FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Carolina Camarena, Director of Communications, City of San José
408-535-7777;
carolina.camarena@sanjoseca.gov
Tasha Dean, Chief Communications Officer, Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
510-612-6488;
tasha.dean@sanjoseca.gov
San José Receives What Works Cities Certification for Exceptional Use of Data
San José Moves Up to Gold-Level Certification
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Jan. 26, 2024) – San José has been awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification at the Gold level for establishing exceptional data capabilities to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate program effectiveness, and engage residents. San José joins only 73 other cities in North, Central and South America receiving the certification distinction since 2017.
“Since taking office last year, we’ve strived to make City Hall more data-driven and accountable for results through the implementation of dashboards across many departments,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “San José is officially one of the most data-driven, well-managed local governments across the country and we’re working tirelessly to create the safe, clean, housed city we all deserve.”
“This is a great accomplishment across many City teams,” said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. “It’s the most rigorous review of data- and results-oriented decision-making in government and reinforces my focus on Driving Organizational Performance.”
A notable example of San José’s use of data is the City’s new AI Review Framework, which lays out the process for departments to invest in AI solutions and assesses benefits and risks when considering new AI tools. The City is also publicly sharing the purpose, evaluation protocols, and impact of current AI systems on services.
“Good data governance is critical to grow AI usage in San José. Engaging our residents, partners, experts, and City leaders guides our efforts to collect relevant data in a responsible and effective way to ensure community support. This award is a testament to the staff’s innovation that reflects the diverse and brilliant community we serve,” exclaimed San José’s Director of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Khaled Tawfik.
The What Works Cities Certification Standard measures a city’s use of data based on 43 criteria. A city achieving 51-67 percent of the criteria is recognized at the Silver level of certification, 68-84 percent is required to achieve Gold, and 85 percent or more is required to reach Platinum.
In 2022, What Works Cities Certification released updated criteria for cities to achieve recognition for excellence in using data to improve local government operations and policies. Additionally, Certification now requires cities to show they meet an internationally recognized standard on at least one of three outcomes: air pollution, the percentage of households with high-speed broadband subscriptions, or a high-priority outcome the city chooses that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
About the City of San José
With almost one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States and is Northern California’s largest city and the 12th largest city in the nation. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world.
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