The Role of Digital Technology in Successful Public Infrastructure Project Management (E61)

Last year the monumental Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by Congress. It has $450 billion earmarked to renew existing programs and $550 billion designated for new federal spending. As the name implies, most money will go to roads & bridges, railways, and other public projects.

The question is – how can this enormous amount of money be efficiently distributed, managed, and audited? Today’s discussion gives the listener seven perspectives on answering these important questions. The topics reviewed include expanding access to this appropriation, digital transformation, and risk management.

Study after study has shown the number one priority for rural citizens is access to broadband connections. The question is – where to start? Xochitl Torres Small from the USDA opens the discussion by claiming that, up until now, many of the maps that show coverage are not accurate.

This brings up the issue of equity in access. Lee A. Jones from USDA’s Rural Prosperity Network, wants to ensure that all communities have equal access to these funds.

We are talking about some serious amounts of investment. There is an estimated 8.3 billion allocated to water infrastructure alone. Leaders from the Bureau of Reclamation want to use digital tools so this appropriation can make decisions about projects and risks based on data.

Transparency is a key factor in any digital transformation and having funding decisions documented can reduce risk as well as provide a perspective on distribution. Using digital tools allows this ability for interested parties to see where and how money is allocated.

Additionally, digital tools can reduce the cost of administering a program. Doug Brenning from the State of California details how, with a paper-based process, a billion-dollar project would need twelve people to administer. He shows that digital tools reduced this human cost by one half.

To view this webinar: The Role of Digital Technology in Successful Public Infrastructure Program Management.

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