Work ยท Operating Systems
Data-Driven City Operations
Making data useful in the decisions, meetings, and service problems that make up everyday city government.
The problem
Data work can easily become a separate activity: reports are produced, dashboards are built, and the operating conversation stays the same. Syracuse needed data that could show up where people were already trying to solve problems.
What we tried
We focused on practical questions raised by departments, connected information across boundaries where it helped, and used simple visual tools to make progress and tradeoffs easier to see.
My role
I built the city's first data office and helped create a bridge between operational leaders, public servants, outside partners, and the data itself.
What happened
Departments had clearer ways to examine their work and a stronger foundation for using data in operational decisions. Just as important, the city had a durable place to keep building the practice.
What I learned
Data becomes valuable when it changes a conversation. The most useful artifact is often not a dashboard; it is a shared understanding of what needs to happen next.