Building an Open, Participatory and Collaborative Government Presentation to Government 2.0 Boot Camp Knoxville, TN Tuesday, April 14, 2009 The Collaboration Project

What is “Web 2.0”? Well, what was Web 1.0? Not interactive Value is created by producers “Me-to-you” Web 2.0 is the “interactive web” Interactive tools and media Value is created by consumers/users “Us-with-each-other”

Well, what was Web 1.0?

Not interactive

Value is created by producers

“Me-to-you”

Web 2.0 is the “interactive web”

Interactive tools and media

Value is created by consumers/users

“Us-with-each-other”

How To “Do” Web 2.0 Web 2.0 is primarily about building community . Platform Technologies provide basic functionality Applications Wikis, blogs, apps create a user environment Community People use these tools to create and share content

Web 2.0 is primarily about building community .

What Does it Mean? Today, it is clear that good government means civic engagement : It’s The Right Thing To Do : Citizens want to be engaged in their own governance It’s Good Policy : Some of the best ideas come from outside the beltway We Don’t Have A Choice : The challenges facing us cut across agencies and levels of government

Today, it is clear that good government means civic engagement :

It’s The Right Thing To Do : Citizens want to be engaged in their own governance

It’s Good Policy : Some of the best ideas come from outside the beltway

We Don’t Have A Choice : The challenges facing us cut across agencies and levels of government

By the People? To many, government looks like this: Government makes a decision Government reveals it to citizens (Repeat.)

To many, government looks like this:

Government makes a decision

Government reveals it to citizens

(Repeat.)

The Challenge for Government “ We cannot meet 21 st century challenges with a 20 th century bureaucracy.” – President Obama Stovepipes and hierarchy Oversight, mandates, and budget constraints Legal and policy issues Organizational culture and traditions These are technology management challenges .

“ We cannot meet 21 st century challenges with a 20 th century bureaucracy.” – President Obama

Stovepipes and hierarchy

Oversight, mandates, and budget constraints

Legal and policy issues

Organizational culture and traditions

The Old Way is Changing Technology is enabling transparency, collaboration, & participation Stakeholders can see inside their government… … and influence it.

Technology is enabling transparency, collaboration, & participation

Stakeholders can see inside their government…

… and influence it.

What This Means For Government People have an unprecedented ability to get involved with government...

People have an unprecedented ability to get involved with government...

What This Means For Government …or, go around it .

…or, go around it .

The Collaboration Project

A New Kind of Management Technology is allowing us to pull them in. The old way forces government to push citizens and stakeholders out of the process . Leader-with-Front Line TSA IdeaFactory Leader-with-Stakeholders Virtual Alabama Leader-with-Citizens Downing Street E-Petitions Peer-to-Peer ODNI Intellipedia Leader Front Line Stakeholders Citizens Peer-to-Peer

Technology is allowing us to pull them in.

The old way forces government to push citizens and stakeholders out of the process .

Leader-with-Front Line

TSA IdeaFactory

Leader-with-Stakeholders

Virtual Alabama

Leader-with-Citizens

Downing Street E-Petitions

Peer-to-Peer

ODNI Intellipedia

TSA IdeaFactory

Virtual Alabama

Downing Street E-Petitions

Intellipedia [SCREENSHOT REDACTED] (WE’D SHOW YOU, BUT WE’D HAVE TO KILL YOU.)

A National Dialogue OMB and CIO Council sponsored a week-long, web-based dialogue on health IT & privacy Users submit ideas, discuss & tag them, and vote the best to the top Show an example of how to “do” public engagement Constructive engagement instead of “winning” conflict? Important national issue with high personal relevance

OMB and CIO Council sponsored a week-long, web-based dialogue on health IT & privacy

Users submit ideas, discuss & tag them, and vote the best to the top

Show an example of how to “do” public engagement

Constructive engagement instead of “winning” conflict?

Important national issue with high personal relevance

Collaborative Brainstorming Citizens engage the question and submit their ideas The Crowd refines ideas, votes the best ones to the top, and invites others in to help “grow” the discussion community Catalysts use their expertise to guide, focus, and track the discussion Seven-Day Time Window Discussion Voting Social Networks Text, Links, Video, Pictures, Documents, etc. Actionable, Citizen-Centered Guidance

The National Dialogue

Rich, Constructive Discussion

Building the Community Outreach was guided by two main principles : Find a community that is engaged with and passionate about the issue “ Stakeholder” communities Direct contact to nearly 800 groups/individuals Give them tools to keep growing the community organically – go viral! Low-tech (“viral” ≠ hi-tech!) : Distribute sample e-mails and newsletter announcements Hi-tech: Social networks: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Digg, GovLoop, OpinionTracker

Outreach was guided by two main principles :

Find a community that is engaged with and passionate about the issue

“ Stakeholder” communities

Direct contact to nearly 800 groups/individuals

Give them tools to keep growing the community organically – go viral!

