Government by Collaboration

GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications Intergovernmental Solutions Newsletter Government by Collaboration Spring 2010 Collaboration and Emerging Technologies in Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Collaboration and Emerging Everybody’s Doing It Collaboration Makes Technologies in Government Open Government Possible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 GCPEDIA: The Canadian Government Wiki . . .4 By Darlene Meskell Director, Global Government Innovation Networks Collaboration without Frontiers- GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications Using Innovative Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 U.S. General Services Administration Four Pilots Test Cross-European Interoperability . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Countries Look Within to Collaborate . . . . . . . . .9 UK’s Joined-up Government he 21st Century society poses challenges of unprecedented Aims to Transform Bureaucracy . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Engineering a Collaborative Government Overcoming the Silo Trap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 T complexity. No individual, department, agency, or government can single-handedly achieve results like ending climate change or reviving the global economy. Multi-organizational networks are needed to Setting the Right Conditions integrate communications, data and resources to effect transformational for Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 change. Pre-conditions for Successful Collaboration . .18 A Core Capability for Collaboration is not new in government, nor is using technology to 21st Century Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 collaborate. When citizen expectations are stimulated by new technology Essential Collaborative and enabling legislation, governments are compelled to find new ways to Competencies for Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 share knowledge and learn from each other, balancing different needs, Build Your Organization’s interests and priorities.The Internet and incredible new technology enable Capacity to Collaborate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 the automation of public services, but government cannot deliver the level Feds Collaborate to Make Social Media of performance demanded by the public without unprecedented Legal for Mission-related Outreach . . . . . . . . . .26 cooperation among public, private and nonprofit organizations. Government and Industry Collaborate to Modernize VistA . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Featuring 22 contributions from key players in governments and other Crossing Boundaries to Reach organizations around the world, this newsletter explores some of the many the Michigan Business One-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . .29 ways technology is expanding opportunities for governments to collaborate Collaboration Tools and Platforms on public-policy decision-making–and ways collaboration is increasing the Data Sharing Began Geospatially . . . . . . . . . . .31 range and power of technology to dramatically alter the accepted ways of EPA’s Environmental Exchange Network . . . . .33 doing business. ParticipateDB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 GovLoop’s “Extraordinary Collection ofTalent” 36 Everybody’s Doing It BetterBuy Buying through Collaboration . . . . .38 Issuing its Open Government Directive in December 2009, the White House Second Life Enables recognized that Collaboration Makes Open Government Possible and Governments to Collaborate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 launched an ambitious program to make government data available to all, to Virtual Worlds as a Setting for Scientific Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 make its processes transparent, and to make its culture collaborative.To address this requirement, the U.S. government has had to change its cultural norms—quickly—and adopt new technology and procedures that depend on an active spirit of collaboration. So have other governments. Public servants in Canada, for instance, eliminate email, archiving and e- The Intergovernmental Solutions Newsletter is produced twice a year by the Intergovernmental Solutions Division, GSA Office of Citizens Services and Communications, Lisa Nelson, Editor. Send comments and suggestions to lisa.nelson@gsa.gov.

discovery problems by collaborating Before the White House Open ParticipateDB helps users find the with one another on GCPEDIA: The Government Directive was issued, applications they need. Canadian Government Wiki.The federal policies discouraged Collaboration to improve government is European Commission, building a still- government agencies from using occurring on a great variety of new economic and political union of 27 emerging technologies, specifically the platforms, with assistance from a countries, relies on Collaboration common, easily accessible social growing crowd. GovLoop.com, the without Frontiers-Using Innovative media tools that were offered free leading social network for public Technologies to develop a unified, online.Then, a coalition of federal Web servants and people supporting strong and stable European managers and attorneys entered into government, currently has over 29,000 government. Four Large-Scale Pilots negotiations with social media registered users. All of the members of that Test Cross-European providers to dismantle the legal and GovLoop’s “Extraordinary Interoperability illustrate the power of regulatory barriers.This cleared the Collection of Talent” can weigh in to collaboration to drive a technologically way for legal counsel in many agencies help find solutions to difficult public- advanced European Union. Other to lift restrictions on the use of those sector problems.The BetterBuy Project Countries Look Within to tools, Making Social Media Legal was born in a GovLoop discussion Collaborate on more networked for Mission-Related Outreach. group, Acquisition 2.0, which federal service delivery as the foundation for a Cross-sector collaboration is attacking acquisition executives created to new approach to delivering public systematic challenges to the surface ideas on how to improve the services, and the UK’s Joined-up Department of Veterans Affairs’ VistA government procurement process. In Government Aims to Transform system, considered “the largest, most weeks of discussion online, the Bureaucracy by increasing public comprehensive, fully integrated GovLoop community suggested many influence over service development and electronic health information system in ways to achieve Better Buying delivery. the world.” VistA is seriously out of through Collaboration. Engineering a date, and many attempts to bring it up Virtual environments offer a very to 21st Century expectations failed. Collaborative Government Then VistA’s champions enlisted the different platform for collaborating. MuniGov2.0, a group of mostly local The urgent problems facing help of the government/industry IT government technologists, was created government today do not respect community to create and nurture an by a couple of mid-level managers who organizational boundaries, so environment where Government and wanted to share their ideas about Overcoming the Silo Trap and Industry Collaborate to Modernize public service with hundreds of their achieving a “whole-of-government” VistA.The State of Michigan and the closest friends and collaborators. perspective becomes a critical state’s small business community Proficient in many innovative objective for creative solutions. The collaborated to build enterprises that technologies, they learned how Second Right Conditions for Collaboration, create jobs by Crossing Boundaries Life Enables Governments to like those modeled by the federal Web to Reach the Michigan Business Collaborate, and now hold weekly Managers Council, must be in place One Stop. meetings through avatars in that virtual going forward. More nuanced Pre- Collaboration Tools world to compare notes. In fact, a team conditions for Successful of scientists from several major Collaboration call for leadership and and Platforms universities, who formed the first competence, pre-existing relationships, Data Sharing Began Geospatially professional scientific organization the allocation of power, governance when the geospatial community came based entirely in virtual worlds, approaches and accountability. together years ago to establish contends that Virtual Worlds as a Institutionalizing Collaboration as standards for data exchange, build data Setting for Scientific Collaboration. A Core Capability for 21st Century clearinghouses and develop Government will create environments Maybe they are onto something. But as partnerships for the creation of local, that encourage and support the free these articles strongly suggest, it is not state and national data sets. Another exchange of ideas and information. just the features of the technology but early model of an open, collaborative, Changing organizational norms and the fact of the collaboration that sets and participatory culture, EPA’s management principles will require out an inspiring new vision for Environmental Exchange Network leadership at all levels of an government in the 21st Century. is a federal/state/local partnership to organization.They will need Essential support better policy decisions through Competencies for Managers, the Darlene Meskell is director of Global improved access to environmental knowledge, skills and behaviors Government Innovation Networks, formerly information. required to Build an Organization’s Intergovernmental Solutions, in the GSA Capacity to Collaborate, and make a As government’s need for collaboration Office of Citizen Services and difference in the 21st Century. tools and platforms grows, so do the Communications. numbers of free and commercial applications and services available. 2

Everybody’s Doing It Collaboration Makes on virtually all of the largest federal departments and agencies' open government pages. Open Government Possible GSA shared all documents and put all materials, test results, outreach tools, and engagement techniques online, Innovative technology makes it all more establishing a community of practice in transparent, participative and collaborative. government online engagements.The out-of-pocket cost of this online dialog totaled around $80,000, mostly for By David L. McClure training and staff support, and far less Associate Administrator GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications than it would have cost a single agency U.S. General Services Administration to put an equally effective tool in place. To date, more than 1,900 ideas, 3,900 comments, and 30,000 votes from more than 8,000 users have been logged resident Obama’s Open to accomplish on the scale and within P across these simultaneous dialogs.The Government Directive was the timeframe demanded without an similar look-and-feel of all these GSA- issued in December 2009 to fulfill unprecedented degree of collaboration supported dialogs enhanced the the promise he made on his first full across government and with the private credibility of the process overall and day in office: to “create an sector. Innovative technology solutions reflected well on the Open Government unprecedented level of transparency in are critical. initiative. government” by establishing “a system We found ourselves on the front lines Our ability to respond quickly to the of transparency, public participation of this collaborative effort at the start. need to build a citizen engagement and collaboration.”The directive Since GSA’s mission is to support the platform within the federal government requires federal agencies to take four needs of the executive branch illustrates only one of the ways my steps to deliver this unprecedented government-wide, this was not office is gearing up to bring innovative openness and mandates a series of unexpected. Luckily, we had laid the technology to the task of making milestones to build an open groundwork for this high-profile project government more transparent, government infrastructure in four over the past 10 years. We were able to participative and collaborative. We work months: build upon our government-wide Web with technology leaders in other 1. Publish Government Information manager community’s years of countries and in state and local Online in open formats. collaboration on website standards, governments to identify and adopt 2. Improve the Quality of Government sharing best practices and technology innovative technologies and Information available to the public. solutions, and devotion to making the techniques. We help technology 3. Create and Institutionalize a Culture government Web presence user- providers in the private sector of Open Government. friendly. Members looked to each other understand the benefits of developing 4. Create an Enabling Policy for help in meeting the White House innovative solutions for the public Framework for Open Government. Open Government requirements, sector. We will be creating, adapting, The goals have encouraged executive particularly the quick-turnaround testing and applying leading-edge branch agencies to coalesce around a requirement to engage citizens in an technologies for use by the number of new initiatives that are online dialog within 60 days. government. All the while we will be changing the relationship between the GSA identified a no-cost online drawing on the collective brain power federal government and the people it engagement tool, and worked in of all of those who are interested in serves. Some of these initiatives are collaboration with the Web Managers joining us in building a 21st century designed to expose government data Council to implement the tool quickly. government. and improve the quality of the data The tool helps agencies gather ideas David L. McClure was appointed as the displayed. Some were designed to from the public, allows people to Associate Administrator of the GSA Office of increase the transparency of comment on those ideas, and provides Citizen Services and Communications government policy- and decision- thumbs up/thumbs down voting so the effective August 24, 2009. His experience making and hold officials accountable. best ideas rise to the top for agency includes leading technology programs for the Government Accountability Office and the Others were intended to offer the review. GSA leveraged its role as a Council for Excellence in Government. Prior public a platform and incentives to central agency to identify the tool, to joining GSA, he was the managing vice provide immediate, direct input to policy modify it for government use, and president for Gartner Inc.’s government development. provide training to moderators across research team. Each initiative is transformational in government.The tool was in place intent and scope.They will be very hard before the White House 60-day deadline 3

GCPEDIA: for the government of Canada. However, few restrictions were put in place, enabling users to decide where The Canadian Government Wiki they saw value in the tool. In August 2009, after operating for nearly a year, a content review was undertaken to This article is an exercise in collaboration by GCPEDIA users determine how it was actually being used. The results are consistent with what others seem to be experiencing with enterprisewide, general purpose he government of Canada has 350 new registered users per week. It T been exploring the application of Web2.0 technologies with the goal of supporting internal is clear that the wiki component of GC’s Open Collaborative Workplace is thriving. wikis, namely that users find value in a wide variety of ways. According to the August 2009 content collaboration and advancing service review, government of Canada public excellence within a government The GCPEDIA Team servants were using GCPEDIA context. This exploration is a result of primarily to share information and collaboration between numerous Early in the project, a steering gather project/performance feedback; Canadian federal government committee was formed to provide and build collaborative and departments and two central agencies: managerial oversight. In addition to interdepartmental communities of the Treasury Board Secretariat and executives, the committee includes practice; establish terms of reference Public Works and Government representation from users and new for interdepartmental committees; and Services Canada. professionals in the public service. By as support networks across a wide the summer of 2009, what had begun range of topics (see Figure 1). One of the first components of the as a project off the internal Web 2.0 platform is the corner of a desk had governmentwide wiki, GCPEDIA. evolved into a team of Based on the popular MediaWiki five full-time staff software, GCPEDIA is accessible to supported by students government of Canada network users and volunteers. (approximately 250,000 public servants from more than 150 departments and Today, the team is agencies). Content is created for and transitioning to become about the public service and, while it more community based. may be read anonymously, only Several government of registered users are able to add or Canada organizations modify content. are coming forward to take on the development of formal governance History processes for In the fall of 2007, a limited-scope wiki GCPEDIA. Figure 1 - Use of GCPEDIA was made available for Furthermore, support experimentation to a closed user systems and policy group. Pathfinder projects included the compliance protocols are in a constant The key advantages being reported are drafting of policy documents and a test state of development. easier collaboration, and faster and for a library of architectural artifacts. more accurate information sharing. Eventually, ongoing operations for Results proved encouraging. GCPEDIA users across Canada are GCPEDIA, the professional network In October 2008, the pilot was GCONNEX, and other tools are finding new ways to use the tool to expanded into a general-purpose expected to require 10-20 full-time staff make their work lives easier and more enterprise wiki, deployed as an open providing technical, community, and cost-effective. environment with a limited number of policy support. The vast majority of One called the platform an invaluable rules. Open to all government of content maintenance and policy collaborative tool for the Financial Canada public servants, the pilot was compliance will be conducted by System Authority, stating: intended to provide a place for people GCPEDIA users. to share and work together. “We use it as a method to not only Initially, GCPEDIA was envisioned as disseminate information, but as a tool In January 2010, there were 12,000 a community-built repository of to collaboratively work with our users, 5,700 pages of content, 1.8 knowledge specific to the Public colleagues […] as we build new policies million page-views, and an average of Service of Canada; sort of a Wikipedia and directives. We have lately been 4

