It’s the latest example of de facto consultancies and so-called innovation labs helping to fuel growth and advancement in the industry.
The Texas-based company’s fledgling Esper Policy Lab, which officially launched in February, offers what a statement described as “actionable guidance on key trends in policy and regulation.”
So far, the lab has produced reports on such subjects as AI in policy management, public health and public safety.
Unlike the company’s platform, which requires a subscription, reports are free and, as is traditionally the case with consultancies, available for download in exchange for email addresses, phone numbers and other data.
The reports draw upon the 7-year-old company’s knowledge of what the company called “regulatory intelligence and other authoritative sources,” and are written to “spotlight emerging challenges, opportunities and advancements in the public sector.”
For instance, the report about AI has sections about “real-world applications of AI in police management,” comparisons of AI models and overcoming the risk of artificial intelligence, along with other issues.
Esper CEO Maleka Momand told Government Technology there is serious demand for such information as public agencies become more digital and mobile and embrace new technologies such as AI. Reports also can provide updated information on compliance and other relatively backstage areas of knowledge that are vital to keeping government working.
“Government leaders are hungry for unbiased and data-driven research insights they can use to help guide their decision-making,” she said via email. “Today, much of the research process within government is incredibly manual or relies on subjective reports.”
Upcoming policy lab subjects could include workforce development, natural resources, counties and cities, navigating the “federal funding squeeze” and other topics, she said.
She anticipates that in addition to the “vertically focused content being released,” the lab will offer more reports on “horizontally focused matters that apply to all government types.”
