2016 Q2 ISSUE COSTTREE CAPTURE. 17
THE TRANSFORMATION OF TRANSPARENCY
CONTEXT IS KEY
Context is critical when providing transparency of data. Excel is a local application and does not lend itself to data sharing and collaboration with anyone outside your organization. When a preparer is trying to give context to the permit fees they are setting, they are stuck in a bubble. The best they can do is build a year-over-year comparison of their organization’s rates. This requires more manual modeling and further risk of error. An ideal tool would allow the creator to find comparable fees across the country and reference those to create a contextual framework around their newly generated rates.
The rates will vary by jurisdiction, of course. Processes vary and salary levels vary. Two neighboring cities may have very different fees for permit applications because the review process is different. In our example city, six employees touch the permitting process. In a smaller neighboring city, it may only be two, so the fee is much lower. Being able to share not only the end result, but also the inputs and reasons behind the fee, is key to providing context, meaning, and value.
For complex financial calculations, Excel may generate correct results, but it does not further the societal push for data transparency. It doesn’t create confidence in data validity or streamline data sharing. It can leave the preparer feeling exposed when they are unable to justify the results. In the age of data accountability through transparency, new tools are a must.
NOW: NEW TOOLS
The Govtech industry is offering more and more solutions to help governmental agencies prepare and share their work. OpenGov is helping governments share their financials with their constituents with web-based visualization software. Public Records Tracker is making it easier for governments to stay compliant with the Freedom of Information Act, and it allows them to provide better information to the requesters. CostTree is allowing governments to calculate and justify their true cost of service. eCivis is helping grant funders get matched with service providers with the nation’s largest database of available grants and powerful management tools. Granicus’ Legistar is streamlining the governmental approval processes and providing citizens with total transparency to legislative actions.
The list goes on. The environment has never been better for process management, preparation, sharing, and collaborating. All these tools allow governments to do more while allowing those they do it for to see, understand, and participate. With this proliferation of free, understandable, and accessible data, the public is able to be more involved with their government. This involvement and understanding leads to increased trust and appreciation.
This is only the beginning. The age of transparency is here for governments and those they serve. We can’t wait to see what comes next.