using it as one of our primary channels itself is proving to be a useful living In the days ahead, we can expect to to disseminate the toolkits from our laboratory for identifying and working see a growing integration of the tools governmentwide initiatives. By using through compliance issues. into the day-to-day work life of public collaborative tools like GCPEDIA, the servants. The horizontal governance The reality of mass collaboration and number of interdepartmental fora we mechanisms for supporting dynamic content is raising new have to hold has been reduced and the collaborative efforts will mature with questions about such things as cost-savings have gone into producing evolving rules and community recordkeeping (Is a wiki page an toolkits for our client. management practices. The use of official record?), language (How do we GCPEDIA as an internal government One contributor from a midsized respect bilingualism?), and control of Canada tool will evolve, and perhaps department said: (Who owns a collaborative we will see linkages to similar external document?). These and other “Having the tool already established and tools for multijurisdictional questions are being answered in full working order means that I do not collaborations. iteratively, in many cases within the have to negotiate with my own under- wiki itself, as the relevant groups come The success of GCPEDIA will be resourced IT team to create a new together to address the policy measured by the degree to which it is product, or to customize existing challenges. embedded in the daily lives of public technologies we may have to suit my servants. Or, as one user put it: "If we needs.” Users Must Understand didn’t have GCPEDIA, we would have the Application to Regional organizations are latching on to invent it.” Appreciate its Value to GCPEDIA with tremendous enthusiasm because it allows them to GCPEDIA has not been heavily About This Article participate in collective endeavors to promoted; rather, users were an extent that was previously encouraged to embark on an This article is a collaborative product. unachievable. independent process of discovery. As An early draft of this article was such, most early users came to the posted to the wiki and a general For example, PrairieComm 2009 invitation made for contributions via a platform with some technical brought together 100 federal main page advert, and Twitter posts on proficiency and aptitude for social government communicators from three the internal GCCONEX platform and media. As the popularity of the tool provinces. The organizing committee the external #GCPEDIA hash tag. An grows, there is an increasing need for used GCPEDIA to publish the agenda, estimated 200-300 people were technical training on how to use registration information, etc., for the reached. Three days were allowed for GCPEDIA as well as cultural training conference. Previously, information contributions. Five contributions were on the new ways of conducting about the conference would have been received. The article was moved to a business allowed by GCPEDIA. published on the Regional Federal Word document and e-mailed for Council’s Web site, where updates Community further editing. This was done to could take a week or two to appear. Management is Essential accommodate e-mail-based approval A GCPEDIA registrant from Certain core elements, including processes. Yellowknife, (near Alaska) states: GCPEDIA community coordinators, In the future, when a significantly are needed to facilitate collaboration higher percentage of public servants "I see real potential for GCPEDIA to between communities, as well as to become registered users of make our world larger (almost real-time motivate and engage community GCPEDIA, it is reasonable to expect networking with all federal employees) members and/or monitor GCPEDIA that contribution levels will be higher. while making our world smaller user activity and content. The evolving In addition, we may see approval (reducing the cost and impacts of role of community management needs processes adapt to the new geographical distance in work teams). to be more widely understood and technologies with a corresponding I’m excited about the possibilities." practiced. increase in efficiency. Policy Compliance GCPEDIA is one part of an open Is Challenging collaborative workplace that is now For more information on GCPEDIA, There are a number of major policy being developed collectively. There are contact Pierre-Alain Bujold, media areas that the GCPEDIA team must organizational and procedural barriers relations spokesperson, Strategic take into consideration while to this collaboration, but the desire of Communications and Ministerial Affairs, Treasury Board Secretariat,Government of developing protocols. To that end, the the members to see the benefits of Canada at 613-957-2640. team has been in constant contact collective action materialize, and their with policy and legal authorities. With willingness to work together to find most of the policies and legislation solutions is encouraging. predating the Internet, GCPEDIA 5

Collaboration without Frontiers – with the Use of Innovative Technologies By Dr. Mechthild Rohen Head of ICT for Government and Public Services European Commission ollaboration and citizen C empowerment are central to the European Union policy on e-government announced in Sweden in November 2009. This policy is the result of a voluntary collaborative effort of the 27 EU member states. It identifies collaboration as a key instrument for developing e- government in Europe, following the ministerial declaration on e- government issued last November in the Swedish town of Malmö. The Ministerial Declaration on eGovernment lays the political foundations for an e-government action plan for the EU for 2011- 2015. It defines three political priorities for European actions in e-government. The first one is the empowerment of citizens and businesses. The concept of empowerment is relatively new in the EU's e-government policy and figures prominently as one of the transparency, and effective means for why the Malmö ministerial priorities in this ministerial involvement of stakeholders in the declaration introduces a new angle of declaration. Empowerment also policy process.” Such a goal can only public governance that coincides with transpires in the two other political be achieved if governments and their the introduction of Web 2.0 priorities that are traditionally at the administrations are transparent and technologies in e-government. The core of the European single market, citizens and businesses are able to ministerial declaration looks not only e.g., the necessity to improve the trust them and to work in cooperation at participation as a means to efficiency and effectiveness of public with them. improve the relations between services and administrations across governments and their constituents, Europe. Empowerment can be A second objective is to facilitate the in the traditional way of participatory achieved through collaboration reuse of public sector information policies, but also as a means to among all actors. Indeed, the that forms a basis for the creation of improve the efficiency and declaration states that the objective services, a technique that is already effectiveness of public authorities. of future actions in e-government is to widely used by Internet communities. Working together and sharing make sure that citizens and It enables citizens and businesses to resources in Information and businesses “are empowered by e- make the best possible use of public Communication Technologies, government services designed around information and, in so doing, to create including in all other policy areas, users’ needs and developed in more value for society. helps governments to reduce their collaboration with third parties, as Empowerment also aims to increase costs and to increase their well as by increased access to public citizens' and businesses' performance levels. This also allows information, strengthened participation in governance. That is citizens and businesses to work more 6

efficiently as they rely on their innovation is the introduction of the achievement of collaboration. He administrations for running many of notion of user-driven services, which pointed out that the EU member their daily activities. suggest that users are in the driving states had agreed to pave the way for seat, either as co-designers, co- a new generation of innovative e- The declaration distinguishes three producers of content, or co-operators government solutions in the public kinds of collaboration: between of services. sector where “inherited procedures administrations, between the public and national styles still persist and and the private sector, and between At the closing session of the Malmö administrations are frequently being the public and the civil society. It Ministerial Conference, Minister Mats described as self-contained silos.” encourages administrations to break Odell, representing the Swedish the current structure shaped in presidency of the European Union, Stancic noted that an agreement had hermetic pillars and to re-engineer and Zoran Stancic, Deputy director been reached “on a voluntary basis, their structure to cut organizational general of the Information Society without any political, legal or boundaries, so as to share and Media Directorate, both praised technical imperative commanding information, pool resources, and the open declaration on e-government them to do so.” In this way, the jointly produce services for society. It and the involvement of citizens who member states have embraced the calls on national administrations to spontaneously gathered on the spirit of the open method of collaborate with the private sector. Internet to draft it in parallel to the coordination defined by the European official ministerial declaration. This Commission as a nonbinding Finally, the Malmö Ministerial open declaration was produced instrument in which member states Declaration on eGovernment is also a independently from the European agree to identify and promote certain turning point in e-government policy, Commission and calls for more policies and create the conditions to as it promotes active collaboration openness, transparency, and learn from each others' experiences. with users. It recommends the collaboration. It will now be up to the European development of socially inclusive Commission to take up this spirit and policies and services with a genuine Stancic also noted that the apply it in the new e-government concern to involve citizens in the ministerial declaration itself action plan for 2011-2015. policymaking process. A conceptual represented a significant political Four Pilots Test e-government services, just by presenting their e-ID. Cross-European Interoperability Cross-border user authentication for such e-relations will be applied and tested in five pilot areas of EU member By Dr. Mechthild Rohen states that already use e-government Head of ICT for Government and Public Services services. In time, additional service European Commission providers will also become connected to the platform thereby increasing the number of cross-border services urope has set up several services directive, which requires a available to European users. E initiatives to foster e-government interoperability in the European Union.To make interoperability in one-stop shop for the creation of companies abroad.The success of these four large-scale projects In the future, European citizens should be able to start a company, get a tax refund, or register in school or several key areas of public services demonstrates the transformative university without having to be possible, EU member states are power of cross-border collaboration. physically present at the relevant encouraged to participate in temporary administrations abroad. All they will consortia that test cross-European 1. e-ID need to do to access these services is interoperability. STORK, which stands to enter their personal data using their A number of well-defined 3-year large- for Secure Identity national e-ID, after which the STORK scale pilots in high-priority areas have Across Borders Linked, platform will obtain the required been co-sponsored by the European is the pilot that authentication from their government. Commission and the participating researches interoperability of national The role of the STORK platform is to member states.These include electronic identities.The aim of the identify a user who is in a session with electronic ID, public procurement of STORK project is to establish a a service provider, and to send his data services (e-procurement), online European e-ID interoperability platform to this service. While the service health records (e-health), and the EU- that allows citizens to establish new e- provider may request various data wide provision of services under the relations across borders and to access 7

items, the user always controls the secure access to patient health well-balanced and allows contributions data to be sent. In other words, the information, particularly basic patient from different backgrounds. explicit consent of the owner of the summaries and electronic The pilot project will be implemented data, the user, is always required prescriptions, between different in successive phases. Emphasis will be before his data can be sent to the European health care systems. placed on developing common service provider. To achieve this goal, the national specifications and tools for electronic entities cooperating within the services such as technical and 2. e-Procurement program test both services in pilot semantic interoperability, electronic The objective of the applications that connect the national documents and a services directory. Pan-European Public systems.This approach aims to deliver SPOCS' transparent working methods e-Procurement On- a methodology, which, in the long run, aim to facilitate consensus by public Line large-scale pilot can implement the fundamental base administrations, their suppliers and is to find a pan-European solution that, of a pan-European approach to partners, and industry and jointly with existing national solutions, interoperable services. standardization bodies.The national facilitates EU-wide interoperable The project is structured around work systems will not be replaced, but it will public e-procurement.The vision of the packages that analyze the current only take into account common PEPPOL project is that any company situation in the participating countries, specifications to ensure cross border and, in particular, small- and medium- explore legal questions, develop interoperability. sized enterprises in the EU, can technical specifications for secure use communicate electronically with any of personalized health data, and set up European governmental institution for The Future is Bright the environment where test findings procurement procedures. can be validated in a close-to-real-life E-governance and cross-boundary situation. collaboration in Europe will be The final outcome of this pilot will be facilitated by these initiatives, each of an inter-operational environment built which assumes the adoption of an upon national systems and 4. EU Services Directive aligned architecture, as opposed to a infrastructures that support the full Simple Procedures central management model with a cycle of e-procurement activities. Online for Cross- centralized IT infrastructure. The pilot will help any economic border Services is a This option challenges consensus operator in the EU and the European large-scale pilot among EU member states on the economic area respond to public project that aims to remove the technical, contractual, and political tender notices electronically and administrative barriers that European levels to organize consolidated cross- conduct the entire procurement businesses face when offering their boundary e-governance.Today, all 27 process from their own national services abroad.This pilot will enhance EU countries have their own national infrastructure.That is why this pilot the quality of electronic processing and laws and have defined different levels focuses on increasing the participation has been designed for businesses that of trust.To fully interface with each of small- and medium-sized have an interest in cross-border other, obstacles such as legal enterprises in public e-procurement. activities. It will allow them to meet all requirements will need to be overcome the administrative obligations through at a later stage. In the meantime, 3. e-Health a single contact point that is now bilateral discussions are needed available online in all EU member European Patients before full trust can be established. states. Smart Open Services I feel confident we are on the right is a large-scale pilot It will initially involve at least two track. Convergence of technical with 27 participants professional categories of service aspects is well under way, and the representing 12 EU providers, and its results will be widely discussion of legal issues has started. member states, including ministries of promoted to raise awareness and to The four pilots described here will help health, national competence centers, encourage innovative solutions for to create a trusting environment among and numerous companies.This is the administrative simplification. A special the EU member states so the future is first European e-health project effort will be made to disseminate bright. involving the active cooperation of so open specifications, share knowledge many countries. and best practices, and encourage further cooperation. A wide range of Dr. Mechthild Rohen is the Head of The overall goal of epSOS is to organizations is represented among Information and Communications develop a practical e-health framework Technologies for Government and Public the partners, ensuring that the value Services, in the Information Society and and an information and communication chain – from decision-makers to Media Directorate-General of the European technology infrastructure that enables service providers and IT solutions – is Commission. 8

