San Jose, Calif., publishes data strategy to boost equity, innovation

San Jose, California, on Thursday announced a new data strategy that leaders said is designed to promote equity and innovation.

The three-year plan outlines how the city government can use data to further its goals, which, according to the document, include tasks like reducing homelessness, improving emergency response and optimizing public services.

“This strategy will ensure we capture the right data at the right time, that we store and clean the right content, communicate findings in an optimized manner for the right decision makers and the general public, and guarantee knowledge integration across the organization and digital infrastructure,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is quoted as saying in the strategy document. 

The plan lays out a nine-step framework for becoming a more data-driven government, which includes items like “ensuring compliance with all legal and regulatory standards” and “developing policies and guidelines and promote standards for how data assets are used for analytics and decision making.”

As one of numerous cities working with the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, San Jose officials developed the plan to make better informed policy decisions and become more “data-driven,” according to a press release.

The Data Alliance began in 2022, funded by $60 million in funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Past projects included a data project in Jackson, Mississippi, that aimed to reduce crime and homelessness. Another project created a website that helps people find affordable housing in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

San Jose’s plan sets specific goals for measuring performance and the impact of city initiatives. One goal listed in the plan is to “develop and implement data practices to support transparency and accountability with the community.” The 16-page document goes on to note that standardized data practices play “a critical role” in building community trust and fostering greater confidence in the city’s policies and actions.

“This strategy helps us do what matters most – better serve our community,” City Manager Jennifer Maguire said in a press release. “By using data more effectively, we have more impactful discussions with our residents, respond faster to their needs, and make decisions that lead to real, measurable outcomes in every neighborhood.”