The opportunity to participate in the day-long white boarding exercise with ICMA’s Strategic Partner Esri was both intellectually enlightening and personally rewarding.  As a mid-career Manager, I was impressed by what I did not know about emerging technologies and their varied applications in local government.

Throughout the day however, I found myself conflicted by technology’s enormous opportunities to both improve service delivery and significantly alter the profession as we know it. I clearly felt that there are contrary forces at work that are interconnected and transformational.

• New technologies hold the capacity to collect tremendous amounts of data.  How we use that data is very critical.  How do we filter the data, if at all?  Are we experiencing data overload and losing focus on what is truly important.
• New technologies enable local governments to be more closely connected with pre-determined constituency groups. At the same time it enables residents to be less engaged/ involved with “dump & run” 311 applications.  Are we in fact becoming less connected and engaged with the diminished face-to-face contact?
• New technologies afford local governments the vehicle for more timely communications with residents; however they have also raised unrealistic expectations that cannot be met with diminishing resources (staff & materials) to respond? Remember the little girl in the Willy Wonka, “I want it, and I want it now!”
• New technologies provide a vast knowledge depository, accessible by professionals and non-professionals alike. How will the role of the professional manager change as more and more individuals have access to the same knowledge we possess?

Very exciting but much to ponder!

To hear more about what I hope the #LocalGov Technology Alliance will bring to ICMA Members and our residents check out my interview before we started the whiteboarding exercise.