Low-tech (“viral” ≠ hi-tech!) : Distribute sample e-mails and newsletter announcements

Hi-tech: Social networks: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Digg, GovLoop, OpinionTracker

What We Learned Civic Engagement Civic engagement = good government Collaborative approaches can foster a more constructive conversation Civic engagement exercises are not “one and done” events Health IT & Privacy Citizens must link HIT with better personal health outcomes Principles informed by public engagement can be a starting point for crafting policy Further exploration of key themes is necessary

Civic Engagement

Civic engagement = good government

Collaborative approaches can foster a more constructive conversation

Civic engagement exercises are not “one and done” events

Health IT & Privacy

Citizens must link HIT with better personal health outcomes

Principles informed by public engagement can be a starting point for crafting policy

Further exploration of key themes is necessary

Engaging Social Networks

Who Participated? 4,413 visits; 2,835 unique visitors; 31,982 pageviews Visitors from all 50 states and 80 countries Strong diversity in terms of urban, rural, and suburban visitors Over 120 unique ideas and 500 comments High sectoral diversity: 44% healthcare providers, 34% consumer advocates, 8% government, 7% business, 6% academia, 1% open government advocates

4,413 visits; 2,835 unique visitors; 31,982 pageviews

Visitors from all 50 states and 80 countries

Strong diversity in terms of urban, rural, and suburban visitors

Over 120 unique ideas and 500 comments

High sectoral diversity: 44% healthcare providers, 34% consumer advocates, 8% government, 7% business, 6% academia, 1% open government advocates

Geographic Diversity

Rural, Urban & Suburban

Powerful Outcomes Climate Change Health Care Fiscal Future Energy Independence Key priorities identified New ideas surface Stakeholders engaged Propose policy changes to reflect citizens’ input Assemble the community again for a more focused discussion Gain buy-in for attention and action on the issue Identify important gaps in public knowledge Host a Dialogue

Climate Change

Health Care

Fiscal Future

Energy Independence

Key priorities identified

New ideas surface

Stakeholders engaged

Build Problem-Solving Communities Problem What problem is driving my need for innovation? Community Who is the community I can engage on this? Tools Which approach will create the most value?

Three Big Recommendations Infrastructure Build an open IT infrastructure Data Treat data as a national asset Culture Create a culture of collaboration

1. Build The Infrastructure Government’s basic communications infrastructure is outdated . Today, computing power isn’t a physical asset – it’s a utility Cloud computing and SaaS mean lower costs and greater environmental sustainability More managerial agility and flexibility, especially for bringing the CIO shop into the mission Using these tools is the only way to stay relevant to the citizen

Government’s basic communications infrastructure is outdated .

Today, computing power isn’t a physical asset – it’s a utility

Cloud computing and SaaS mean lower costs and greater environmental sustainability

More managerial agility and flexibility, especially for bringing the CIO shop into the mission

Using these tools is the only way to stay relevant to the citizen

2. Treat Data Like a National Asset We need to incentivize sharing data instead of controlling it. Use lightweight, interoperable data formats that anyone in government or the public can understand and use Data is no longer “owned” – it has to flow seamlessly without our outmoded concept of stewardship Use collaborative tools to manage knowledge across constant leadership transitions

We need to incentivize sharing data instead of controlling it.

Use lightweight, interoperable data formats that anyone in government or the public can understand and use

Data is no longer “owned” – it has to flow seamlessly without our outmoded concept of stewardship

Use collaborative tools to manage knowledge across constant leadership transitions

3. Build a Culture of Collaboration Ultimately, this isn’t a technology issue; this is a leadership issue. Find and celebrate success stories and best practices to create a “safe-fail” environment Give CIOs a seat at the program table – and make sure they use it Resolve the legal and policy ambiguities that empower our “inner lawyer”

Ultimately, this isn’t a technology issue; this is a leadership issue.

Find and celebrate success stories and best practices to create a “safe-fail” environment

Give CIOs a seat at the program table – and make sure they use it

Resolve the legal and policy ambiguities that empower our “inner lawyer”

When You Leave This Room Believe This isn’t going to happen – it has happened Learn Engage with new approaches and platforms Act Find a program partner and pick a problem to solve

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License . See http://collaborationproject.org/x/HIA4AQ for more information. About Us The Collaboration Project The Collaboration Project ( www.collaborationproject.org ) is an independent forum of leaders who share a commitment to the adoption and use of collaborative technologies to solve complex problems of public management. With the support of dedicated staff and access to the National Academy’s distinguished Fellows and other subject matter experts, the Collaboration Project convenes members in person and online to share best practices; produces research on the opportunities and challenges of collaboration; and assists agencies in implementing collaborative tools and approaches. For More Information: Frank DiGiammarino , Vice President (202) 204-3673  [email_address] Lena Trudeau , Program Area Director (202) 315-5476  [email_address] Danielle Germain , Project Director (202) 468-7092  [email_address]

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License . See http://collaborationproject.org/x/HIA4AQ for more information.