ICMA and SAS expand partnership to work for sustainable, more resilient communities

Local government efforts to become smart cities and improve quality of life for residents will be bolstered by a continued partnership between ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, and SAS, a leading analytics software and solutions developer. ICMA and SAS have renewed their partnership to promote the use of analytics by local governments in areas such as public health, utilities management, fleet maintenance and law enforcement.

ICMA’s members include more than 11,000 local government leaders, organizations and other individuals. As a Presidential Level member of the ICMA’s Strategic Partners Program, SAS will assist ICMA in providing its members educational and thought leadership content highlighting innovative uses of data and analytics to improve communities.

The two organizations will jointly develop a number of knowledge resources, showcase leading practice solutions through education and training, and provide engagement and networking opportunities related to smart city technology, targeted to local government managers and their staffs. 

“As leaders in our respective fields, ICMA and SAS have a number of opportunities to help local government put smart city technology, strategy, data visualization and analytics to work for more livable, sustainable and resilient communities,” said ICMA Executive Director Marc A. Ott. “Our enhanced partnership provides our two organizations with an opportunity to share this knowledge with ICMA members.” 

Attendees of the ICMA Annual Conference, Oct. 22-25 in San Antonio, can learn more about the SAS partnership. Jennifer Robinson, author of the smart cities chapter in the new book, “A Practical Guide to Analytics for Governments: Using Big Data for Good,” will moderate a panel on the tools and techniques needed to become a data-driven manager in local government. She will also present on how analytics is used to tackle complex human and social issues such as the opioid crisis, housing, child welfare, and criminal recidivism. SAS and ICMA will also collaborate on real-world case studies and new research about local governments using analytics.

“Local governments eager to create smart, resilient cities need to understand how analytics can help,” said Paula Henderson, Vice President of SAS’ US Government Practice. “From early, easy wins that build confidence to a fully developed smart cities strategy, SAS and ICMA can help communities at any point in the journey.”

About ICMA

ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide through leadership, management, innovation, and ethics. ICMA provides member support, publications, data and information, peer and results-oriented assistance, and training and professional development to more than 11,000 appointed city, town, and county leaders and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA's members affect millions of individuals living in thousands of communities, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.