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State of New Jersey: Redefining data for the people Poonam Soans, Chief Data Officer of the State of New Jersey, explores how she is overseeing a data-driven revolution to better serve its citizens

Written by

Dale Benton

Produced by

Craig Daniels

3

W

hen we think of a Chief Data Officer, a role which has become more commonplace

in recent years, our minds go towards customer data and the private sector.

After all, when we think of technology in industry, the headlines gravitate towards tales of how technology is transforming the likes of the insurance space or the retail sector. But what do we think of technology, and indeed data, in the public sector? And when we do think of the public sector and how it captures, uses and presents data. Who do we think it’s for and who decides how it is presented?

For the State of New Jersey, Poonam Soans, Chief Data Officer, is tasked with answering those questions on a day-today basis. Naturally, as a state body, strategic decisions are made through mandates that come directly from the Governor, but it is up to the likes of Soans to help implement these mandates and deliver real value and impact to the people who live in the state by driving

and divisions, I continued to see where

game-changing innovation.

the gaps in communication between

So, who is Soans? Having started her

teams were and had more opportunity

career as an entry level programmer for

to do something about it.” In 2010 a new

the state, she worked her way up through

mandate came from the Governor that

the ranks gaining experience and exper-

would change both her own perception of

tise along the way. “I saw close up the

data and the state’s too. “In 2010 we were

struggles that programmers face. As I

legislated by the Governor to set up a

moved up through various departments

Transparency site for the State of New

Jersey, lawmakers from both parties had

conversation was in its infancy. Fast

been seeking a web site to enhance the

forward 11 years and the citizens have a

transparency of state finances since

whole new level of understanding and

2008” Soans explains. “This was primarily

expectation as to what they want to see

for the public, so they could see exactly

and access. “In 2012, we experienced

where their tax dollars were being spent.”

Superstorm Sandy which destroyed a

Data transparency, as we speak in

lot of homes, so we stood up the Sandy

2021, is not a new or particularly novel

Transparency Portal to provide public

concept but at the time the transparency

access to all State contracts for the 5

Poonam Soans Chief Data Officer & Director of Application Development Poonam Soans is the Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Director of Application Development for the great state of New Jersey. She studied Business Administration with Computer Science and has been in Information Technology for over 19 years. Poonam is a company veteran who understands the culture and history of the organization.

As Director, she oversees the development and maintenance of all existing and new systems of the division in order to produce effective software solutions.

She directs the administrative requirements of application development including yearly budgetary spending plans based upon organizational objectives, priorities and operational requirements.

In her CDO role, she ensures her office is getting the most from what could be its most valuable asset. She is ultimately responsible for areas such as data quality, data governance, information strategy, data science, and business analytics. She works to enhance Open Government, Transparency and Performance Management Initiatives using cloud computing and other technologies. New endeavours and challenges are her biggest motivators!

An experienced data professional, Soans is an active public speaker having been Invited to speak at over 13 major events over the last few years including: CDO & Data Leaders' Global Summit 2021, New Jersey Digital Government Summit 2018 and 2021, CDO National Virtual Summit 2021 and MITCDOIQ Symposium 2020.

Soans has also been recognised by CDO Magazine as a Global Data Power Women 2021 These women are shaping the landscape of business and pioneering the field of data and analytics. They are leveraging their talents to get real world results, to answer tough business questions and to provide true value to the enterprise, their customers and key stakeholders.

allocation and expenditure of federal

Rein when I was offered this job that I’m

disaster relief funds, including contract

happy to be in a position where I can

vendor information. In addition, the portal

make a difference, to have a seat at the

lists the available federal funding streams

table,” she says. Coupled with her other

and funding criteria and tracks the federal

position, that of Director of Application

funding allotment of disaster relief funds

Development, Soans has played a key

in New Jersey. This was set up on our

part in this data-led conversation for

already existing open data portal which

the best part of a decade. “I work for the

now tells you where the funds came in

Office of Information Technology, and

and where they were distributed. The

data powers our software applications.

public is very interested in knowing where

Everything we do is around building appli-

the last dollar went. I think transparency

cations,” she says. “These roles go hand

has changed a lot and their expectations

in hand because applications are built

have changed also and so we have to

with good data on it.”

ensure we can deliver on that.”