Countries Look An early flagship initiative for integrated services across jurisdictions involved a collaborative Within to Collaborate undertaking begun in the late 1990s among Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, the Nova Scotia By John Langford, Nancy MacLellan, and Jeffrey Roy Worker’s Compensation Board, and the Canada Revenue Agency. Central to this partnership was the Nova Scotia Business Registry and a overnments must think and act Building on this common platform in G differently to create a more networked architecture of service delivery and use collaboration 2003, Belgium became the first European country to launch a national electronic ID card, an exercise that common business registration number shared by these organizations. This type of partnership has now been replicated as the foundation for a new approach began with a federally -sponsored in other Canadian provinces, to delivering public services. pilot project with several including New Brunswick, Ontario Innovative service arrangements municipalities before proceeding to and British Columbia. require new forms of leadership and national rollout. The card includes a network management skills at all unique identifier for each citizen that This governmentwide perspective on levels of government, as well as is now enabling electronic data information-sharing and service resource-sharing arrangements and exchanges and service provisions integration across jurisdictions also governance structures designed to across widening segments of the explains the rationale for BizPaL as a support collaborative arrangements. county’s social security and health coordinated source of information for care systems. A critical aspect of this company requirements across all Countries around the world are levels of government (federal, identity management system is the struggling with such dynamics. In a provincial and local). In a manner not Crossroads Bank for Social Security, unitary state model such as unlike other provinces, Service Nova an autonomous public sector body Denmark’s, e-government and Scotia and Municipal Relations is whose origins date to 1990, when it service-transformation efforts feature helping to extend BizPaL to was established to form an initial formal intergovernmental planning municipalities, with Halifax and New repository for information holdings for and coordinating mechanisms to Glasgow the first locales to join. citizens and employers contributing to proceed in this manner. This approach or benefiting from social security Like the Government OnLine initiative is also used in other Nordic countries, programs. at the federal level, BizPaL brings as well as the Netherlands. On a much more modest scale–and in a The Belgian federated approach information on service offerings and federalist jurisdiction–Germany has signals a determination to prioritize requirements from various piloted an integrated call-center synergy over separateness in order to government levels together in a initiative underpinned by the number realize a more networked and single, online source; it does not yet 115 as a direct access line for integrative approach to the permit simultaneous completion of inquiries regarding public service organization and management of these transactional processes. across any level of government (most service delivery. The ability to do so is Achieving such integration requires similar 311 initiatives focus owed in no small measure to two cross-jurisdictional governance exclusively on the municipal level). central elements: first, the willingness mechanisms, a more complicated task of all governments in the Belgian in a federal polity that emphasizes Belgium is, perhaps, the world’s separation of powers and autonomy. context to formalize a collaborative poster child for inter-jurisdictional framework early on; and second, the In Nova Scotia, the focus is on complexity. A strong effort has common infrastructure provided by organizing programs and services nevertheless been made during the the Crossroads Bank for Social along life events, demographics, past two decades to improve Security to the country’s public sector and/or business sector. These administrative alignment and as a whole. clusters of services cross coordination across various levels of government. A turning point in this In Canada, the formalization of cross- departmental and orders of regard came in 2001, when the federal governmental CIO and service government so that business or government, the regions, and the delivery councils has begun to yield citizen clients can accomplish their communities signed a formal specific strategies to transcend overall goals – such as starting a cooperation agreement to forge a traditional political boundaries and business, moving (change of common platform for electronic separateness in favor of more address), or getting married. The service delivery. seamless architectures. province and federal partners have recently introduced a new 9

undertaking allows parents to access tax benefits through this same mechanism via an automatic benefits application. Citizens realize a number of benefits, including less paperwork and an easier application for multiple purposes, faster benefit payments, and a more efficient use of tax dollars, along with enhanced privacy and security. Government, in turn, benefits from improved efficiency and integrity, increased accuracy, greater public confidence, and satisfaction with the delivery of services. Two critical enablers of this new, more seamless version of federalism are identity management and shared accountability mechanisms. A common identity framework across federal and provincial governments enables information-sharing and the Prior to integration of services, the child’s parent/caretaker had to make several applications bundling of service offerings, as to receive services. opposed to organizational and political silos. Shared accountability is essential if such processes are to yield genuinely citizen-centric outcomes. Governments must come together through joint discursive and planning mechanisms to undertake decisions in concert with one another in a manner based less on process considerations and more on achieving genuinely citizen-centric outcomes. Increasingly, governments at all levels need to embrace a mindset of interdependence in order to chart a holistic vision of service transformation for the country as a whole. John Langford is Professor of Public Administration at the University of Victoria, BC; Nancy MacLellan is Executive Director, Strategy, Integration, and Registries, Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Under the new integrated process, the parent simply fills out the birth registration form and Relations, Government of Nova Scotia; apply for the SIN and the child and family benefit programs. The process is seamless to the Jeffrey Roy is Associate Professor of Public citizen. Administration, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia. collaborative effort known as Bundled Relations, and it enables parents to Birth Services. The partnership joins complete otherwise separate two federal government service processes for registering a birth--a providers (Service Canada and the provincial jurisdiction, and getting a Canada Revenue Agency) along with social insurance number--a federal Service Nova Scotia and Municipal responsibility. This collaborative 10

UK’s Joined-up Government routes. Cost savings can arise through: Aims to Transform Bureaucracy • Reduced duplication between public service bodies: For example, the UK driver's licensing authority offers an By Chris Harman and Sue Brelade Co-authors online facility to obtain a new Knowledge Management – A Practical Guide driving licence that can utilize photographs the applicant submitted to the UK Passport Agency, saving handling costs3; and he drive for greater Increasingly, though, the emphasis is T collaboration through technology is not simply a question of meeting public demand. on "joined-up" or collaborative government, which is replacing bureaucratic models as part of a wider • Tailoring services to public requirements: For example, the UK health service facility for online booking of hospital appointments4 With the current pressures on public- transformation of public services. sector expenditure, in the UK as Agencies use technology to drive increases public satisfaction by elsewhere, collaborative approaches collaborative and citizen-centric allowing the public to book (and offer the potential of saving costs service delivery rather than simply change) appointment times. It also combined with improving services – duplicating existing divisions between reduces health services costs the "holy grail" for politicians and public sector bodies. associated with nonattendance, late public service managers alike. cancellations and rearranging This includes focusing public access appointments. In the United Kingdom, 70% of onto a smaller number of high-quality households (18.3 million) had Internet websites such as directgov.gov.uk (the There are also areas for cost-savings access in 2009 – an 11% increase from UK government portal) or the through improving the efficiency of 2008. Of these households, 9% had a dedicated business services portal government, for example, in reducing broadband connection – an increase of buisnesslink.gov.uk. This website losses arising from fraud and 21% from 20081. rationalization program has a target of overpayment of benefits (welfare). The closing 9% of nonapproved UK National Fraud Initiative matches Public service delivery in the UK is set electronic employment data from government websites and moving their against this background of high different public-sector employers with content to either of these two portals. Internet use by the public. It serves as benefit claims. Any matches are As of January 2009, the project had both a driver for transformation of reported to individual local councils for identified 1,619 central government government services – to meet public further investigation. In 2006-2007, this departmental websites. Of these, 97% expectations – and an enabler for new collaborative venture, only possible have either closed or are planned for services and new methods of delivery. through the use of technology, closure. In addition, of 902 websites The initial reaction of government outside of the direct central detected £140 million in fraud and agencies has been to respond with government, 75% are committed to overpayments5. Web-based information services and close. Such initiatives do raise issues over access points. This is an the use and control of data. The Collaboration in the development of understandable response and, on the increasing importance of this, provides new technologies to improve public- surface, appears to demonstrate part of the motivation behind the service delivery is not just between innovation and customer- Government Gateway Project6. This public-sector bodies, but also between responsiveness. However, the project provides a secure online government and the public. For fragmented nature of public-service service for the public and example, the UK government delivery – different departments, organizations to carry out transactions established the Power of Information agencies, and tiers of government – with government departments and to Taskforce, which ran a public means this early rush to the online transfer data. Since its inception in competition to identify better ways of world has seen duplication and 2001, it has grown to encompass 17 communicating government varying standards of quality and million registered users and 13.9 information2. The competition received functionality. This, in turn, has created million transactions in 2008-2009. 450 entries and suggestions that have greater confusion and complication for been followed up include providing Another secure data transfer project, the public. In effect, it has been a Web-based information to help those with potentially life-saving transfer of the bureaucratic model of who want to set up a charity, to various consequences, is the electronic government to the online world. proposals, including mapping the transfer of patient records between location of post boxes and bicycle doctors' practices. GP2GP is being 11

implemented nationally and enables information reflects the conceptual different structures, financial patients' records to follow them change from seeing information as accounting systems, and financial quickly and securely when they change physically located, something that is planning timeframes between the doctors. held in one place and one format, to parts of the public sector. information as infinitely replicable and Early versions of the GP2GP project As an ambitious project, it is not reusable in different formats and identified a key issue in collaborative without significant challenges. Issues combinations. technology-based projects, the issue related to technology and processes of interoperability between different While it is possible to consider a are, perhaps, less of a challenge than systems. The UK government “Open number of individual initiatives using those associated with the human Source, Open Standards” action plan technology to improve collaboration, a element. For example, Total Place is a key element in avoiding such broader approach is reflected in the needs to: problems in the future, as well as UK Total Place initiative . At its heart, • Work with different organizational maximizing public-sector investment this initiative has a simple idea: that in information technology. closer integration of all public services cultures; within a geographic location will result • Address institutionalized barriers to Issues of interoperability are also in both service improvements and collaborative working often being addressed through greater use savings. A key driver for this is a embodied in different employment of the virtual integration of data in recognition of the potential for practices and labor relations collaborative ventures. Typically, this technology to drive closer policies; will be through a front-end website collaboration and integration at local that allows click-through to different • Deal with conflicting objectives and level through the integration of back- data sources. From the citizen performance measures; and office and information-based services. perspective, the service is seamless. • Change existing power Currently in the pilot stage, the project For the public sector, the technological relationships– for example, between is looking at the total public-sector difficulties of integrating different IT funding in specific pilot areas as a first government agencies – operating at systems are avoided, delivering step to the sharing of resources to local level and local, democratically significant cost advantages. This support delivery. This initial step has controlled bodies. virtual linking and sharing of not been without difficulties, given the 12

However, it will benefit from the new services, in organizational and human Chris Harman and Sue Brelade are co- central government approach in the behaviour and in societal norms. authors of Knowledge Management - A UK to assessing the performance of Technology can provide a set of tools Practical Guide and Knowledge, E- Government and the Citizen. Chris local government (councils) and other for different ways of working. It will not Harman has held senior positions in UK locally based government agencies, provide the will or desire to work public service, most recently as Interim such as police, health, fire, and rescue. differently, a point illustrated in the CEO and Council Manager for Stoke-on- The "Comprehensive Area United Nations E-Government Survey Trent City Council. Sue Brelade runs her Assessment" judges performance of 2008 . own management consultancy. all these partner organizations by Equally clear is that increased 1. www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=8 looking at outcomes for the public 2. www.showusabetterway.com/ collaboration between public-sector rather than focusing on the 3. www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/ providers leads to enhanced public Motoringtransactions/BeforeyouapplyD/DG_172559 performance of individual bodies. 4. www.healthspace.nhs.uk/cbintroduction.aspx access to information and increased Taking an adage from the management 5. www.audit-commission.gov.uk/localgov/audit/nfi/ public influence over service delivery Pages/default.aspx textbooks, if what you measure is what and development. Combined with 6. www.gateway.gov.uk/ you get, then this method of 7. www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/ increasing citizen-to-citizen systemsandservices/gpsupport/gp2gp/faqs/overview measurement should prove a stimulus collaboration, facilitated by Web 2.0 8. The “Open Source, Open Standards and Re-Use: to collaboration and the adoption of Government Action Plan” technologies, this represents a collaborative technologies. It www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cio/transformational_gover paradigm shift in the concept of e- nment/open_source.aspx addresses one of the key barriers to government. A shift from a provider- collaboration: differing objectives and driven delivery mechanism to a tool for performance measure for different responding to public needs and public sector bodies. expectations. It reinforces a model of This reflects a recognition that, governance that focuses on the increasingly, technology is not the aspirations of citizens not the limitation to collaborative public- requirements of traditional public service delivery. The limitation is found service bureaucracies. in the culture and structures of public 13

