As the internet continues to make transparency and collaboration cheaper and easier, governments around the world face increasing pressure to become more open and more participatory. … more
Case Study: Public Sphere as a Gov 2.0 example of Open Government
Government 2.0 We are using the term Government 2.0 to describe the new opportunities presented by online technologies and social methodologies to achieve a more open government. There are many wonderful Web 2.0 and bleeding edge initiatives in government, often done under the radar and on a shoestring budget. A successful “Government 2.0″ initiative may leverage various Web 2.0 tools as well as online community and consultation processes, but ultimately must have an outcome that is … more
Foreword – Lindsay Tanner
The Australian Government, like governments around the world, is facing three intersecting trends which have significant implications for its public agencies and decision makers. The range and depth of the challenges faced by government is expanding. The resource base with which to meet these challenges is dwindling. And the expectations of citizens of their involvement in solving these challenges is changing fundamentally. The Government 2.0 agenda is a way of thinking, through a technological frame, about how to adapt our government … more
What is Gov2.0?
The term Government 2.0 means many things to many people – how would you define it? “The aim of Government 2.0 is to make government information more accessible and useable, to make government more consultative, participatory and transparent, to build a culture of online innovation, and to promote collaboration across agencies in online and information initiatives.” Towards Government 2.0: An issues paper, issued by the Government 2.0 Taskforce, 23 July 2009. “Government 2.0 is the adoption of Web 2.0 social platforms and … more
CPD ideas for the Gov2.0 Taskforce: open sourcing policy development?
As a number of contributors to this edition point out, there are many lessons from the emergence of open-source software that can be applied to the practice of Gov 2.0. The Centre for Policy Development is particularly interested in the potential for ‘open-sourcing policy development’ – applying the philosophy of open source software to the policy cycle. The relevant features of the open-source software development community in this context are as follows: transparency: the code is published, … more
Web2.0 tools for Gov2.0 beginners: a practical guide
Engaging with people online is not difficult. The tools are available and affordable and there is certainly no need to invest in building bespoke platforms. However the wide range of options and choices can, at times, be bewildering. The spaces where most people already congregate are optimised for commercial, personal and social outcomes, not for political discussion. Yet these spaces are often at the cutting edge of interaction, web design, privacy control and social expectations. How do we make use of … more
Upgrading Democracy: Opening Doors
There’s one every election day. Sometimes you can pick them from a distance. The way she slams the car door and glances back at it once, quickly, like she needs to remember the location of her getaway vehicle. The way he approaches the entrance to the polling station crabwise, nervously avoiding eye contact. But the real giveaway is when they raise their hands above their heads and charge through the little crowd of volunteers holding … more
Upgrading Democracy: Opening Windows
The night before the Government 2.0 Taskforce was announced, I joined a group of other Gov 2.0 enthusiasts at a Canberra laksa house to chat about the following day’s #publicsphere on Open Government – the second in a series of innovative consultation events hosted by Senator Kate Lundy. Along with a chance to eat the largest noodle soup in the history of Canberran cuisine, I also had the opportunity to gripe about something that had … more
Introduction – Martin Stewart Weeks
Government 2.0 is a label whose convenience should not detract from the significance of the changes it implies. It heralds a sustained process of innovation that will change the way we govern. It’s easy, given its origins in the world of technical and social networking, to get the impression that the ideas and potential changes with which it is associated are (a) largely the domain of super geeks and (b) ephemeral, easily dismissed as niche … more
Case Study: OpenAustralia on Practical Transparency and Gov2.0
Why should Government be transparent? We want to know that a government’s actions reflect the wishes of the people it represents. Transparency is the mechanism for ensuring that the elected Government is accountable to the voters. The Hansard gives us access to the Parliamentary proceedings, but it is only one small part of transparency. Discussion about government transparency to date has largely centred on requirements that Parliamentarians disclose any financial interests or influences that … more