hasn't been without challenges. About 80 percent of cities have complied with the bill's provisions, according to the League of California Cities. Fifty-five of 58 counties have complied, Pettit said. Smaller cities and counties and local districts have had more difficulty because of limited staff and resources.
The data and the inventories also are of varying quality. Some governments includes just a few systems in their list, while other put down dozens or hundreds. A majority of governments posted their inventory in a .pdf document rather than in a machine-readable format that's easier to use and repurpose.
Overall, Hertzberg sounded bullish about what SB 272 could help bring forward.
"The question is what can we do in government to provide that level of value both to citizens directly, and indirectly by [bringing] value to making our government work better and be smarter and provide, particularly in the social service area," Hertzberg said.