Engineering a Collaborative Government Overcoming the Silo Trap crash into the Pentagon, killing 125 people. The commission, noting that Mihdhar had been using his real name during the weeks before the attack, By William D. Eggers and John O’Leary Co-Authors concluded that if the investigation had If We Can Put a Man On the Moon... been handled differently, Mihdhar might have been apprehended. The commission felt that his detention might have thwarted the entire he silo trap, aka the failure to and the requesting agent was T operation. put all the pieces together, is a designated a “criminal agent.” The major cause of many public Mihdhar case had been designated as You may be feeling as angry at “Jane” sector failures. Creating alignment a criminal matter, but the information as her colleague was. When hearing that crosses boundaries is not easy, about Mihdar was in “intelligence” of this failure to share vital but necessary for success. files, and “Jane,” according to the information, it’s easy to assume it commission report, “appeared to have stemmed from a turf battle or some The heinous attacks of September 11, other bureaucratic pettiness. But misunderstood the complex rules” 2001, shocked America. But they “Jane” wasn’t engaged in some regarding information sharing. “Jane” shouldn’t have come as any great foolish power-play squabble. She was refused to allow the intelligence surprise. As the 9/11 Commission simply trying to do her job in an officer access to the files. As the report makes clear, during the environment steeped in complex commission report noted, this meant summer of 2001, the nation’s rules. How complex? The commission that operatives familiar with Al Qaeda intelligence warning systems were noted: “Everyone involved was and experienced in tracking down blinking red—but those warnings confused about the rules governing terrorists were excluded from the were missed. Examining the evidence sharing of information gathered in search for Mihdhar. After his request after the fact, the commission found intelligence channels.” for access to the files was denied, the that various intelligence agencies had frustrated officer Think about that: Everyone was uncovered pieces of evidence that, lashed out on August confused about the taken together, might have enabled 29, 2001, in a searing rules. The officials to thwart the attacks. But, as email sent to “Jane”: rules that limit the report notes, “the U.S. government did not find a way of Whatever has information pooling intelligence . . .” happened to this sharing and [request]—someday create a “wall” The 9/11 Commission report cites within the FBI someone will die— numerous instances in which exist because if a and wall or not— information was trapped within silos. criminal the public will not Some of the examples are painful to investigator gains understand why read. In the summer of 2001, certain illegal access to we were not more FBI intelligence officers learned that information, a effective . . . an Islamist extremist named Khalid prosecutor’s case especially since al-Mihdhar, who had been linked to might get thrown the biggest the bombing of the USS Cole in out of court and the threat to us Yemen, had entered the United bad guys might walk. now, UBL States, flying into New York’s JFK “Jane,” in fact, had [Usama bin airport on July 4, 2001. A search for sought the advice of Laden], is Mihdhar commenced. One FBI officer the agency’s lawyers getting the reached out to an FBI agent identified in helping her most as “Jane” in the New York office, who determine whether she “protection.” had access to files containing was permitted to give information on Mihdhar and his Two weeks the officer the possible whereabouts. Within the FBI, later, on the information he had however, there are strict rules that morning of requested. create a “wall” designed to keep September 11, Kalid al-Mihdhar certain intelligence information from boarded American Airlines Flight 77, Few people understand being shared with criminal agents, which he helped to hijack and then the challenges of sensitive information sharing within 14

government better than Michael use the restroom, you have to get out collaboration in the same way Jobs Wertheimer, who is the assistant of your office, walk all the way down used physical space. Just how deputy director of national to where the cafeteria in the central effective this all is remains an open intelligence. Since 2005, he has been area is. [Steve Jobs] was trying to get question. The horrible truth about charged with transforming how the people to bump into each other to 9/11—that our nation’s intelligence intelligence community gathers, have collaboration.” It opened agencies had all the pieces of the shares, and analyzes information, Wertheimer’s eyes to just how puzzle but failed to put them trying to break down the silos and differently government operated. “We together—has demonstrated how enable appropriate, effective are the reverse on almost everything. dangerous the Silo Trap can be. information sharing. The challenge is Our security policies are designed Armed with that awareness, that sometimes information should be against collaboration,” says Wertheimer and the intelligence shared, and rigid rules within an Wertheimer. community are taking steps to agency can foster an attitude of counteract the natural tendency Inroads are being made. In 2006, complete distrust of anyone else in toward organizational isolation. Wertheimer helped introduce the government or the intelligence Intellipedia, a secure, Internet-based It won’t be easy to break through the community. “It has created that collaboration tool that enables walls that keep the left hand of culture that we know as silos of sixteen intelligence agencies to share government from knowing what the excellence, each agency a self- information. In 2008, Wertheimer was right hand is doing. Some of these contained unit,” says Wertheimer. instrumental in the launch of A-space, walls are built into the design of The silo approach, as 9/11 so painfully a social networking site for democracy. There are technical demonstrated, isn’t terribly effective intelligence analysts modeled after challenges, but those are ultimately in an era of global terror threats. To MySpace and Facebook. The paradox surmountable. By far the bigger figure out better ways to foster is that these tools, by allowing for the challenge is changing the collaboration, Wertheimer looked independent, decentralized organizational barriers and cultural outside of government and became a distribution of intelligence, actually attitudes that permeate the public corporate tourist, visiting such enhance the effective centralization sector. cutting-edge firms as Google, of intelligence. Rather than rigid Industrial Light & Magic, and Pixar. hierarchical “channels” of permitted William D. Eggers is the Global Director of Instead of hanging out with a bunch information flow, these are free- Deloitte’s Public Sector research program. of spies, Wertheimer figured he might wheeling “spaces” in which John O’Leary is a research fellow at the Ash learn something from people who unplanned and uncontrolled Institute of the Harvard Kennedy School. make cartoons. He did. He found that exchanges are encouraged. Says This article is adapted from the new book If at Pixar headquarters, Steve Jobs had Wertheimer, “It is about doing things We Can Put a Man on the Moon: Getting Big Things Done in Government (Harvard put all the restrooms in the center of that you never thought you could do Business Press, 2009). the building, often at some distance before. It is making connections. It is from work areas. “People hated it,” mashing up....” In effect, Wertheimer said Wertheimer. “If you have to go is using cyberspace to foster virtual 15

Setting the Right These interagency efforts are successful in that they are all in use, but the path to that success was not Conditions for Collaboration always direct. Fedorowicz, et al., discuss the challenges that such efforts faced, divided into three main By Marti Hearst categories: political, administrative, Professor University of California at Berkeley and technical. In terms of political challenges, the authors write that "in most collaborative ventures, the greatest Introduction 3. Capital Wireless Integrated challenges are often rooted in the tug Network (CapWIN) City, county, and pull of interorganizational What are the conditions required for state, and federal agencies successful collaboration across politics. ... These dynamics are often collaborated to improve first- driven by the larger environment in government agencies? A somewhat responder effectiveness. CapWIN which a collaborative venture is recent study by Fedorowicz, et al. has more than 5,000 registered operating – often with a unique (2006) , analyzed five case studies of the use of IT in cross-agency efforts users from more than 80 public combination of circumstances. We to solve vexing problems. This safety, transportation, and found this to be true in each of the analysis yielded a useful collection of emergency services agencies five case studies." They also said, lessons that can help guide our drawn from all levels of government "Systems and programs that cross understanding of what conditions in three state jurisdictions. agency lines are rare in governmental should be in place to help ensure circles, where hierarchical structures 4. CDC's BioSense: Real-Time and long budgetary cycles impede successful collaborations. Disease Symptom shared functioning." This article discusses the Surveillance City, count, state, collaboration modeled by the Federal and federal agencies collaborated Nonetheless, the case studies Web Managers Council. Many of the with private-sector hospitals and revealed ways to overcome this type conditions described by Fedorowicz, medical laboratories to develop an of challenge. et al., are mirrored in the successes of early-detection system for disease One important lesson is that major the council, thus strengthening the and bioterror outbreaks. More than disruptive events can act as catalysts evidence for that set of principles. 500 entities are using BioSense, for collaboration. This applies to including hospitals; federal, state, natural disasters and human-initiated The Case Studies and local facilities; and the Centers crises (perhaps not surprisingly), but for Disease Control and Prevention also to new legislative and regulatory 1. California Franchise Tax Board: (CDC). In addition, nearly 600 requirements, which can act as Integrated Nonfiler catalysts for change by establishing healthcare facilities in some of the Compliance Program This goals, setting timetables, or providing most populous U.S. cities are now program combined local, county, frameworks to mediate disputes transmitting near real-time data to state, and federal information to among competing interests. BioSense. identify non-reporters of income in California. 5. Wisconsin Livestock The group found that collaborations Identification Consortium in response to change are most 2. U.S. Treasury: Internet workable when the stage has been set (WLIC) State agencies, Payment Platform Federal by earlier activities. The authors point businesses, and industry agencies and private sector out that in the cases studied, "prior associations collaborated to create vendors created a Web-based working relationships forged in an electronic system to track system for purchase orders and response to earlier crises or prior disease status of livestock. WLIC initiatives can help set the stage for invoicing, allowing tracking of the is also contributing to and future collaboration." They also write orders throughout the life cycle of supporting the development of the that "Effective leaders do not wait for the transaction. The U.S. Treasury U.S. Animal Identification Plan, a a crisis before they issue their call to worked closely with suppliers to national effort led by the U.S. action. Instead, they connect the dots design and test the system, which Department of Agriculture and of evidence to show affected has been in production use since industry to create a national animal stakeholders the importance of a November 2007. identification system. proposed interagency solution." 16

Another lesson found across the case federal, state, and local is implementing a cross-agency studies was the need to achieve a governments, which provides a strategy to address the needs of the critical mass of participants and the venue for asking for and sharing open government directive, which inclusion of champions holding a wide advice about Web content, requires every agency to create an range of roles. Champions should be technology, and policy; open government Web page both inward- and outward-facing, help describing the agency's approach to • Managing Web Manager University, establish shared goals, articulate a meeting the directive’s goals and to clear path for action, lobby for a large self-funding educational get public feedback on it. external resources, enlist other effort that offers two semesters of courses (in classroom, webinars, The Federal Web Managers Council champions who have the skills they and new media talks) on timely exhibits the strategies suggested by lack (such as public communication), topics ranging from "Intro to Fedorowicz, et al. It galvanized in a and protect or defend the effort from Podcasting" to "Drupal for time of crisis but leveraged an outside attacks. Government" to "Best Practices for existing structure and existing Administrative lessons included the Search"; and relationships. It includes stakeholders need to develop a governance from a wide range of agencies with a structure to facilitate representation • Running the annual Government wide range of expertise, and a clearly of key relationships among the parties Web Managers Conference, the defined way for those stakeholders to in the collaboration, and the need to largest networking event for contribute to and influence the develop a long-term business model government Web content conversation and decision-making. It in which all participants receive developers and managers. has champions who clearly articulate benefits outweighing the costs of The Council was formed , when the issues and goals, who listen carefully participation. Interagency Committee on to and value the opinions of the Government Information created by membership, and who negotiate for Lessons learned about technology the E-government Act of 2002 asked and aid the membership when they focused primarily on data-sharing and the Web managers to help develop are presented with external dealing with legacy IT systems, but recommendations for federal challenges. In return, that the authors found that technology websites. The strength of the Council membership follows centralized issues could be worked around and came into focus during the Hurricane dictates under certain circumstances. was rarely the sole cause of a Katrina disaster in 2005. In the wake It has a formal governance structure collaboration's failure. of the event, many agencies were in the form of a charter, a website, a posting information about similar community of practice, and more The Federal hurricane-related topics, some more generally, a feeling of community. Web Managers Council accurate than others, and much of it Thus, it is able to function well and Another example of a successful duplicative. To ensure that quickly when presented with pressing cross-agency organizational structure information posted on official needs, as well as for achieving long- can be found in the Federal Web government websites was accurate term goals. Managers Council. The council, and updated, the Council adopted a convened by the U.S. General stay-in-your-lane strategy for Dr. Marti Hearst is a professor in the Services Administration, consists of managing information distribution. School of Information at the University of Web managers and new media Agencies and bureaus were assigned California, Berkeley. Her primary research directors from each Cabinet-level topics, and all other agencies that had interests are user interfaces for search engines, information visualization, natural agency, as well as agencies with high- something to contribute to the topic language processing, and social media. Her profile websites. Among its activities would link to the main agency's recently completed book, "Search User are: information. For instance, the CDC Interfaces," is the first text on this topic. posted information about Katrina- • Managing webcontent.gov, a site related health and safety. If the 1. Fedorowicz, Gogan, and Williams, The E-Government that provides a practical guide for Environmental Protection Agency Collaboration Challenge: Lessons from Five Case Studies, IBM The Center for the Business of government website content and posted health-related information, it Government, 2006. development, including policy would link directly to the CDC page http://www.businessofgovernment.org/pdfs/Fedorowi czReport.pdf requirements and best practice rather than posting its own version. 2. https://www.ipp.gov/ guidance; Council members also agreed to post 3. http://www.capwin.org/ 4. http://www.cdc.gov/biosense/subtopic/ • Managing a popular forum, with Katrina-related information at a background/index.html more than 2,000 members from uniform location on each respective agency's website. Today, the council 17

