Tuesday, October 14, 2008

588 nominations received in the UK e-Government National Awards 2008

Considering the 30-40 nominations received in Australia's annual egovernment awards, it's staggering to consider than in the UK there were over 588 initiatives to be nominated in 2008.

Judging is underway and finalists in 11 categories will be published on 7 November.

If you're seeking a source of inspiration regarding egovernment initiatives, the e-Government National Awards 2008 finalists will be certainly worth reviewing.

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Twitter as an opinion tool - as used to follow the US election

Just as organisations are beginning to listen to the conversations about them on forums, in blogs and in online newspaper comments, Twitter has become a powerful and important mechanism for tracking US public opinion during the US Presidential election.

In a custom-built application, Twitter has used its search and trending tools to build an updating commentary on the election, visible at http://election.twitter.com.

Thinking back to the days of tickertape news releases and stock updates, this is a high-tech equivalent reflecting the views of US Twitter users.

With the integration of a mention weighting system and positive/negative indications,it would be possible for any politician or organisation to get a 24/7 view of their public sentiment.

Any sudden changes in the normal flow of comments could then be mined to detect and pre-emptively prepare for issues before they reach the broader media.

For the sceptics, who do not see Twitter as a valid channel for government communication with the public or media, here's a list of US government 'A-list' Twitterers, including the White House, Senator Obama and a selection of State Governors and large US agencies.

And for those who like poetry and the big picture, 3D Twittervision provides an interesting global insight - particularly during major crises.

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Australia.gov.au getting kudos from US

AGIMO's Australia.gov.au portal has received kudos recently from the US's Government Technology publication in an article, Australia National Web Portal Links Citizens to Government Services.

It's good to see Australia's achievements recognised overseas and I hope to see more of this as the AGOSP initiative rolls out some impressive new functionality into the site.

I hope to see further development of their other services, such as GovDex and online consultation in coming years as well, to help the public sector to continue to reach customers in a cost-effective manner and engage them in the business of governing Australia.

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Youtube hosting New Zealand election debate

The New Zealand government has become the latest to use Youtube to support an election debate, with Prime Minister Helen Clark and John Key to face questions posed by New Zealand-based YouTube users during a debate broadcast live on TV ONE on 14 October.

New Zealand YouTube users have been asked to submit video questions up to 30 seconds long, and a number will be selected to feature during the debate.

I'm still waiting to see YouTube used in a similar way as Howard's weekly radio spot by Ministers to respond to top-of-mind community issues, perhaps as an extension to Community Cabinets to allow a larger number of participants.

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Victoria's eGovernment Resource Centre a finalist in the global award for 'Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics in 2008'

Recognising over 10 years of reporting on egovernment topics from around the world, Victoria's eGovernment Resource Centre has been selected as one of the ten finalists for the 9th annual PoliticsOnline award for the top individuals, organisations and companies having the greatestimpact on the way the Internet is changing politics.

By being in the top ten, the eGovernment Resource Centre is being acknowledged alongside the Democratic Nominee for the US Presidency (mybarackobama.com) and is being recognised as more significant than the UK's Prime Minister's website (number10.gov.au)

I'd like to congratulate the team at DIIRD in Victoria who work on this site as probably the most effective and consistent voice in Australia on egovernment topics, helping to bridge the gap between policy and practice.

A representative from DIIRD has been invited as an honoured guest to the World Democracy Forum in Paris for the award ceremony, although I understand this will probably not involve the people who work every day to make the site a success.

The full announcement is at the eGovernment Resource Centre.

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