By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

The data-based approach to improving government services took a big step forward earlier this year, when the White House named its first ever chief data scientist and chief technology officer for data policy. In appointing Dr. DJ Patil to this new role, the Obama Administration is making a strong statement about the importance of data-based management and decision-making. It’s not enough for government officials to simply advocate for one policy or another. We have to show our work. And we know in Somerville that sometimes the best solutions come from the community. None of that is possible unless we start with data.

We celebrate diversity of opinion, but it’s important that we start from the same set of facts. That means we must start by collecting data and then present it in an accessible way, so that everyone from the public to City officials can understand it and start delving into the connections we can make between the numbers. That also means knowing the right questions to ask, which is why it’s important to have the right people in place to help us make sense of all these numbers. It’s why Dr. Patil is now the White House’s chief data scientist and why over a decade ago we founded SomerStat, our Office of Innovation and Analytics and the first municipal ‘stat’ program in New England.

SomerStat works with the head of each department to analyze data, measure performance and make continuous adjustments to reach our goals. We’re not waiting until budget season rolls around to check our performance. We’re doing it in real-time and through regular stat meetings for each department, where key managers and myself meet to study financial, personnel and operational data, identify opportunities for improvement and then track how those improvement plans are going. SomerStat launched with support for just six departments. Today, 17 City departments participate, representing $61 million in operating expenses.

So what has this data-based approach done for you? It saves your money and improves the City services you rely on. For instance, four years ago we spent $860,000 on electricity for streetlights. Delving into the data showed us that if we made the upfront investment and purchased the streetlights from the utility company, we could save hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be reinvested into our schools, roadways, public safety and other areas of need. We started making that investment and within one year saved more than $440,000 in electricity costs. Likewise, analysis by SomerStat made clear that by switching our health insurance coverage to the GIC, we could avoid having to spend an additional $20 million on health insurance costs due to lower premium increases.

Somerville has been at the forefront using data to make the lives of citizens better. On a daily basis, we use data for everything from predictive crime analysis and health issues such as rodent control to the management of snow removal operations and transportation planning. Our efforts are part of a burgeoning nationwide movement. It’s why Bloomberg Philanthropies launched “What Works Cities,” a $42 million program that helps provide data training to mid-sized cities. Bloomberg points to several examples of data-based management making a difference in the lives of citizens around the nation. Since New Orleans launched its BlightSTAT program, using data to drive coordination between city departments and decisions around combatting blight, it has reduced the number of blighted residences by 10,000 and increased the number of homes in compliance with city ordinances by 62 percent. Denver saves $10 million each year through employee-driven improvements, such as $145,000 saved in 2013 through reducing the number of times police had to respond to false burglar alarms. Atlanta’s data-driven management program reduced that city’s backlog of uninspected housing code violations by 70 percent.

These are only a few of the success stories from across the U.S. of data-driven management systems being used to make government work better. It’s a proven approach that also allows residents to hold officials accountable for their performance—and helps them get involved with the decision-making process. Some of the data we collect begs us to ask questions, and by having an informed discussion with members of the community all starting from the same set of facts, we can uncover new, innovative solutions to the challenges we face.

Before coming to Washington, Dr. Patil actually used data made available by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve weather forecasting as part of his doctoral work, so he understands how open data can result in new solutions from those outside government. This is a goal we continue to strive for, from our new Data Dashboard website that puts our data into a clear, transparent and easy to browse format, to our ResiStat meetings that bring data to the public. I am excited that the White House has created the role of the nation’s first chief data scientist. Let’s hope it’s a sign that the values of open, transparent government continue to spread—and everyone can benefit from the era of big data.