Minneapolis-St. Paul’s public/private collaboration reduced traffic congestion in the Twin Cities. required use of a variety of Preconditions for techniques, including congestion- charging, telecommuting, and mass Successful Collaboration transit, and involved various federal, state, local and regional authorities. While cross-sector collaboration was By John M. Kamensky key to that success, it had been tried Senior Fellow IBM Center for the Business of Government before in the area but had not taken hold. Why was this time different? Bryson and his team found a number of factors were critical to success in s collaboration the right solution in collaboration. One assumes that I every case? It depends, says a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota led by “collaboration is typically always best, and one should start by searching for collaboration partners.” this collaboration. Some were unique to the Twin Cities case, but others may be applicable more broadly. In addition, several factors converged, Professor John Bryson. In “Designing The other assumes “organizations almost serendipitously, to make the and Managing Cross-Sector will only collaborate when they cannot collaboration work: Collaboration; A Case Study in get what they want without Reducing Traffic Congestion,” the collaborating.” The authors concluded First, the key stakeholders shifted team found several preconditions may this: “Collaboration – especially their approach from thinking of traffic have been critical to the success of cross-sector collaboration – is no congestion as an engineering problem Minneapolis-St. Paul’s public/private panacea.” to thinking about it as an economic sector partnership to reduce traffic problem. This led to four new The case study examines how the strategies: congestion-pricing, congestion. Twin Cities metro area, after decades expanding mass transit, increasing The team found that two views of effort, made a major breakthrough the use of technology, and predominate around the use of in addressing traffic congestion. It encouraging telecommuting. 18

Second, the federal government manage the inclusive process. effort found that they also need to offered more than $1 billion to pilot Regular meetings among have a high tolerance for risk and traffic congestion projects that would stakeholders, preferably using situational ambiguity. use these kinds of strategies. As existing forums, are key elements. Bryson and team observed: “Top- 5. Can you create outcome- In the case of the Twin Cities, the down mandates and bottom-up oriented accountability? stakeholders created an Urban willingness to collaborate Accountability arrangements, Partnership Agreement Steering complemented and reinforced one notes Bryson, “can be particularly Committee. Before receiving the another.” tricky in collaborations, as the federal grant, the committee chose multiplicity of actors and agencies Third, the highly publicized collapse to maintain loose membership involved often causes ambiguity of the Interstate 35 bridge over the boundaries and was very inclusive. around the question of ‘who is Mississippi River in Minneapolis in It was characterized by fluid and responsible for what?’ ” However, 2007 was a catalyst for action. participatory decision-making creating a system that tracks process within an evolving And finally, the champions behind the inputs, processes, and outcomes is collaborative approach explicitly governance structure. important. When these are made addressed five issues that the authors 3. Do you understand the roles of transparent, the various felt were prerequisites to any key players?The main locus of stakeholders can use this system successful collaboration: power will likely shift over the to hold each other mutually 1. Do you understand, and can course of a collaboration process. accountable. In the Twin Cities you build off of, past efforts? Understanding how power is effort, though, participants were “Organizations and groups seem allocated, at different points in the nearly unanimous in identifying the more likely to engage in cross- collaboration process, is important Minnesota State Department of sector collaboration when single- to managing both process and Transportation as the agency sector efforts to solve a public expectations. One crucial political ultimately responsible for success problem have failed,” noted the task is framing the issues. As of the traffic congestion project. authors. Also, they found that Bryson and team note: “The way While the department created a preexisting and positive working issues are framed will determine tracking system, participants found relationships were an essential much of the politics that ensue, as that accountability goes beyond the foundational element. In the case of well as the way actors assess costs metrics. Since people are likely to the Twin Cities partnership, “a and benefits of proposals, and have different views as to what broad array of constituencies had construct winning arguments.” In constitutes success, notes Bryson, become alarmed by this public the Twin Cities example, politics it is important to pay attention to problem, developed a shared sense was the opening of the window of the role of the media “in terms of of urgency, and were forming opportunity. Of course, monetary building support, providing useful alliances." They realized that incentives – in the form of a federal criticism, and helping assure historical attempts to solve it had grant ¬ helped. accountability.” failed and were finally willing to try 4. Can you demonstrate both Bryson and his team conclude that a market-based tool – congestion- leadership and competence? “collaboration is not an easy answer pricing – rather than more Any collaborative effort will be to hard problems, but a hard answer traditional methods, such as comprised of a mix of political, to hard problems.” So if you are facing construction or regulation. In this facilitative, and technical skills. The an opportunity to collaborate across case, they banded together as a mix among them will change over sectors, start by asking yourself these last resort because all other time. Typically, political sponsors kinds of questions first. They may help approaches had failed. have the formal authority to bring you decide if your initiative can meet to bear in securing political support the preconditions of success. 2. Have you developed effective governance approaches? and resources. The champions often lack formal authority, but they John M. Kamensky is a senior fellow with Organizing to get things done in a supply ideas, energy, and the IBM Center for the Business of collaborative manner is not easy, Government, which sponsors management largely because it is time- determination to move forward. In research that connects to practice. He can consuming, and it constantly addition, effective champions can be reached at john.kamensky@us.ibm.com. evolves. Players and roles change both facilitate and frame policy over time. Typically, a respected and ideas in comprehensible ways to neutral organization and specific multiple constituencies. individuals should help design and Participants in the Twin Cities 19

A Core Capability for 21st Century Government By Theresa A. Pardo, Ph.D., Director and Anthony M. Cresswell, Ph.D., Deputy Director Center for Technology in Government University at Albany, State University of New York ollaboration is something I agency information- and technology- collaborate on creating solutions. In “C do when I’m backed into a corner.” In this quote, a public safety professional related initiatives. As a result, we have developed a new understanding of interorganizational collaboration, another case, the many parties seeking to mitigate air pollution in their region formed a joint committee. communicates an awareness of just particularly among government Before they could effectively how hard collaboration can be. agencies engaged in sharing collaborate in spite of their different Research and experience tell us information across the boundaries of interests and perspectives, the collaboration among individuals is those agencies and with the public. members spent many months creating difficult and time-consuming, even committee by-laws That new understanding is based in when participants are willing. (http://www.ctg.albany.edu/publicatio part on research supported by the Formalizing collaboration among a ns/reports/jac_mitigating). Building National Science Foundation, U.S. group of organizations is even more collaboration through that process Department of Justice, and others. difficult, particularly when it involves formed the foundation of trust and This research looks specifically at multiple sectors, governmental shared experience needed for many cross-boundary information sharing jurisdictions, levels of government, successful subsequent projects. We in the context of government, and has and policy domains. New public have seen that collaboration across led to new models of the complexity priorities such as open government, the individual, unit, and agency levels of cross-boundary information as well as increasingly complex public is often within the skills and authority sharing initiatives. As the focus of a problems in the areas of public safety of government managers to arrange collaborative effort goes from a single and public health require new and support. But it is at least a agency working to solve a specific strategies that involve coordinated partially “unnatural act” that requires internal problem to a multi- action among groups of organizations. new skills, perspectives, and risk organizational effort to create new Engaging in coordinated action taking. The successful effort to create capability throughout a system or an requires new decision-making this kind of capability for coordinated enterprise, the need for collaboration structures and new ways to request action requires the unique attention capability increases (See Figure 1). and expend resources and to and authority of government leaders. integrate technologies, policies, and Collaboration capability is about Building the capability for effective processes. The complexity of the working together and making plans collaboration may not be sufficient for changes required is rarely understood and decisions in new ways. We cannot sustained coordinated effort without and even more rarely planned for. assume that this seemingly simple support. The collaborative way of capability exists when it comes to Over the past 15 years, the Center for working must be institutionalized as collaboration across organizations. Technology in Government (CTG) at an organizational norm and This capability depends in part on a the University at Albany, State management principle. It must be shared understanding among all the University of New York, has worked to incorporated as a management key players of both the goals of the help governments leverage strategy within our traditional effort and the challenges faced by all technology as a tool for creating bureaucratic institutions as well as the participating organizations. In one public value. To achieve that leverage, within our networks. Unfortunately, information integration effort we the delivery and management of while leaders may have the unique studied, representatives of the public services increasingly relies on power to make these changes, many participating agencies took a full year complex networks of interdependent barriers must be overcome. The to create a shared understanding of organizations. As a result, the heart of typical policy environment managers the problem. They “walked the tracks” our work, both research and practice, have created, or in many cases through all the constituent has emphasized achieving inherited, often limits their capability organizations’ information systems coordinated action across the to share authority, to exchange and business processes to create a boundaries of government agencies. resources, and to jointly and single shared map of the problem. Through this work we have examined strategically manage enterprise-wide Only then could they effectively the role collaboration plays in multi- initiatives. To change this, government 20

boundary assignment of resources, including money, people, technology, and information. Their leaders support working across organizational boundaries and reward such activities. Low collaboration capability organizations view open dialog as a threat to their interests and power bases. They see collaboration as a form of compromise or loss, rather than an opportunity to enhance their ability to respond to challenges, possibly as a result of bad experiences at previous collaborative efforts. They may avoid or resist initiatives requiring collaboration. Understanding the public value that can be created through a collaborative way of work and being willing to engage in collaborative executives must understand how relationships with stakeholders, such efforts is very different from having policies can support or inhibit as advisory committees. It is reflected the organizational capability collaborative action. They must shape in positive relationships among necessary for collaboration to their policy decisions and nurture the information users and organizational succeed. These differences must be capability of governments to create leadership. Collaboration is understood and acted on by the necessary organizational cultures supported by the provision of specific government leaders and managers and systems to sustain effective resources, including staff time, alike if collaboration across collaboration across boundaries. budget, training, and technology. boundaries is to be a part of the Successes or failures in past transformation of government in the Initiatives we have studied for collaborative activities can be 21st century. establishing and maintaining cross- significant indicators of readiness for boundary information sharing future collaboration. relationships and structures provide Theresa Pardo is the Director of the Center some good examples of how effective Collaboration-ready organizations for Technology in Government and Anthony collaboration can be created and have a track record of successful Creswell is the Deputy Director. The Center sustained. The evidence of collaboration and actively seek out for Technology in Government is a public- private partnership helping federal and state collaboration capability can be found new opportunities for partnering governments make better use of technology in specific policies and procedures to across organizational boundaries. in managing information. For more support collaboration, and in the They have allocation models that information go to www.ctg.albany.edu quality and effectiveness of respond to the need for cross- 21

