Press Release: New AI-Powered Data Analyst from Polco Provides Instant, Actionable Insights for Governments

Polco's AI data analyst that can collect and analyze trustworthy city data represents a paradigm shift in local government decision-making. 

Polco announced an artificial intelligence (AI) tool built on trusted nationwide public sector data that provides powerful analytic and decision-making capabilities. Personified as "Polly," Polco's conversational AI data analyst answers public sector leaders' most pressing questions with unparalleled, real-time performance management data, comparisons, and historical trends. Currently accessed in Polco's platform, Polly puts actionable community insights at the fingertips of users for strategic planning, budgeting, grant applications, performance management, and everyday reporting.

Polco will demonstrate its AI capabilities April 10-12, 2024, at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Local Government Reimagined Conference in Boston.

"Public officials earnestly want to make great decisions using data, but it's really difficult to use public sector data," said Polco CEO Nick Mastronardi. "It's now imminently possible to unleash a public sector renaissance by putting world-class AI in the hands of nearly one million state and local government officials who haven't previously had ready access to these datasets and analytics."

Polco's enormous proprietary data warehouse is largely fed by Government Performance Action & Learning (GPAL), a public data initiative and collaboration between National Research Center from Polco, High Road Strategy Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Hoover Institution at Stanford University, Arizona State University, ICMA, Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

GPAL combines Polco's 30-plus years of proprietary public opinion research with numerous government datasets and analytics. These analytics are also available on the Polco platform as compelling visualizations showing trends and benchmark comparisons.

"Polly is changing the data analysis game by effectively adding a digital employee to the city who can track metrics, recommend budget priorities, write strategic plans – all while getting smarter with time," Mastronardi said.

Polco is currently field testing Polly and will roll out its growing AI capabilities in May. Sign up for demos and updates at info.polco.us/ai-analyst.

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