Smart City Maturity Model, Says IDC Government

IDC Government Insights announced the first “Business Strategy: IDC Government Insights' Smart City Maturity Model — Assessment and Action on the Path to Maturity”  designed to help cities assess their current situation and determine critical capabilities needed to develop a Smart City. Based on independent research, IDC Government Insights’ Smart City Maturity Model provides a framework of stages, critical measures, outcomes, and actions required for organizations to effectively advance along the successive stages of competency toward data and event-driven decision-making. City leaders can also use the maturity model as a tool to develop a common language, improve intra- and inter-group collaboration in defining and executing a Smart City strategy, and promote and encourage the use of emerging technologies and Smart City solutions.

The maturity model will enable a city to:

• Begin to assess its Smart City current competency and maturity
• Define short and long-term goals and plan for improvements
• Prioritize technology, partnership, staffing, and other related investment decisions
• Uncover maturity gaps among departments, business units or between functional and IT groups

“Many cities are unsure of how to begin addressing the decisions that need to be made in technology, staffing, and process to deploy Smart Cities capabilities pervasively across the city. The plethora of technology choices and range of technologies and management skills required make it difficult to prioritize project resource allocations,” said Ruthbea Yesner Clarke, research director, Smart City Strategies, IDC Government Insights. “Our Smart City Maturity Model serves as a valuable tool to help cities assess progress and adopt Smart City technologies and practices.”