• Michael Schroeck, Lynn Reyes, Hammou Messatfa
• IBM Institute for Business Value

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18 May 2011In the face of mounting complexity, smarter, collaborative, fact-based decisions are more important than ever to drive results. Today’s unprecedented “information explosion” can paralyze government and other public sector organizations as they address increasingly intertwined public issues. Yet, a historic opportunity exists to accelerate desired outcomes by embracing analytics as a core management competency. It’s time to demonstrate greater value to the public sector’s ever-watchful constituents.

Complex societal, economic, political and environmental pressures are placing intense demands on public sector organizations to make smarter decisions, deliver results and demonstrate accountability.

An unprecedented “information explosion” both facilitates and complicates the ability of governments and institutions to achieve and influence desirable outcomes. A tremendous opportunity exists to use the growing mountain of data to make better, fact-based decisions. Yet, the volume of data and its increasingly diverse and interactive nature can also paralyze organizations as they try to separate the noteworthy from the not-worthy.

Analytics goes beyond reporting and provides the mechanism to sort through this maelstrom of information and help governments respond with informed decisions.