Why Public Dashboards Are Essential for Modern Program Transparency in Public Agencies
When public agencies run infrastructure programs, vendors, contractors, community leadership, and the public all have a vested interest in the performance of those programs.
Vendors need certification application status updates, public leadership officials need metrics on program performance, and the public looks for the impact tax-funded programs have on the community itself.
But many times, these stakeholders do not have a way to access program information.
Traditionally, easily sharing this information has been difficult or impossible for many public agencies. Manual processes meant staff spent time answering requests instead of focusing on strategic initiatives.
For instance, certification agencies on average manage approximately 1,700 certified vendors and process thousands of certification applications each month. Reviewing, tracking, and approving these applications requires a significant amount of time, and when vendors call or email asking for updates, staff use even more time to fulfill the request.
That’s why it’s important for agencies processing large volumes of data about public programs to control the data they share through selected reports (protecting sensitive vendor and agency data) and promote transparency through public portals.
A public portal allows agencies to determine the information they share so stakeholders have instant access to the program data needed for the job at hand. Agencies looking for a public portal for displaying publicly-funded infrastructure programs information should look for a tool that:
- Generates data from the agency’s own internal data or analytics tool
- Is accessible without a login
- Can be shared with other stakeholders in one click
- Provides all stakeholders with relevant information
Ultimately, a public portal allows agencies to tell the complete story of a program without changing how stakeholders access the reports. A public portal helps agencies foster transparency, improve efficiency, and provide all stakeholders with direct access to the information needed to keep projects moving forward.
Curious about improving transparency surrounding public programs? Click here to register for this webinar to learn more.