Following her work on the transpar-

The role of the Chief Data Officer has grown immensely in both the public and

ency site, and through the development

private sector, but as Soans herself

and implementation of an open data

admits; the understanding of data and its

portal which allows all state agencies to

worth hasn’t always been what it is now.

publish their data in one easily acces-

So how does an organization define the

sible portal for citizens, Soans took on

role itself? As CDO, she is tasked with

her latest role as Chief Data Officer

establishing procedures, best practices,

in 2019. “I told my CTO – Christopher

standards and metadata requirements 7

“It all starts with having a great team,” she enthuses. “I’m very fortunate that I have great people working with me who understand my enthusiasm and my get-it-done attitude” — P O O N A M S O A N S , C H I E F D ATA O F F I C E R & D I R E C T O R O F A P P L I C AT I O N D E V E L O P M E N T, S TAT E O F N E W J E R S E Y

all around data. This is a far cry from the

data.’ We need to know what each column

days of numerous agencies sending

means and what exactly the definition

multiple forms of data in several formats

of it is, because if the public then comes

ranging from excel spreadsheets, pdf

back to us and says, ‘What is this column?

documents to rich text formats (RTF).

What does it mean?’ we can go back to

As the demand for data for citizens

them and say, ‘This is what it means and

grew, Soans knew that this was not the

really make it easy for them.”

best way forward for the state. “I set

The goal sounds simple on paper: make

down some standards around the way

changes where necessary to improve

we wanted data to be presented,” she

the overall service. The reality of it is

explains. “That way we can parse the data

a very different prospect and Soans

out. We need the asset level and column

understands this. What she has on her

level metadata filled out completely. Do

side is her years within the organization.

not just give me data and say, ‘Here’s the

Working her way up through the ranks

has allowed her to establish key relation-

Soans speaks of an initial boom following

ships with people throughout the organ-

the Governor’s Open Data Initiative, with

ization, people who can help facilitate

agencies jumping at the gun to upload

real change. “I know the data warehouse,

datasets on to the State’s Open Data

managed hosting, server and network

Portal at Data.NJ.Gov and get the data

teams,” she says. “So, if we get a new

transparency ball well and truly moving.

project, I know right away exactly which

After those early weeks however, the

teams need to be involved, and I can set

momentum began to fade, and so Soans

the deadline based on the fact that I’ve

had to address this issue quickly. “I had to

been there, done that, so I know exactly

really take matters into my own hands and

how long a project should take.”

decide on the best process going forward

An interesting challenge when imple-

to get that data from them,” she says. “I

menting change like this is momentum,

asked my team to conduct research and

so, how do you keep momentum going?

analysis on different states in America and 9

see, for example, what the States of New York and California are doing with their Department of Transportation data.

This approach allowed Soans and her team to see firsthand the power of data and more specifically how states are presenting their data in a way that breaks free of the stigma that ‘data is boring’.

“There’s a problem where the agencies don’t understand what the value of uploading/publishing their data is and so I show them how the other states are displaying it and it looks great,” she adds.

“So, I ask them to give us their data and

“ It may be a cliché, but if you love what you do then it isn’t work and if we all share that belief then we will be successful for the people of New Jersey” — P O O N A M S O A N S , C H I E F D ATA O F F I C E R , S TAT E O F N E W J E R S E Y

we’ll publish it. We will also send a link to embed on their website and it is a win-win.

New Jersey leverages our Socrata data platform on the state’s open data portal to enable collaboration among state agencies, improve the overall service provided

CONNECTED DATA IS

POWERFUL AND DRIVES BETTER OUTCOMES

to residents, and increase transparency for all stakeholders. tylertech.com/recovery

It’s a win for them because it makes them

a must-do resolve. Her enthusiasm and

look good for putting out some really

her drive are quite contagious. “My role

useful data, and it makes the state look

allows me to really showcase the good

good that we’re able to make the data

work that we do, and, in the end, everyone

available to our citizens in the first place.

is happy,” she says. “I’m very enthusiastic

That approach really got us a lot of buy-in

about it because I like that I can make a

with the different agencies and has

difference. There have been times where

helped pave the way forward for us.”

