GIS has proven to be an organization-wide enterprise, and a highly enduring technology that continues to adapt how the local government operates on many tasks. Many, if not all, governmental agencies have adopted GIS technology as a method to better manage and improve upon many of their organizations, such as:
- Public Safety operations such as Emergency Operations Centers, Fire Prevention, Police and Sheriff mobile technology and dispatch, and mapping weather risks
- Parks and Recreation departments and their functions in asset inventory, land conservation, land management, and cemetery management
- Public Works and Utilities, tracking water and storm water drainage, electrical assets, engineering projects, and public transportation assets and trends
- Fiber Network Management for interdepartmental network assets
- School analytical and demographic data, asset management, and improvement/expansion planning
- Public Administration for election data, property records, and zoning/management
The Open Data Initiative has pushed the local government to take advantage of the technology and also share their own data with their requirements to fit the Open Data and Open Government model of transparency. Because of Open Data, local government organizations can implement their online portals which allow citizens to view and utilize this information. This push for open data from within and outside of government organizations has been a huge driving force for local government GIS tech spending and database management.