Cipher has delivered analytics and performance management for public-sector organizations for years, including the cities of Boston, Houston, McKinney, and Henderson. We help agencies turn the data they already hold into public scorecards, budget reporting, and dashboards that leadership and citizens can both follow.
In City of McKinney strategy management, Cipher helped turn six City Council goals from a static PDF on the city's website into a live, citywide performance view with department-level detail citizens can follow. In City of Henderson BusinessObjects project, Cipher supported the city's STARS performance and initiative reporting system, including a benchmarking capability that lets Henderson compare its results against similar cities nationwide. See more of this work on our case studies page.
What Cipher Delivers for Government Agencies
- Performance management and public scorecards leadership and citizens can both follow
- Budgeting and planning aligned to strategic goals and council priorities
- Reporting and dashboards that replace static PDFs and spreadsheet hand-offs
- Data warehouse work built on the SQL Server, Power BI, or other licenses your agency already owns
This work connects directly to organizational strategy and performance more broadly, and to Cipher SPEAR strategy execution software, which several public-sector customers use to cascade council goals down to department-level KPIs and initiatives.
Most agencies now expect to deliver services digitally and to show citizens, in plain terms, how public dollars translate into results. Getting there generally means turning data that already exists inside separate systems, departments, and spreadsheets into something a City Council, a department head, and a resident can all look at and understand the same way.
Free and Low-Cost Business Intelligence Tools for Government
Not every agency is ready for a full performance management platform, and budgets are real. If you're building a BI practice on a limited budget, three things are typically needed: a database, an ETL process, and a visualization tool. Several well-known tools offer a free or low-cost way to get started with each:
Database
One of the main things people look for is consistent, trusted information. Having a centralized repository is key to that, and a database can also keep information pre-aggregated so queries don't run slow while agencies wait on results.
ETL Tool
ETL stands for Extract, Transform, and Load: the process used to pull information out of a source system like an ERP or CRM, adjust it (split fields, merge with other data, run formulas), and make it available to whatever tool will visualize it.
Visualization Tool
Once data has been processed, a visualization tool is what lets users build charts, run additional calculations, and share the results with others, including citizens, in a format that's easier to follow than a spreadsheet.
Tableau
Tableau Public lets business users load a spreadsheet and start building visualizations quickly. Reports built in the public version are publicly viewable, which usually isn't a concern for public-sector data. Cipher can help you get started, or assess and support an existing Tableau effort.
Power BI
Power BI's cloud service is available to anyone with a corporate email account, with a desktop app for report building. The main limitation on the free tier is collaboration: shared workspaces require a paid license.
Qlik Sense
Qlik Sense offers a free cloud option and a basic desktop client, with sharing available for up to 5 users even on the free tier.
SQL Server Express
A free database option that works well when data volumes are moderate, particularly for agencies managing a lot of Excel-based reporting where everyone needs to see the same numbers. Cipher has done this many times, including for large organizations, keeping a familiar Excel front end while centralizing the data behind it.
Download the Excel Data Automation case studies to see examples of customers who have automated Excel-based reporting this way.
If your agency already owns SQL Server Standard or Enterprise, Power BI through Office 365, or another platform license, that's often the fastest and lowest-cost starting point: Cipher has used existing SQL Server investments to build enterprise data warehouses and cube-based reporting for many customers rather than requiring a new tool purchase.
Additional Resources
- Strategic Plan Template: a template to define your own plan
- How to Start Your Performance Management Project: a four-step approach to getting started
- Common KPI Library: common KPIs from cities around the world
Whether you're starting with free tools or ready for a full performance management platform, Cipher can help you assess where your agency stands and what the shortest path forward looks like.