I found an interesting post on Govloop the other day by Martha McLean, Bureaucracy 2.0 – make sure your team is ready to stand and deliver.
This identified a challenge that is facing public servants - do we prepare our teams to engage in Gov 2.0 activities (possibly preempting the need), or do we wait for senior leadership to define the direction.
Over the nearly three years I've worked in the public service I was primarily focused on lifting the awareness of the online channel in the eyes of senior management. This involved putting in place appropriate reporting systems, flagging how the channel could be used to solve various organisational 'problems' in a cost-effective manner, and flagging all the outside research demonstrating that real people used the internet in real ways to resolve real issues - sometimes bypassing government services altogether.
I am hoping that over the next few years I can spend less time on the basics of internet education and spend more of my time helping develop public sector capabilities in utilising Gov 2.0 techniques and tools to improve government outcomes - through spreading knowledge and demonstrating successful outcomes.
It's a big vision, but all the best ones are.
If you're reading the New York Times while sitting inside of a clunker today, don't turn to page A16. That where the paper announces this was, "the final weekend of the federal government's phenomenally popular
ReplyDeleteCraig, a good point you're making. The Civil Servant 2.0 network in the Netherlands has been founded exactly for that reason: for getting together as civil servants and discussing how to bring 2.0 into government. It focusses not only on the benefits of government 2.0 for society but also on enterprise 2.0 for government organisations and on our position as civil servants. Why don't you start a Civil Servant 2.0 in Australia?
ReplyDeleteSounds good Davied, do you have a website with more information?
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this a lot of late. It strikes me that many of the real opportunities for web20 technology in Government, at least at the outset, revolve around the civil service rather than the government/citizen interaction.
ReplyDeleteOnce benefits are clearly understood inside of government it will be significantly easier, and more effective, to begin to interact with external entities. Without the right groundwork it could well be a step to far to expect some agencies to walk into the scary social media world.
I'll try and find the time to write up what is on my mind and post it later tonight.