The Five Forces Affecting GIS Experts in 2023 – Opengov

By Brant Scheidecker, GIS Consultant at Cartegraph, an OpenGov company

At Cartegraph (now an OpenGov company), we see several existing trends accelerating in GIS and government technology with the emergence of one new trend that will drive significant investment in 2023 and beyond. In our conversations with our 1600+ customers across OpenGov suites and with the GIS experts we serve, we consistently hear the following:

Below is a discussion of the impact of each trend, as it affects the work of GIS experts.

• The cloud transition is upon us: Driven by the acute need for connected data, the reality of reduced staffing in the areas of IT and GIS, demand for better services, and the heightened risk of data loss from hacks, ransomware, and natural disasters are leading governments of all sizes to cloud solutions.
• The next generation of government workers want more: There has been a generational shift in workforce trends which is upending how governments work. Within the organization, staff expect technology to empower them at work. Gone are the days of client/server desktop applications and paper- or Excel-based processes. Use of applications “in the field” will be key, either applications designed for data collection or real-time completion of key tasks.
• GIS will become more ubiquitous within local government. GIS is a key tool for many staff, and GIS professionals will need to support the use of tools across the organization to best serve the city or county’s GIS efforts. Better application design, easier access to GIS applications via mobile devices, and cloud suites are currently driving adoption and will continue to do so into 2023.
• Demand for online government services will increase in 2023. Local government leaders see an increasing need to deliver enhanced online experiences for their constituents. Access to geospatial data, such as status of government-initiated work projects, condition of infrastructure assets, or location of reported issues within a community will be expected. Additionally, “one-stop” local government portals allowing residents to apply for permits, licenses, or pay fees will become the norm.
• Federal funding will provide a massive opportunity in 2023. New funding resources, such as the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, represent an enormous, one-time opportunity for local governments to update critical infrastructure, including investments in government software that integrates GIS data for improving the landscapes and livelihoods of cities and counties.

These are exciting times for GIS experts and their governments! The last few years have accelerated technology advancements in the government space dramatically, leading more organizations to adopt cloud solutions to meet critical demands and take advantage of new opportunities.

Category: GIS Industry Predictios

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