The Civil Review Podcast

Polco recently announced its new product Polly, the first and only AI data analyst designed for the public sector. Polly is part of the AI renaissance to enhance data-driven decision-making and efficiency across all industries, including local government. Polco’s new tool addresses some valid reasons why some public sector officials may be generally hesitant to adopt AI technology. In this episode...

Polco’s new AI marks a new era of data-driven governance by making large-scale data analytics more accessible to all governments for the first time in history. Due to resource challenges, many organizations are forced to make decisions without quality data, which can have long-lasting effects on communities. To overcome this challenge, Polco merged extensive resident feedback and government perfor...

Workplace culture can impact organizational morale, employee engagement, staff retention, and more. In this episode of The Civil Review Podcast, Angelica and Jessie invite CultureCon co-founders to talk more about organizational culture in government. Listen for insights from guests Nick Lombardino and Zach Blumenfeld. Also hear some exclusive data from The National Employee Survey. The Civil Revi...

Welcome to Season 2 of The Civil Review Podcast, where Angelica and Jessie dive into the heart of municipal matters. In this episode, they're joined by North Las Vegas Public Works Director, Dale Daffern, to tackle the hot topic of remote work in the public sector. With the ongoing debate swirling, they explore the many pros and cons, from technological advancements to the specter of isolation. Is...

Local governments across the United States are challenged to retain valuable staff after experiencing leadership and employment gaps caused by the Great Resignation, older generation retirements, and changing expectations from today’s diverse workforce. How did we get here, what can we do about it, and what does the future of government work look like? Angelica and Jessie invite special guest Ron...

We know from The National Employee Survey for local governments that a positive organizational culture matters to retention, job satisfaction, and even productivity. After all, the happier employees are with the workplace, the more engaged they likely will be. These characteristics are important to all organizations - including Polco. In this episode, Jessie and Angelica share their favorite holid...

Leadership lessons can come from surprising sources … including our household pets! Since dogs are the most common pet in the US, this episode explores how dog ownership can help us improve patience, flexibility, clear communication, and setting reasonable expectations. Angelica and Jessie invite special guest speaker Chanté Martin, Polco Director of Strategic Partnerships, to tell us about her do...

Your survey is complete. Now what? There are several ways to effectively use survey results and other community data to make informed decisions with confidence. Jessie and Angelica run through the Six E’s of Action that can help governments incorporate public input throughout the policy lifecycle. The Civil Review Podcast is produced by Polco. Polco community engagement is accurate and reliable. T...

Research shows the more connected communities are, the more resilient they are as well. So, to look deeper at social trust, NRC released a poll with two questions regarding neighborliness. Jessie and Angelica discuss neighborliness in their own communities. They also reveal the most and least neighborly states, according to survey results. The Civil Review Podcast is produced by Polco. Polco commu...

Walkability is a wonder-solution to boosting the local economy, making downtowns vibrant, promoting a sense of community, and more. It almost sounds too good to be true! Angelica and Jessie dive into the details of what walkability does for communities. And they compare the walkability of the places they live. Listen in to learn more. The Civil Review Podcast is produced by Polco. Polco community...

It’s no secret that overall trust in government currently sits at an all-time low. But Angelica and Jessie assert that there’s still hope: public trust isn’t dead yet! Listen to the episode to hear what National Research Center at Polco analyses have to say about public trust. Find out what it all means for local governments. The Civil Review Podcast is produced by Polco. Polco community engagemen...

Our research shows that the local economy is always important to residents. So it makes sense for balancing the budget to become the number one priority in times of economic uncertainty. But how can leaders bring residents into this process in a constructive way? Jessie and Angelica interview Chris Adams, President of Balancing Act by Polco, to learn more. The Civil Review Podcast is produced by P...

Cities are changing everywhere, but are Americans’ needs and values changing too? This episode unveils a few community characteristics that are most important to residents today. Jessie and Angelica dive into five of the top ten community needs discovered by Polco research and analyses. See all ten of the top community needs at polco.us/todays-top-ten-community-needs-according-to-us-reisdents The...

Women have made history in local government. But there still exists a gender gap when it comes to leadership roles. We look into these data trends in the latest Civil Review Podcast episode in honor of Women's History Month. Listen in to celebrate the pioneering women who have made local government history and paved the way for others to advance in their careers too! This episode's cover image dep...

Spoiler alert: Polarization is making significant impacts on local governments everywhere. In this episode, Jessie and Angelica invite special guest speaker Michelle Kobayashi, Principal Research Strategist at Polco. Listen in to find out what's causing all this polarization, how it affects local governments, and how to bring balance back into decision-making. The Civil Review Podcast is produced...

Today's workplaces are more diverse than ever before - and that includes age groups. In this episode, Jessie and Angelica tackle four common myths about older adults in the workplace. Listen in to find out what the survey data say about these stereotypes and why the myths are untrue. The Civil Review Podcast is produced by Polco. Polco community engagement is accurate and reliable. Thousands of go...

Everyone is talking about AI these days. But how are bots impacting local governments? Angelica and Jessie discuss the benefits and pitfalls. And we answer the million-dollar question: is AI coming for our jobs? Listen to find out. The Civil Review Podcast is produced by Polco. Polco community engagement is accurate and reliable. Thousands of government leaders trust Polco for insights from survey...

Tough times landing on demanding jobs amid the Great Resignation mean workplace stress is at an all-time high. Polco's Angelica and Jessie discuss employee survey results from National Research Center at Polco and how stress relates to staff retention. Hear what local government organizations are doing about it and what we as individuals can do to reduce stress at work. The Civil Review Podcast is...