Report: Turning Data Insights into Actionable Business Intelligence

Federal News Network has published the results of their survey of 102 senior, federal data leaders. The top-line summary noted in the report’s introduction is:

… data and anecdotal responses crystalized throughout the survey is a general consensus that the government lacks both the expertise and the training to, as one respondent noted, create a “culture of good ‘analytics consumers.’”

The survey, produced for Maximus, also highlighted the government’s technology needs, gaps in legacy systems, sometimes-questionable data hygiene, and a dearth of future-forward tools, like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

While respondents indicated that some agencies have barely begun to use data to produce actionable intelligence, other agencies are exceeding in this endeavor. The #1 goal respondents cited about why agencies need to make better use of their data:  To help citizens find answers or solve their needs more quickly.

The survey, which was conducted between November 2022 through February 2023, elicited 102 responses. Of the respondents, 78% reported working in civilian agencies and 16% in defense agencies, with the remainder in intelligence, judicial, or legislative organizations. More than 70% reported having more than 10 years in their career discipline.

The full report can be downloaded from FederalNewsNetwork.com (registration required).