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
Government 2.0: Crossing or Creating Digital Divides?
Government 2.0 is an engaging idea that reflects two distinct periods of thought: the "classical" model of democratic practice which focuses on citizen participation and peer relationships[i], and; the modern era of public management where organizations and public servants are expected to be more flexible and responsive to citizen’s demands, and can employ technology skillfully to create "public value"[ii]. While Government 2.0 remains an elusive concept in definition and practice – hence the establishment … more
Culture in the New Order
‘There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.’ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince (1532) One of the key hurdles for the public sector and legislators in heralding in the changes that will make the promise of Government 2.0 successful will be culture change. There’s no question that culture change in … more
Identifying and Managing the Risks of (not) Engaging Online
As the founders of Bang the Table, a company that hosts and moderates online engagement, we spend a good deal of our time talking to potential clients about the perceived risks of engaging the community online. This essay reflects what we have learned from that experience about attitudes to online engagement and risks, both perceived and real and then shares some of our thoughts on the best ways to manage those risks. Despite the … more
Case Study: Collaborating with the Crowd for Better Policy Development
Introduction A feedback loop of innovation in social processes and online tools has presented a new possibility, and in fact, a new reality: complex tasks such as writing an encyclopedia or a city plan are now being crowd sourced. The use of Web-based collaborative communities and tools can use labour, intelligence and interest to develop policy collaboratively, allowing the interests of the public to be better represented and engaged. However, while the tools for such work now exist, there … more
Rebooting Australia?
Australia’s history and unique geography have both played an important role in shaping Australian society and the system of government that supports it. Building on the foundations of Britain’s legal and parliamentary system, local political leaders built the institutions that eventually transformed Australia from a colony to an independent nation. They did it, however, in a way that suited their times and the task of managing a large continent. Can Australia’s 20th century governance … more
Promise versus Practice: the Dilemma of Open Government
Meet Kevin Page. He is the Parliamentary Budget Officer in Canada. An energetic, smart and dedicated man, Page is one of the linchpins of accountability and transparency in Canada. His job is to prepare reports and analysis for Parliament on the effect and cost of federal government initiatives. That job exists because the then-opposition Conservatives, handed scandal and corruption in the final years of the previous Liberal government, campaigned on accountability and transparency. They … more
Case Study: South Australia’s Plan for Open Access Government
In the wake of Britain’s recent expenses scandal, ‘transparency’ has become a new buzzword in British politics. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has appointed Sir Tim Berners-Lee, one of the creators of the World Wide Web, to help open up public access to government data collected by taxpayer-funded agencies. At the same time, Opposition Leader David Cameron has argued that the public has a ‘right to data’, and has pledged that a Tory government would openly … more