Ideas worth putting to work

At PorchLight Insights, we are big advocates for creating psychologically safe teams, workplaces, and communities. We introduced this concept in a previous blog post. Building on this foundation, our team underscored the importance of psychological safety in local government and highlighted concrete actions that managers can take to support it during the recent 2025 ICMA Conference in Tampa, FL. If we missed you in Tampa, here are some key takeaways from our session.

PorchLight Insights has worked extensively with city 311 systems over the years, most notably with our co-founders having firsthand experience with Kansas City's 311 during deployment and in the early years (shout out to the hardworking, lovely people of KCMO 311!).

We've seen a lot of data analysis tools over the years. Software that promises big insights and business intelligence that will transform your work life. Many of those analysis products are really great, but none are as "easy" and universal as good 'ole Microsoft Excel.

Building trust with your audience for a data story takes some effort, but the reward is worth it.

Co-founder Julie Steenson has spoken extensively on what survey data can do for your city. In this vintage video from 2015, she explains that survey data is a powerful tool for decision-making and engagement.