Moving forward with Public-Private Partnerships
Government agencies tend to be slow with applying new technology, or moving in the direction of change. However, with the assistance of the private sector, huge steps forward can be taken. There are a handful of business out there that provide services that can assist different government services perform better, especially when it comes to understanding and organizing all the data these agencies have. One of these businesses is QlikTech “a user-driven business intelligence (BI)”. Qlik takes tonnes of data and transforms it into visualizations that can be easily understood.
Qlik assisted the Police Authority in Skane County, Sweden to capture a serial killer who was at large for almost 10 years using a software that went through years of crime reports in only 3 hours! They were able to determine a crucial link that helped them make the arrest.
Another example of how Qlik helped public services is the Fire brigade in Amsterdam-Amstelland. They were able to create maps that show which areas are prone to fires in the region, allowing the brigade to proactively respond rather than react. Using years of data, Qlik created a software that determined where fires occurred, but also why they occurred. It gives firemen better understanding of why incidents occur and they can inform the public and raise awareness. This gives the fire brigade enough information to assess and predict precisely where incidents will occur, making them more efficient.
“They can provide an accurate training plan, focusing on the risks in the area where a fire fighter is employed... All information is available in real-time and the system is designed so that other brigades can also work with the data.”
As cities grow larger and larger, governments are always trying to find more efficient ways to run cities. Partnering with private firms can help solve these problems, or at least allow for an improvement in efficiency. Labour-saving tools are a plus, they allow agencies to better focus their resources. With smart cities, to be able to make the best use of the data and to have the best tools, private-public partnerships are key to moving forward.
