The Chief Data Officer, (CDO), for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Carlos Rivero today announced a state-wide survey of cities and counties in Virginia to support development of a statewide data governance policy. The Data Governance Policy will address issues of data sharing, security and privacy, enabling more seamless data sharing and a common framework critical for the evolution of Commonwealth smart communities.
The CDO will develop a data governance policy for the Commonwealth to streamline data sharing and protection among its sixty-three executive branch agencies, over one hundred and thirty Virginia communities, more than twenty public universities and many other independent Commonwealth funded entities. The goal is a complete assessment of the current status of data governance throughout the Commonwealth by Q4 2019.
“The Commonwealth of Virginia is a large, complex organization with diverse stakeholder communities managing data operations at varying maturity levels. The ability to engage a broad range of stakeholders in a meaningful and efficient way is paramount to the development of an inclusive data governance framework.” Carlos Rivero, Commonwealth of Virginia.
Recognizing the critical role of data governance for smart communities, the CDO has partnered with the Center for Innovative Technology, leading smart community initiatives for the State, and Smart Cities Council, Inc., a global leader in the development of smart cities and communities.
“Data governance is a critical enabler for the development of smart communities in Virginia” said Ed Albrigo, CIT CEO. “A comprehensive policy means our communities will be able to rapidly take advantage of a wide variety of data resources at the local, state and national level without having to reinvent data sharing agreements or difficult policies around data privacy and security.”
The Smart Cities Council’s Activator program will connect survey results to a vast array of Best Practices and Lessons Learned from data governance efforts across the globe.
“The Council’s Smart Cities Activator was developed after five years of intense collaboration with cities worldwide. It provides an online collaboration platform where cities can discover the ‘facts on the ground’ and then use those facts to inform collaboration and project planning. Philip Bane, CEO Smart Cities Council.
City and county representatives should email survey.support@governor.virginia.gov if they are interested in participating in this process.
About the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT)
Investing for Commonwealth Growth | CIT concentrates on the early commercialization and seed funding stages of innovation, helping innovators and tech entrepreneurs launch and grow new companies, create high paying jobs and accelerate economic growth throughout the entire state of Virginia. Founded in 1985, CIT accelerates next generation technologies and technology companies through commercialization, capital formation, market development initiatives, and expansion of broadband throughout Virginia. Our programs include | CIT GAP Funds | Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) | Virginia Founders Fund | Broadband/Rural Broadband | Smart Communities | Cybersecurity | Unmanned Systems | SBIR/STTR Support (Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs) | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. CIT’s CAGE Code is 1UP71. Contact: 2214 Rock Hill Road #600, Herndon, VA 20170 | 703.689.3000 | www.cit.org
You can also follow CIT on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
About Smart Cities Council
The Smart Cities Council was founded upon the belief that we cannot heal our planet unless we heal our cities. For the sake of current and future generations, cities must achieve the triple bottom line of people, profits, and planet. To heal our cities, we must take advantage of smart technologies, but at the same time, smart technology is not sufficient – we also need leadership, design, money, and more. The Smart Cities Council seeks to accelerate this transformation to livable, workable and sustainable cities. The Council launched Smart Cities Activator, its online collaborative platform for cities to accelerate capacity development, stakeholder engagement and planning of projects. To learn more, please visit smartcitiescouncil.com.
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