Innovating GovTech in Small Cities
Smaller cities may not have well-staffed innovation offices with big-name chief innovation officers at the helm, but it doesn’t mean they can’t help drive innovation alongside the world’s most bustling metropolises. Using tactics like Interim Sacramento, California Chief Innovation Officer Abhi Nemani’s Seven Principles for 21st Century Cities, smaller cities can make big changes to shift focus to this decade’s most-used buzzword: innovation.
The idea is to reprioritize existing pubic funds to steward changes at the governmental level that serve citizens. Small-city tech leaders like Nemani believe that implementing data and tech focused changes are a great way to help small- and medium-sized governments operate more like a corporation, and make the needs of customers — or in this case, citizens — a bigger priority. By approaching these issues with a well-developed strategy, lower population cities can apply the same successful tactics used by big cities but at a more affordable, scaled-down level.
Nemani and other innovation officers talk a lot about encouraging government entities to implement changes, like appointing a chief data officer or developing an innovation office, to find new ways to allocate resources that are centered around innovation. Once the funds are there, cities need to consider providing incentives to draw in new tech companies and develop some citizen training programs to help build a talent base that’s desirable to incoming companies. The bottom line is that, no matter how its done, smaller cities need to quickly jump on the innovation train to remain afloat in the digital age.
Prototype1 Co-Founder Dave Hurt to Speak at TechniCLE Speaking
Want to learn more about this topic and how entrepreneurs can play a role in revitalizing the community? Come hear Prototype1 Co-Founder and Partner Dave Hurt discuss the topic on a panel during TechniCLE Speaking in Cleveland next week. Hurt has been researching GovTech and brings a unique perspective to the conversation. TechniCLE Speaking will take place April 14 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Jones Day in Cleveland (901 Lakeside Ave.). For more information or to register, e-mail techniCLESpeaking@jonesday.com.
Originally published at prototype1.io on April 11, 2016.
