Why senior public officials need to be web-savvy

In The Techie in Chief, appearing in next week's Newsweek, Anna Quindlen provides a strong case why no-one at senior levels in the public sector can afford to be unfamiliar with modern telecommunications technologies.

One key reason she highlights is that leaders need to lead - they need to be out in front of the pack, rather than trailing behind.

If not, they are vulnerable to faster moving opponents, as well as to loss of respect from their constituents and staff.

Quindlen also points out that without making effective use of modern telecommunications tools government-agency heads can become blind to how their policies really work for ordinary people, and political figures can be insensible to undercurrents amongst their constituents.

So fundamentally senior public officials need to be web-savvy because they are senior figures with decision-making responsibility.

If they do not embrace emerging technologies they will be increasingly unable to understand their environment or make appropriate decisions in order to deliver relevant outcomes for citizens.