Essential Collaborative Persuades and encourages others to commit resources (people, money, expertise, information, technology, Competencies for Managers equipment) to network goals; identifies capacity needs of network partners, and works with them to By Sydney Smith-Heimbrock assure resource- or capacity-building Director, Leadership and Human Resource Development Solutions U.S. Office of Personnel Management investments; uses knowledge of federal processes to provide structures, accommodation, logistic support, and other procedural overning through collaborative sustain the entities’ collaboration; interventions to enable collective G networks of governmental, nonprofit and private-sector organizations is the new paradigm for develops informal reciprocity in the absence of formal rules; identifies the currencies that connect the entities’ experiences. Information management Disseminates information to span public management in the 21st self-interests. boundaries between organizations century. To perform effectively in this and individuals in the network; uses environment, federal managers need Focusing on Results principles from information science to 16 competencies, according to establish formal and informal research performed in 2009. These Creating public value Identifies information-sharing channels through competencies demonstrate the shared problems, values, and technology and face-to-face fundamentally different set of objectives among network actors; interactions; uses central knowledge, skills, behaviors, and uses trust and reciprocity to establish stakeholders to diffuse information attributes needed for 21st century an underlying basis for agreement on across the network. governance. network goals; continually reminds network actors of goals, and monitors Communication Maximizes the use progress and resolves problems in of communication for meaningful Facilitating Network Creation order to attain them; maintains deliberation and decision-making Contextual analysis Actively personal accountability for achieving across the network; sets up dialogues acquires information from a variety of results; and encourages goal and collaborative communication sources to perceive shifts in the adaptations and changes in goal practices to facilitate mutual sharing policy agenda, and social and leadership over time based on of information and understanding of economic factors shaping stakeholder analysis. the network’s collective benefits; stakeholders’ views; understands the actively engages different groups in a Vision Maintains a view of the broader dimensions of governance communicative process to create a network’s strategic purpose of public challenges. sense of belonging; communicates in value creation; connects collaborative a range of styles and modes to Network mapping Applies network with public-sector outcomes; facilitate collaboration. understanding of intergovernmental reconciles partial and general structures ties and interdependencies perspectives across the network; to identify the institutions and collaborates with others to develop Managing Network Relationships individuals with a stake in the policy specific objectives based on the Relationship focused Uses social or program outcome; and analyzes broad vision. network analysis to understand the actors’ resources, competences, and network’s maturity and to identify Modeling ethical behavior limitations, including constraints what relationships are needed to Identifies the network’s ethical imposed by law, regulation, or the accomplish network objectives; uses standards of partnership based on organizational culture of their home formal and informal interpersonal patterns of interaction; finds organizations. processes, including an opportunities to create a climate of Network building and activation openness and trust; perceives others understanding of individual motives, Uses sound judgment to select and as legitimate, capable, and to build, sustain, and strengthen attract entities to activate the experienced; challenges unfair or relationships as needed to network; works across sectors to inefficient practices; openly accomplish network goals; continually forge collaborative alliances based on addresses power and inclusion issues reappraises the accountability and mutual benefit; designs the network within the network. legitimacy of relationships with other by building connections across stakeholders. organizational systems; setting Managing Network Processes Role definition Collaborates with decision-making parameters and others to enable appropriate roles to defining the interactions that will Network resources management 22

System Model for Federal Network Governance Competencies emerge among network actors; opportunities for exciting and learning to build trust and reciprocity negotiates new roles as collaboration innovative combinations among as levers of collaboration; nurtures outcomes produce shifts in the people and organizations; uses network self-adaptation mechanisms. environment; manages through the traditional resources in nontraditional Evaluation Promotes the use of ambiguity and inherent tension across ways; teaches others to adapt to information from a variety of sources different role relationships and changing conditions; reframes to assess the network’s effectiveness organizations; recognizes and problems to create new solutions; in producing public value; uses a accepts the federal manager’s most questions conventional approaches. range of performance criteria that appropriate role – manager or Empowerment Negotiates own and measures outcomes for service participant – based on the health of others’ legitimacy as contributors to recipients, network actors, and the network at any given time. network relationships and outcomes; organizational participants; analyzes Managing conflict Pays attention creates a shared sense of and reflects on existing network to interpersonal and responsibility for producing valuable processes to identify opportunities interorganizational dynamics in the and worthwhile outcomes; provides for improvement, and acts on these network; creates a collaborative the opportunity for network actors to opportunities; uses evaluation as a environment that embraces different use skills and abilities toward shared learning tool. methodologies and cultures for goals; watches and corrects for social A visual depiction of network decision-making; effectively deals dynamics that impede network actors’ governance competencies as a with individual and social concerns, active participation; ensures network system model shows the phases of and collaborates with others to members have the confidence, network governance, and the identify the interests of different information, and support they need to integration of all competencies into stakeholders; values conflict for the sustain their connections. an ongoing system of mapping, purpose of gaining new perspectives organizing, managing, and evaluating and assuring competing public values Evaluating Results networks to produce public value. are considered; creates clear and transparent mechanisms for Facilitating social learning channeling conflict, when possible, Recognizes the learning needs and Sydney Smith-Heimbrock is the Director of using dispute resolution techniques. opportunities for both the members Leadership and Human Resources and the network as a whole; creates Development at the U.S. Office of situations in which people can learn Personnel Management. For more Leading Change collectively from their experiences information, contact sydney.smith- heimbrock@opm.gov. Innovation Understands when and environmental changes to adapt network goals and dynamics present network processes; uses social 23

Building organizations that have a Build Your Organization’s strong tendency to collaborate requires leaders who think more like Capacity to Collaborate architects than field marshals. Unlike many desired business outcomes, collaboration can’t be directed from By Tamara Erickson the top down. It requires discretionary Managing Director effort – the commitment of individuals nGenera Collaboration Services from the bottom up to share their best ideas. A leader’s challenge is to build organizational environments that he ability to share ideas and identified factors that enable facilitate and encourage this T information on a consistent basis – to collaborate – is one of the most important capabilities for collaboration and a wide variety of approaches that successful organizations are using to collaborative activity. Designing and Building contemporary organizations. It is an enhance a Collaborative Organization essential component of an Building an organization’s organization’s ability to address capacity to bring ideas complex challenges and avail of together on a consistent emerging opportunities. While an basis hinges on ensuring individual’s personal knowledge, that multiple individuals can experience, and exposure can and will exchange knowledge generate new ideas, more often, freely. One of the creative leaps are sparked by two or primary more people working together, each contributing unique competencies, perspectives, and experiences. An organization that has a high probability of innovating on a consistent basis is one that has a strong capacity to collaborate Becoming a collaborative agency or department doesn’t just happen, and it can’t be mandated. In partnership with the London Business School, nGenera Collaboration Services recently completed responsibilities of a a large research program contemporary leader is to designed to identify the set the stage for that kind-of characteristics of organizations exchange. that were successful at these Encourage the development of collaborative activity. With factors. strong, trust-based relationships extensive data from teams from Surprisingly, the Make significant and thoughtful around the world, we found that research found that many investments in programs and many of today’s processes and traditional leadership approaches, processes that will facilitate the practices – and the culture within such as compensation incentives, had development of personal relationships many organizations – don’t encourage no discernable correlation with throughout the organization. If there’s collaboration. The research also successful collaboration. a lack of trust among individuals, 24

productive collaboration is unlikely. by investing personal time to teach compromised by processes that Approaches can vary widely, and mentor others. Collaboration is waste participants’ time, and by including: encouraged by an organizational unclear and ambiguous role culture in which people freely give definitions that force people to parry • Events to give people opportunities their time to help colleagues learn. over authority and control. The to meet; Visible examples of senior leaders leader’s responsibility is to provide • Technology to allow work groups to generously helping and learning from clear, well-structured roles. communicate easily; others are powerful ways to spread Leave the approach itself to the • Physical architecture to provide this behavior. discretion and creativity of the informal space for colleagues to Strengthen people’s ability to team Tasks that are too tightly congregate; resolve conflict and hold prescribed inhibit collaboration and • Organizational design to create meaningful conversations innovation. Why bother, if there’s little units of a size that permit people to Research has shown that one of the latitude in the approach? Think of the know each other, understand the biggest obstacles toward productive emergency room in a hospital as the whole, and eliminate the need for collaboration is the inability of model of clear roles and ambiguous individuals to hold constructive, open tasks. The role descriptions among excessive control; and conversations. Provide training to the team members are precise. When • Process or workflow design to develop individual skills and establish beginning to treat a new patient, consider relationship formation by constructive habits. there’s no need for discussion about bringing people together regularly who wants to perform surgery that Leverage strong relationships during the process. day. However, the nature of the within the organization When new Invest in networks around challenge — what will be wrong with CEOs join an organization, they often innovation priorities Collaboration the patient, and, therefore, what steps bring a core team of trusted requires an investment of time and will be required for treatment — is colleagues with them from their effort by the people involved, and not unknown, and the precise steps former firm. This practice is one that all tasks require it. If the approach to required are, therefore, ambiguous. can be valuable at all levels of the be taken is well-understood or the organization. Consider transferring Although collaboration can’t be task itself is relatively unimportant, it small intact groups of employees so forced, leaders have significant roles is likely that the investment required that they begin each new job with to play to create environments with for collaboration will have limited or already formed relationships. the capacity to encourage the free even negative return. Leaders should exchange of ideas and information. determine which parts of the Operate as a community of adults organization need to exchange Collaboration requires individuals willing to assume personal Tamara J. Erickson is a McKinsey Award- insights and whether the collaborative winning author and widely respected expert capacity among members of those responsibility and invest discretionary on organizations, innovation, and talent. groups is strong. Do the right people effort. Set the tone for this type of Her work is based on extensive research on know and trust each other? adult behavior with your employment the changing work force. She is the author practices. Establish practices, of a trilogy of books on how individuals in Select people who like to particularly for access to and specific generations can excel in today’s collaborate If collaboration is handling of sensitive information, that workplace: Retire Retirement: Career important to a program’s success, signal the organization’s trust of Strategies for the Boomer Generation, gauge an individual’s preference for employees. What’s Next, Gen X?, and Plugged In: The doing so as part of the employee Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work. selection and promotion processes. Make sure processes are www.tammyerickson.com efficient, tasks are well- Create a “gift” culture Leaders managed, and roles are clearly should model collaborative behavior defined Collaboration is seriously 25

Feds Collaborate to Make Social Media Legal for Mission-related Outreach By Bev Godwin Director, New Media and Citizen Engagement GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications U.S. General Services Administration he White House Open such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, government YouTube channel was T Government Directive specifically calls for federal agencies to use emerging and Ideascale to interact with the huge online audience. launched, and agencies immediately began posting their videos on the site. Since then, 86 agencies have posted technologies to “open new forms of Terms of Service Agreements videos on YouTube, and millions of communication between a government YouTube viewers can access official and the people.” Furthermore, the The first issue the group took on was videos from across government. Within directive says, “It is important that the terms of service that providers of its first 120 days, the U.S. government policies evolve to realize the potential free social media require users to YouTube channel received 176,000 of technology for open government.” accept before accessing their service. views from more than 13,000 Their no-cost tools for social subscribers and continues to grow at a No one knows this better than the networking, blogging, and dialoguing rate of 7 percent per month. people who run the various federal would give the government the Web sites. They have been trying for potential to reach and to hear from a The group moved on to other popular years to overcome outdated legal and nearly unlimited audience. But the social media providers. Agreements regulatory barriers that have kept small print in many of the providers’ have been negotiated with 33 agencies from using the new forms of terms of use contains provisions that providers, including Facebook, Twitter, communication that were readily federal agencies cannot, by law, agree and Wikimedia. The agreements, which available to individuals and to. Issues with terms of service, on the address most of the common concerns commercial interests. These face of it, were an obstacle to the of agencies using social media, are impediments barred agencies from, managers of federal Web sites who posted on GSA’s online cloud among other things, using social wanted to expand their ability to storefront at www.apps.gov. By using media tools for mission-related communicate with the public. these agreements, the attorneys for purposes, such as public outreach, specific agencies will not have to start citizen engagement, personnel To lift this roadblock, a coalition of from scratch in negotiating acceptable recruitment, training, and idea- federal Web managers and lawyers terms that comply with their own generation. But President Barack from across government, led by the policies for the use of social media, or Obama, on his first day in office, called GSA Office of Citizen Services, their specific needs, expectations, and for agencies to “use innovative tools, enlisted the help of enthusiastic practices. To date, there have been 165 methods, and systems to cooperate,” attorneys in their agencies and the terms of service agreements signed making it clear he expected the White House Counsel’s Office. and 651 uses of applications. Agencies government to become quickly adept Collaborating on language that would only have to sign the terms of service at using social media and other accommodate both operational and once, and then multiple instances of cutting-edge technology. legal requirements, the coalition the application can be used. entered negotiations with social media Taking a cue from the president even providers. The objective was to get While the terms of service before the directive was issued on providers to amend their standard amendments resolve the major legal Dec. 8, a group of public servants terms and conditions to respect the issues of the sign-up process, clarify recognized the need for concerted unique status and needs of the federal expectations, and set the stage for action to enable agencies to comply government, to agree on standard productive use of these services, with the directive. They would tackle language that all agencies could use agencies still must comply with laws the legal and regulatory barriers head- with minimal tweaking to meet their and regulations on security, privacy, on. They began by addressing the own needs. accessibility, records retention, ethical concerns that prompted legal counsel use, and other agency-specific policies in many agencies to restrict federal By February 2009, the coalition had an and requirements when they use the employees from using free online tools agreement with YouTube. The U.S. tools. However, the task of conducting 26

