Organizations depend on data analysis to inform their decision-making, but keeping up with the latest advances in the field can be a daunting task. To help Georgia’s governments and partner agencies stay current on data trends, the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government will present the Developing Data Analytics Capabilities Conference, March 19 and 20.
The third annual conference, held at the UGA Center for Continuing Education and Hotel in Athens, will focus on AI policy and data governance. Those who work with data in government or academic settings—from leaders making data-informed decisions to analysts and developers in more technical roles—will learn about the current state of AI policy and best practices for managing their organizations’ data.
“Data analytics and artificial intelligence both present incredible opportunities for innovation,” said UGA Institute of Government faculty member David Tanner. “We designed the conference to help build a community for practitioners in this rapidly advancing field. Our goal is to provide a forum for learning and networking, where attendees can learn from experts and each other.”
The conference’s agenda includes keynotes, panel discussions and breakout sessions featuring expert practitioners from public and private organizations. Conference attendees will gain insights into national, state and local perspectives on AI policy and data governance.
Keynote speakers include Seamus Dowdall, legislative director for telecommunications and technology for the National Association of Counties, and Kate Burns, MetroLab Network’s executive director. Dowdall will share a local government perspective on AI policy for government, while Burns will discuss data governance, or how data is managed and used.
Other speakers include representatives from the University System of Georgia, Georgia Technology Authority, Georgia Department of Administrative Services, Georgia Data Analytics Center and other organizations. Sessions will cover topics such as best practices in data dashboard design and underlying data management, incorporating AI in your analytics, and how to scale up your agency's data analytics capabilities. Many sessions will include practical examples of AI usage and data governance through use cases and case studies.
Attendees can choose among three tracks to customize their conference experience based on professional interests and skill level. The Leadership track is geared toward participants in management and leadership roles who want basic knowledge to inform their decision-making. People who collect, analyze, package and present data will benefit from the Analyst track. Finally, the Technical track is for those who perform more complex work with databases and servers.
For those who want more in-depth learning, three pre-conference sessions led by UGA Institute of Government experts are available on March 18. Participants can add a beginner or intermediate Power BI pre-conference workshop to get hands-on experience building their own data visualization dashboards step by step. A pre-conference session on Data Strategy Basics is also available. These half-day workshops can be added to registration for $90 each or $170 for a full day of learning.
The conference is part of the UGA Institute of Government’s Georgia Data Innovation Hub, which enhances the data analytics capabilities of state and local governments to improve data-informed decision-making statewide. Through the Georgia Data Innovation Hub, the institute offers support and trainings, including this conference and the Data Analysis and Decision Making for Governments Certificate program. The certificate program’s second cohort will graduate at this year’s conference.
More information and registration are available at the institute’s website.