Data Doesn’t Drive Change — Execution Does

In today’s digital era, data is everywhere. State and local governments are able to collect more information than ever before—about infrastructure, community needs, budgets, staffing, service delivery, and beyond. Public leaders are investing in dashboards, performance scorecards, surveys, and sophisticated analytics tools. Yet despite this explosion in access to information, many agencies continue to struggle with one thing: making meaningful progress on their strategic goals.

The hard truth? Data alone doesn’t drive change. Execution does.

Gathering and analyzing information is critical—but it’s what happens after the data is collected that ultimately determines whether progress is made. Without clear ownership, structured processes, and sustained follow-through, insights stay stuck in reports, and plans fall short of impact.

In this blog, we’ll explore why execution—not data—is the missing link in many government strategies, highlight findings from our 2025 State of Strategy Execution Report, and share what public sector leaders can do to turn insights into outcomes.

The Growing Role of Data in Government

There’s no doubt that data has become a foundational asset for public agencies. Governments now use data to:

• Allocate funding more efficiently
• Prioritize capital projects
• Monitor KPIs for community services
• Conduct equity and impact analyses
• Report performance to oversight boards and residents

This is a positive evolution. Data enables better decision-making, improves transparency, and builds trust. However, relying on data without pairing it with execution planning can leave organizations with a false sense of progress.

When Data Falls Short

Despite having access to more data than ever, many state and local agencies face barriers when it comes to acting on it. According to the 2025 State of Strategy Execution Report:

• 79% of organizations relying on manual data collection say it takes too long to respond to strategic shifts
• Half of organizations are unsure how to track progress against strategic goals
• Only 52% of leaders feel confident that they improve strategy implementation based on past learnings

So what’s getting in the way? Here are four common issues:

1. Data Without Context

Raw data doesn’t tell the full story. Without connecting insights to goals, timelines, and responsible teams, agencies struggle to translate analysis into action.

2. Lack of Execution Framework

Having a strategy and having a plan to execute it are not the same. Too often, agencies build strategic plans with broad goals but no structure for follow-through.

3. Disconnection Between Strategy and Operations

Insights from data may exist in one part of the organization, while the teams responsible for implementing change operate in another. This disconnect limits impact.

4. No Feedback Loop for Continuous Improvement

If lessons from past projects aren’t captured and applied to new efforts, organizations repeat mistakes and fail to evolve their strategies.

What It Takes to Move from Data to Action

So how do you ensure that your data leads to real-world change? It starts with building strong execution capabilities. Here are five elements public agencies need to operationalize their insights:

1. Align Data with Strategic Objectives

Data should support your goals—not operate independently from them. Begin by linking data metrics directly to your strategic initiatives. This helps teams understand how insights drive the mission forward.

For example, if your strategic goal is to reduce homelessness, ensure that metrics like shelter utilization, job placement rates, and service engagement are tied directly to the execution plan.

2. Create Clear Ownership and Accountability

Data means little if no one is responsible for acting on it. Assign initiative owners who are accountable for using insights to inform their decisions and drive results.

Our 2025 report found that:

• 95% of leaders say accountability improves goal progress
• Teams with clear ownership are nearly 2x more likely to meet deadlines and achieve project goals

3. Make Insights Accessible and Timely

Data buried in spreadsheets or delayed by manual updates loses its power. Use real-time dashboards and centralized platforms to ensure teams have easy access to current performance indicators.

Organizations that use real-time dashboards are:

• 88% more likely to say their strategic plans improve year-over-year
• 10x more likely to see improved goal achievement

4. Embed Execution Reviews into the Workflow

Build regular check-ins into the rhythm of work. These should include data reviews, status updates, and action planning. This ensures insights are discussed and translated into tactical adjustments.

Organizations that hold regular accountability check-ins are 10x more likely to achieve their goals.

5. Capture Lessons and Iterate

Treat strategy execution as an ongoing cycle. After each phase or project, evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how data supported outcomes. Then apply those learnings to future planning.

Still, only 52% of leaders feel confident their organizations improve based on prior implementation efforts. Building formal reflection into the process helps close this gap.

Real-World Impact: How College Station Transformed Its Reporting and Execution

The City of College Station, home to Texas A&M University and over 128,000 residents, exemplifies how a fast-growing municipality can successfully turn data into action. With a focus on planning, development, and performance measurement, College Station previously relied on Excel spreadsheets and Word documents to collect and report quarterly updates across departments.

This process became increasingly inefficient as spreadsheets circulated between teams, revisions piled up, and compiling reports often took an entire day. Challenges included version control, formatting consistency, and ensuring timely, accurate updates for internal and external stakeholders.

Turning to AchieveIt proved transformative. The city replaced its manual reporting system with automated data collection and email prompts targeted to the appropriate owners. AchieveIt’s dashboards offered real-time visibility across 18 departments, including police, fire, parks and recreation, and utility services. These dashboards now feed directly into reports tailored for the City Manager’s office and City Council.

With AchieveIt, College Station:

• Replaced manual processes with automated updates and reminders
• Created accessible, public-facing dashboards to increase transparency
• Streamlined quarterly and annual reporting
• Improved role clarity and accountability across teams
• Saved valuable staff time while improving the accuracy and timeliness of updates

This shift empowered leaders to make more informed decisions, align budgeting with performance, and ensure residents had direct insight into the city’s progress. College Station’s approach shows how combining strong execution with data accessibility can support transparency and long-term growth.

How AchieveIt Helps Government Leaders Execute on Insight

At AchieveIt, we believe that information is powerful only when paired with execution. Our platform is built to help public sector leaders bridge the gap between knowing and doing.

With AchieveIt, agencies can:

• Tie data directly to strategic initiatives
• Assign and monitor ownership of every plan and task
• Use real-time dashboards to maintain visibility and transparency
• Streamline reporting for both internal leaders and external stakeholders
• Establish feedback loops for continuous improvement

By helping government teams manage strategy execution at every level, AchieveIt turns insights into outcomes and empowers agencies to make measurable progress.

Final Thoughts

Collecting data is no longer the challenge—it’s converting that data into action that drives change. For public sector organizations to truly deliver on their missions, they need more than insights. They need execution.

Data informs. But execution transforms.

By aligning metrics with strategic plans, building a culture of accountability, and using the right tools to track progress in real time, state and local governments can finally realize the full potential of their data.Curious how AchieveIt can help your agency execute better on its strategy? Explore how we support public sector performance.