this legal review has become issued requiring federal agencies to major public-facing initiative totaled significantly easier. put a process in place within 60 days to about $10,000, significantly less than engage the public online. At that point, individual agencies would have spent if The success of the terms of service only a few agencies had any they had had to seek out the expertise initiative has attracted the attention of experience with public dialogues. They and infrastructure to stand up their far-seeing social media providers, who all had many unanswered questions own public engagement sites. The want to add their products to the about how to do it. consistency of using the same lineup on apps.gov. The coalition has approach across government was an posted a model agreement vendors The GSA Office of Citizen Services added benefit. can refer to in determining whether created a Center for New Media and their terms of service are compatible Citizen Engagement to help agencies As the Open Government Directive with federal law. It lists the points, throughout the federal government states, “Collaboration improves the issues, and concerns that typically comply with the directive and its very effectiveness of Government by arise in standard terms of service and aggressive timetable. The first step encouraging partnerships and are problematic for federal agencies, was to identify a tool that could be cooperation within the Federal and suggests replacement language modified by every agency, could be put Government, across levels of that would be acceptable to most in place quickly, and would be easy to government, and between the federal agencies. learn to use. IdeaScale, one of the Government and private institutions.” providers that had amended its terms The terms of service negotiations Negotiating these terms of service has of service, offered a product that show just how important this kind of created a cost-effective way for all agencies could use to engage with the collaboration is to the government’s agencies to meet the requirements of public. With a quick review of the tool’s ability to function well in the Internet the open government directive. They capabilities and acceptance of the age. now have federal-friendly tools amended terms of service, GSA was available for free for social networking, able to get it up and running quickly. Bev Godwin directs the Center on New dialogs, blogging, and other means of Training was conducted free for all Media and Citizen Engagement in the online interaction. agencies through GSA’s Web Manager Office of Citizen Services at GSA. Bev University. As a result, all but one of recently returned to GSA after a 6-month Open Government Dialogues the major departments adapted the detail to the White House Office of New IdeaScale tool and launched their Media. Prior to these posts, Bev most The significance of this impact was recently served as Director, USA.gov and demonstrated within weeks after the public dialogues by the 60-day Web Best Practices at GSA. Open Government Directive was deadline. The out-of-pocket cost of this 27

Government and Industry ACT/IAC has taken up the challenge in the spirit it was offered. We assembled a representative group of Collaborate to Modernize VistA 42 industry professionals from 42 companies who meet once a week and have been hard at work since By Edward Francis Meagher November 2009. We are focusing on SRA International Chair, Industry Advisory Council VistA Modernization Project whether VistA can be deployed more broadly, the most appropriate model and strategy for deployment, and the potential impact on industry and the he Veterans Information question to ask is, “What would it health care community. We have T Systems Technology Architecture (VistA) is the largest, most comprehensive, fully take to modernize VistA so that VA, as well as the larger health care community, would have access to the accepted the challenge and are committed to providing our recommendations to the VA CIO by April 2010. integrated electronic health best aspects of the multibillion dollar information system in the world. It is investment in VistA, while migrating it I am truly impressed by the also the best. It was designed and to a state-of-the-art, open systems, knowledge, skill, and enthusiasm of built by Department of Veterans public domain environment?” this committee and the willingness to Affairs’ doctors, nurses, and embrace the challenge as proposed. It If this were easy or straightforward, it technology professionals over a 20- is truly staggering what can be would have happened already. I liken year period. More than 8 billion U.S. accomplished when skilled it to a known vein of gold buried under tax dollars has been spent building, professionals lay their own parochial a mass of rock and rubble. There is improving, and operating this system. interests aside and apply their abundant evidence of numerous prior Each year it serves more than 5 knowledge and experience to this and ongoing attempts to mine this million veterans, supports more than difficult public task as citizens first. It treasure, but no one has been 200,000 medical personnel at 163 is genuinely inspiring to see large and successful yet. The one consistent medical centers, 850 clinics and 135 small corporations provide these thing about all of these efforts has nursing homes. VA hospitals using valuable resources to the task, not in been the lack of coordination, VistA comprise nearly half of all U.S. hopes of furthering their own cooperation, and collaboration. hospitals that fully implement an corporate goals but in the nation's electronic medical record. VistA In late 2009, Roger Baker, the new CIO and our veterans’ best interest. provides each of the 5 million at VA, who most clearly can be said to veterans with a complete, own the problem of modernizing Progress in a collaborative- and comprehensive, longitudinal VistA, reached outside government, consensus-based environment is a electronic health record. It is a to the American Council on challenging task at any time. In a national treasure, and it is owned Technology and its Industry Advisory situation where difficult issues and outright by you and me. Council, for assistance. He aggressive timelines are involved, it is challenged ACT/IAC, representing truly daunting. But we are learning So you might wonder why the rest of from each other and with honesty, the government-industry IT the country’s health care system isn’t goodwill, and the realization that we community, to fulfill its stated charter using this program, which is available are acting on behalf of the rest of our by “providing an objective, ethical and free to anyone who wants it. Well, industry, our nation’s veterans, and trusted forum where government and there are several reasons. From a the citizenry of this great country, we industry exchange information and technology perspective, it is a fact are truly inspired to provide a worthy collaborate on technology issues in that while VA continued to extend and response. We hope the VistA project the public sector.” Specifically, Baker improve its capabilities during the itself will be an inspiration for other asked IAC, which represents more past 10 years, it failed to refresh the federal agencies seeking to update than 500 IT companies that work with underlying hardware and software. At aging IT systems and software. the government, to convene a panel of its core, VistA is based on antiquated business and IT professionals to technology. It is difficult and make recommendations on how best Edward Meagher currently serves as the expensive to maintain and is to move forward with modernizing Director of Strategic Initiatives for Health increasingly more challenging to Affairs with SRA International’s Global VistA. He challenged the group enhance it . From a business Health Group. He previously served as the members to put their corporate or perspective, while free to own, it is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information proprietary interests aside and expensive and complicated to install, Technology and Deputy CIO, and CIO for respond as IT professionals and the Department of Veterans Affairs modify, and operate. So the obvious citizens. 28

Crossing Boundaries to Reach the Michigan Business One Stop By Kenneth D. Theis CIO and Director, Department of Technology, Management & Budget State of Michigan obs and economic development service that guides users who want to help for navigating and applying for J are sustained Michigan priorities. Lasting solutions to these driving issues must be start, operate or change a business. Business owners can apply for or renew selected permits and licenses, licenses, and access to other support services through an extended hour call center. effective, sustainable and agile and file reports and pay taxes and fees • Business Ombudsman Neutral flexible enough to apply to changing using a consolidated online payment resource to provide solutions circumstances and for varied cross- capability. They can input their boundary stakeholders and business data into a single profile, between business, industry and jurisdictions. The Michigan Business and use a single statewide ID. state, with a direct reporting One Stop demonstrates how our Information is shared across state relationship to Governor’ office process redesign and collaboration departments with one, easy e- • Business Certification with the broad business community payment system. Businesses can Program Focused on providing helps to transform the State simulate business decision-making customer services and developing government and make it possible for online and track transaction status in new levels of partnership between old and new businesses to succeed a new, paperless environment. Its six State employees and the business and create jobs for the people of integrated service elements are: community. Michigan. • Business Web Portal Start a • Business Permit Process Michigan Business One Stop, business and operate a business Initiative Reduces the number of launched in March 2009, is an online permits and permit processing time • Customer Assistance On-line 29

• Business Navigator A SWAT incorporate base-line funding in their monthly briefings with agency team of agency representatives budgets. The Department of leaders. We kept our pulse on assisting with permits and other Information Technology and 10 customer satisfaction using customer issues. business service agencies gave input surveys and a dashboard with use from within the State government. rates and customer satisfaction The project was first announced in External input came from the measures. Governor Jennifer Granholm’s 2008 Government Performance State of the State address and, for key Improvement Initiative and the Success Factors reasons, has emerged as a highly Council of Michigan Foundations, and Overcoming Barriers effective and transferable model of consultants, business focus groups, project management and cross- In any large transformation there are the Small Business Association of boundary solutions. Business One obstacles and challenges; this project Michigan, the Small Business Stop succeeds because it is a is not an exception. We continue to Technology Development Center, and gubernatorial priority embedded in a identify issues, opportunities and major business associations broader government transformation tools to overcome classic representing manufacturers, retailers, and streamlining effort and because it hierarchical, tier and industry barriers ethnic businesses, chambers of is driven by a sound and to cross-boundary sharing. The commerce and those with economic comprehensive project management critical success factors for this development and technology approach. Its strength is that it has a project have been collaboration and interests. problem-defined design that builds following cross-enterprise and cross- from a businessman’s needs rather As one of the stakeholders, the jurisdiction guiding principles, than the government’s preconceived leadership in the State Legislature including: solutions. It provides exceptional was briefed on Michigan Business lessons on overcoming shared- One Stop. When statute changes are • Obtaining leadership support service barriers and in providing required to either eliminate or • Establishing effective system effective business and technological streamline a permit or license, governance solutions. legislators will be able to connect these requests with the purpose and • Encouraging sustained stakeholder direction of One Stop. The State participation A Highly Collaborative Project Attorney General participated in • Gaining external expertise None of this would have been crafting language for data-sharing possible without the upfront • Developing an implementation plan agreements between the with concrete deadlines, and cooperation of numerous state departments. government agencies and more than • Sound architectural, system and 100 business owners, business To demonstrate the overarching application analysis and design. associations and local governments, advantages of the new Michigan Business One Stop, agency benefits As we continue to refine and who joined in one of the state’s most (e.g. reduced data entry costs) were strengthen this new business tool, the collaborative projects to date. systematically documented. A matrix Michigan experience offers lessons Creating Michigan Business One organization was established for on collaboration, design, partnership, Stop required an intensive focus on creative resourcing, minimizing the governance and management process redesign and automation, but impact of stretching resources by practices that can both maximize what makes it work is a change staffing for short periods of time (i.e. cross-boundary shared service management process that involves one-year temporary reassignments). benefits as well as minimize risks. The the full range of stakeholders and has Outreach to the stakeholder groups elements of our approach are a formal management process and to government agencies and the reproducible by governmental units supported by a matrix organization of public was critical, so we devoted seeking cost savings, operational stakeholders. The Governor’s Office attention to understanding and efficiencies, and increased was the executive sponsor; a communicating its value. This effectiveness. Business Operations Committee, an included awareness sessions (lecture Advisory Business Focus Group and style) with all the affected agencies, a Ken Theis has been the Chief Information Policy Steering Committee provided biweekly newsletter, a user group that Officer from the State of Michigan since guidance, and the State Budget reviews portal changes and 2007. Office worked with Departments to recommends improvements, and 30

Collaboration Tools and Platforms Data Sharing Began Geospatially By Rob Dollison, Dan Sandhaus, and Sam Wear Geospatial One-Stop Introduction geospatial data resources. , thus by encouraging inventive use of the avoiding duplication and redundant datasets in ways the data owners The geospatial community has been a storage of data records. The data might not have envisioned. leader in collaboration and sharing of sharing between the Geospatial One- government information. These efforts The Geospatial One-Stop project data Stop project and data.gov applied new include establishing standards for data catalog includes data from federal, Web service technologies that made exchange, creating data state, tribal, and local governments, the Geospatial datasets easily clearinghouses, and working to universities, and the commercial accessible and eliminated the need to develop partnerships for the creation sector. Federal geospatial datasets create a separate data catalog for of local, state and national data sets. must be approved by an agency’s CIO data.gov. As an extension of these efforts by the before being shared with data.gov. As geospatial community, the Geospatial As a priority of the Open Government of this writing, about 167,000 records One-Stop project created a national Initiative, data.gov increases the ability met these criteria. geospatial data catalog and Web of the public to easily find, download, The response from the geospatial portal (www.geodata.gov),which will and use federal datasets. It provides community and the Geospatial One- provide direct access to data in the descriptions of the federal datasets, Stop project was so strong that future, thus helping to provide ways for information about how to access the data.gov created a separate geodata the ingenuity of America to take datasets, and tools that leverage catalog section to support approved advantage of that data in new and government datasets. Its primary federal geospatial datasets. Currently exciting ways. goals are to improve access to federal the geodata catalog holds the largest data and to expand creative use of the Initially, the goals of the project were collection in the data.gov website. data beyond the walls of government to facilitate the establishment of data exchange standards in order to better enable government-to-government geospatial data sharing, to provide a public gateway for improving access to geospatial data in the United States and promoting partnerships for the collection of new data. These goals of better access to geodata directly complement new activities to improve access to all federal data and improve the "data Web." The data.gov website was launched in mid-2009 to increase public access to high-value, machine-readable datasets generated by the federal government and make government more transparent. When data.gov requested data, the federal geospatial community responded by supplying tens of thousands of geospatial records. This response leveraged existing capabilities and components of the Geospatial One-Stop project and drew from its rich store of 31

