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Small and local governments face an outsized challenge: rising expectations from citizens paired with shrinking budgets, limited staff, and a complex technology landscape. Finding modern, secure, and sustainable solutions often feels impossible when proprietary systems are expensive, rigid, and dependent on vendors that may not fully understand public sector realities. Staffing constraints make it even harder—small teams are expected to maintain critical services, manage security, and deliver innovation.
This session explores how open source software can help governments break out of that cycle. We’ll examine how open source provides flexibility, transparency, and long-term sustainability, while reducing vendor lock-in and enabling collaboration across agencies. We’ll also address common concerns around support, security, and staffing, and discuss practical models for leveraging vendors and community expertise without sacrificing control.
Finally, we’ll tackle the fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) that often surrounds open source in government, separating myth from reality and showing how open source can empower small governments to deliver big outcomes for their citizens.
