Big data have become a game-changer for modern public administration in those areas in which they are used. Although their application is still limited in the public sector, their use develops dynamically in areas where they bring tangible results in terms of efficiency and efficacy. This article presents the concept of big data, outlines the possibilities for using big data in the public sector and methods of their utilization, highlights cases where these have been implemented, along with the results. This article discusses applications of big data methods in public policy design and implementation and in public authority internal management. It includes a summary of the benefits, disadvantages and challenges related to utilization of big data. The article also briefly addresses historical, current and predictive approaches. Research was carried out using internet-based case analysis and is limited by the confidentiality of details relating to big data methods. Although the research has had to be limited to publicly available descriptions, the findings make it possible to understand the big data phenomenon in public administration and to draw general lessons from their use.

Points for practitioners

Big data is a contemporary phenomenon. Properly utilized it brings astonishingly positive outcomes for public administration in terms of its efficacy, efficiency, and overall client satisfaction. These benefits are a result of significant increase in the accuracy of decision-making, a significant acceleration of performance of internal the ‘information task’ and a significant reduction in operating costs related to the decision-making process. This is possible thanks to the digitization of human life and IT developments applied in a specific way for public administration – the way of big data methods where huge amounts of data are processed in a form of reasoning by powerful IT technology to present information that helps public administration to better perform its task.