we have come up against agencies that

So why is there a notion that data is

are not sure of the value of their data,

boring? Soans, having worked in and

so they do not want to take the leap. We

around data for her entire career, believes

worked with them and assisted them to

that to really break away from this

upload their data, we also created visuali-

perception of boring data, people need to

zations on their data by way of pie charts,

think a little deeper about what it repre-

bar graphs, etc. And they have been

sents and how the State is helping those

extremely pleased with the results. This

citizens. Soans knows this and feels priv-

generates valuable word of mouth with

ileged to work for the state in the role that

other state agencies who then want to

she has because she believes in making

follow suit.”

real change for the people. She projects

As much as Soans is driving this data-

optimism, confidence, a will-do spirit and

led initiative, she will be the first to admit 11

that it is by no means a one

can score, the team has a better

woman show. She is surrounded

chance of winning. I really think

by incredibly dedicated people

that makes a lot of difference.”

who are as committed as she

Having a great team and a great

is and goes as far as to say that

working relationship with that

without them, the task at hand

team has proved particularly key

would be immensely difficult.

in light of the COVID pandemic.

“It all starts with having a great

With lockdown restrictions and

team,” she enthuses. “I’m very

office closures, the Office of

fortunate that I have great people Information Technology had to working with me who under-

transition from in-office working

stand my enthusiasm and my

to working from home. Soans

get-it-done attitude. I set prior-

speaks of initial problems when

ities for my team based on the

adjusting to this new dynamic,

deliverables. I also have a lot of

ensuring employees had access

support from other IT teams and

to the data and systems they

management.”

need to continue providing crit-

“I make sure that everyone on

ical services was a key early

the team plays a different role,

focus. Once the team settled

according to their strengths.

into this new way of working,

Knowing your team, their person- they continue to do all they can alities, what they can do, their

for the citizens of New Jersey.

strengths and their weaknesses.

Importantly for Soans, this time

In other words, you know who

has allowed her and her team

to approach when you are in a

to think about resilience and

rush, and you know which team

the lessons learned along the

member to go to when you want

way. “Like everyone, we were

it done right and you have the

totally caught by surprise and

luxury of time. For example, one

so once we settled down a little,

may not be the best goal scorer,

we immediately started think-

but they are great at moving the

ing about what we can take away

ball forward. You know that if you

from this,” she says. “It ranges

pass that ball to the person who

from looking at the devices and 13

equipment we use to work from home to examining some of the work we’ve done in recent years and how we could possibly improve on that, now that our way of working and thinking has been challenged by this pandemic.”

This idea of examining practises and challenging the thinking goes back to an earlier point that Soans made about asking her team to look at how other states leverage their data. She feels that the key to doing the right thing by the people, and not just thinking that she is doing the right thing, is to connect with her peers in the same or similar roles across the country. She is a member of the State Chief Data Officers Network, where she meets (virtually) with fellow State CDOs and shares knowledge and experiences and most importantly, challenges, how they can be effective in their roles. “It’s a great platform where we can exchange ideas, thoughts and concerns,” she says. “We all have the same goals and

will look to implement a more robust data

are arriving at them from different angles.

governance program, all the while contin-

Everyone is simply trying to help each

uing to adopt best practices across the

other be a success.”

organisation and the agencies. While

Over the course of the last two

the benefits of these are clear, what is

years, Soans has made great strides in

the secret of her success? Poonam’s

moving the needle forward for the data-

success is rooted in the way she leads

led conversation of the State and she

and her work ethic. She is expected

acknowledges that there is still a long

to make big decisions, and that is not

way to go. Over the next 12 months she

always easy, especially when there is a

lot of money on the line. This is why it is so important for her to spend time doing

are excited to emulate.

“I will do all it takes, everything I can

her research, listening to the concerns

within my power, and with the assistance

of client agencies, and then using that

of my teams to serve New Jersey. It may

information to reach a decision. “We are

be a cliché, but if you love what you do

a team, and we all represent the state of

then it isn’t work and if we all share that

New Jersey. As a leader, one needs to

belief then we will be successful for the

have the foresight and the gumption to

people of New Jersey.”

take risks.” Learning from her example can help anyone become a leader people 15