Information is one of the major products of the federal government and one of the few references to a government agency in the Constitution is the obligation to run a regular census – in other words, to collect data.
This is one of the novel starting points in a piece about the explosion of government data, and the need for data standards. Written by Dan Mintz, a former CIO at the Department of Transportation, the article argues that while social media and all the Web 2.0 developments get the attention, data standards are a much more important area of focus in the long term. He adds: “Further, it has the advantage that once being established data standardization is ‘sticky’. Unlike policies that often can be swept aside by a single signature, data standards tend to stay around forever.” Powertec
This is an excellent point that isn't made nearly often enough. Adopting standards means changing the organization for better, for all time. Standards make a better future. Standardization is a legacy every implementer can take real pride in, knowing they have saved the organization time and money – and even secured its continuation.
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