Geospatial One Stop–a National clearinghouses, map files, and more. service URL, map service name, or in Geospatial Data Catalog The dataset descriptions are the case of a WMS, the submitted to the portal by federal, GetCapabilities statement enable The Geospatial One-Stop project was state, tribal, and local government users to connect to the “live” map built to address the need for a national agencies; colleges and universities; services. Geospatial One Stop serves comprehensive geospatial data individuals; and companies. The as a portal hosting metadata records catalog: a single location where any collection continues to grow, for hundreds of federal, state, and user could go to find geospatial data exceeding 325,000 entries as of local government services. in any location within the United December 2009. As the catalog States, avoiding the need to search the The Geospatial One-Stop project has becomes more comprehensive and many Web sites published by been the leading initiative in improves, it also facilitates data individual agencies and entities. government geospatial data sharing discovery through integration with Managed by the U.S. Geological for the past five years and today it is data.gov, and its utility as a one-stop Survey, the portal was created as a also evolving to be an important portal for finding geospatial data for Presidential e-Government Initiative component of the Obama the United States continues to grow. to enhance government efficiency and Administration’s open government improve citizen services. Map services provide a new and initiatives. powerful means for intergovernmental The portal provides easy access to Future integration with data.gov, its data sharing in support of day-to-day information that supports many policies, and new shared capabilities, business functions. Past data sharing different government lines of business, will improve the quality and efforts were “file” centric and often including homeland security, accessibility of geospatial data and very labor intensive, requiring the emergency response, environmental support the innovations of the next downloading or “exporting and protection, transportation planning, generation of mash-ups and new importing” of datasets. Today’s economic development, land applications. evolving map service and viewer management, and public health and technologies, usually require only a safety. Users discover geospatial data web browser and no local client Rob Dollison is the Geospatial One-Stop they can use in their own projects to software, and enable governments at Project Manager and the National Map perform spatial analysis, modeling, or Digital Services Manager. Dan Sandhaus is all levels to dynamically share (or the Geospatial One-Stop Assistant Project visualization. Users can also find “fuse”) entire agency data catalogs Manager. Sam Wear is the Gepspatial One- partners to collaborate on data with collaborating agencies. Federal Stop Local Government Liaison and acquisition activities through the GOS and state map services can be Assistant CIO for Westchester County, NY Marketplace. combined with data-rich local GIS. The portal contains thousands of government map services which are detailed dataset descriptions and links commonly developed from to map services, online mapping authoritative, high accuracy 100- and applications, downloadable datasets, 200-scale base maps. Key metadata catalog services, map images, elements which identify the map 32

EPA’s Environmental Exchange Network By Lisa Schlosser, Chief Information Officer and Mary McCaffery, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Administrator Office of Environmental Information U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PA embraces an open, information. The Exchange Network E collaborative, and participatory culture, allowing us to execute our mission to protect human health comprises three interconnecting components: a collaborative, inclusive governance structure; processes and and the environment for all Americans standards for exchanging data; and a regulated facilities currently using effectively. technical architecture based on a this model. Implementation of the common set of shared services that network has catalyzed the transition The mission requires that we collect provides the technological foundation from paper to electronic and share reliable, quality data to for data exchanges. environmental reporting, eliminated support each of EPA’s seven mission priorities: The governance structure, named the dual data entry in many cases, Exchange Network Leadership provided for automated error- • Taking action on climate change; checking and validation, and Council, includes executives and • Improving air quality; senior leaders from states, tribes, and streamlined business operations. As • Assuring the safety of chemicals; EPA national program offices, who a result, the Exchange Network has collaboratively determine the reduced data management costs • Cleaning up our communities; principles, scope, strategy, and while providing higher quality and • Protecting America’s waters; activities related to the exchange and more timely data to decision-makers. • Expanding the conversation on publication of environmental An independent study showed an information. In addition to average annual return on investment environmentalism; governance, the network covers for participating states that ranged • Working for environmental justice; shared processes, tools, and services from 15% to 61%. Equally as and that help environmental agency staff important, the Exchange Network has • Building strong state and tribal integrate, analyze, and report data, resulted in improved access by the partnerships. and data and technology standards public to high-value environmental that allow for data to be integrated data. The challenge for EPA has been this: regardless of the technology. The how to collect and exchange environmental data with our critical motto of the network is “build once, Environmental Exchange use many times.” In the Exchange Innovation – The Outcome of partners and stakeholders in a cost- Network, plagiarism is not only the Exchange Network effective manner, while always allowed, it is encouraged. EPA has ensuring the integrity of the data. EPA The Exchange Network has inspired funded development of the network took the initiative in 2001 to address creativity and innovation throughout through an innovative, competitive this challenge by creating the its community of stakeholders. Some grant program that began in 2002. National Environmental Exchange examples of this innovation include: Information Network. What Is the Business Value The State of Massachusetts What Is the National of the Exchange Network to Department of Environmental Environmental Information its Partners? Protection – MassAir: The public has a right to know about the Exchange Network? In the nine years since its inception, environmental conditions in their the Exchange Network has evolved communities. To reduce costs and The Exchange Network is a from a cutting-edge technology increase efficiency, Massachusetts partnership established to support solution to an integrated component integrated its air quality data better environmental decisions of the EPA business and technical internally and used the Exchange through improved access to, and architecture, with more than 60 Network to automate data quality exchange of, environmental regulatory data flows from states and 33

assurance processes and provide explosions occur, first responders Accountability, and Transparency real-time air quality data to the public. need timely access to quality data Board established under the such as the location of chemical American Recovery and • EPA - Water Quality Exchange storage facilities and the types of Reinvestment Act of 2009. Using Access to comprehensive water chemicals stored. Often, the lack of the Exchange Network concept and quality information is indispensable access to data that reaches across underlying services, the board was for managing and protecting water state and agency boundaries able to implement a federalwide resources. However, timely and prevents emergency response reporting capability for more than accurate information can be personnel from developing 60,000 users to collect more than difficult to come by because water comprehensive response plans, 130,000 Recovery Act reports in less monitoring data are collected by a which may leave populations than five months. wide range of organizations with vulnerable to unknown dangers. To different information systems that are often incompatible. The Water address this need, environmental Collaborate with Us agencies from Nebraska, Iowa, The Exchange Network, from a Quality Exchange replaced a Kansas, and Missouri sought a technical standpoint, is composed of distributed database that was means to efficiently and securely standards-based services that can be cumbersome and expensive to use share reliable information among reused by any organization that has a and maintain. The standards and emergency responders and requirement for data exchange. In simplicity are already paying planners. These states used the today’s environment of an increasingly enormous dividends. New Exchange Network to create the more open government, it is contributors are joining the Water Homeland Emergency Response especially critical to collect and share Quality Exchange fold and filling Exchange. The participating states data with numerous stakeholders and gaps where data were previously publish data useful to emergency continue to include our most unavailable. For example, planners and responders on their important constituency – the public. Wisconsin has added 18,500 secure Exchange Network nodes, The Exchange Network provides a monitoring locations and more than allowing for access to near real- cost-effective solution to meet this 1.6 million results since need. time data in the event of an implementing the Water Quality emergency. In the Exchange Exchange. Similarly, Texas added Network spirit of build once, use Lisa Schlosser is the Chief Information 8,500 new monitoring locations and many times, numerous other states Officer at the U.S. Environmental more than 3.5 million results. Protection Agency and Mary McCaffery is are now deploying Homeland • Multiple States – Senior Advisor to the Assistant Emergency Response Exchange. Administrator, EPA Office of Environmental Homeland Emergency • Reuse for Information. Learn more about the Response Exchange When Exchange Network at FederalReporting.gov The events such as tornados, http://www.exchangenetwork.net/index.htm Exchange Network model was earthquakes, fires, floods, and adopted for reuse by the Recovery, 34

ParticipateDB In addition, there is a considerable long tail of experimental applications and solution approaches covering different decision-making process or, ultimately, the decision itself. For the time being, ParticipateDB also includes examples countries, languages, and participation of ongoing participation efforts, often By Tim Bonnemann Founder and CEO areas, most of which never rise out of called programs. Intellitics Inc. obscurity. No matter what tool is being References A reference is any kind used, information about actual of related information available on the implementations is often incomplete, uring the past couple of years, I Internet that can provide additional D distributed, or simply unavailable. have had the opportunity to context regarding the tools and projects attend a variety of conferences This poses a challenge that is twofold: covered on ParticipateDB. For example, and events related to public participa- this may include product brochures, • On the demand side, practitioners tion (the process of engaging citizens in user guides, video tutorials, white often have very limited awareness of papers, interviews, news reports, case community problem-solving and what’s available, what works, and decision-making). Interest in the use studies, or any other kind of research. what doesn’t, making it difficult to While ParticipateDB will eventually of technology, particularly the Internet, choose the right tool for the job. has been growing steadily during this produce original research to describe period, and the opportunities and • On the supply side, even some of the tools and projects, the site will not experiences in this area have been the most innovative tools fail to get the reproduce any of the more in-depth subject of many discussions. exposure they need in order to gain work that other resources already enough traction to be able to validate provide. Instead, existing resources, In these conversations with their concepts and ideas through particularly case studies, will be practitioners, software designers and actual usage. referenced as external links. researchers from the private and public sectors, the need for a comprehensive The Solution The Road Map list of all the e-participation tools available emerged as a common theme. ParticipateDB is intended mainly for The core feature set scoped for professionals involved in the field of ParticipateDB’s alpha phase was That is the simple idea behind public participation (practitioners, tool completed in December 2009, and a first ParticipateDB builders, researchers, facilitators etc.) round of seed content has been added. (http://ParticipateDB.com), a as well as people from neighboring collaborative catalog for online tools for As the number of tools, projects, and communities (civic engagement, references reaches critical mass, we participation, often referred to as tools activism, e-learning, politics etc.). for Web-based engagement, e- see plenty of opportunities for the site participation, online deliberation, etc. ParticipateDB currently consists of to evolve in interesting ways, and our three main content categories: tools, intent is to develop these opportunities The site launched in September 2009 projects, and references. in close collaboration with our and is currently in closed beta. contributors, as well as other Tools ParticipateDB defines tools organizations in the field. The Challenge fairly broadly as any kind of information and communication technology that is We are just beginning to understand While public participation is at the core being used in or being developed for how we can use technology and the of our democracy, e-participation, as it the purpose of public participation. In Web for participation.The list of is commonly referred to, is still a fairly today’s world, the majority of tools will challenges is long, and a lot of work young and emerging field with a much likely be Web-based software remains to be done. In order to grow the smaller and incomplete body of applications. However, other ICT-based field as a whole and to spur innovation, knowledge, and a tool landscape that approaches (e.g., use of mobile phones, it will be crucial to better connect the can best be described as fragmented, if text messaging, etc.) are included, as practitioners who best understand the not confusing. well.The entries collected so far range challenges with the innovators who can There is an almost overwhelming from integrated e-consultation build better solutions.This kind of variety of tools and services available solutions to generic social media matchmaking is something we hope today that can be, and have been, applications such asTwitter, Facebook, ParticipateDB will help facilitate as we applied in the context of public YouTube, or Flickr. grow the site into one of the premier participation. Some of the more community-driven resources and the Projects A project is generally world’s most comprehensive directory established tools were designed defined as a temporary endeavor – specifically for the purpose of e- of its kind. meaning it has a defined beginning and participation, while others, such as end date – undertaken to create a blogs, wikis,Twitter, and Facebook, are unique product or service. In the case Tim Bonnemann is the founder and CEO of more generic and just happen to also Intellitics Inc. (http://www.intellitics.com) a of public participation, this may include support certain participation activities. participation startup based in San José, CA. certain deliverables informing the 35

GovLoop’s “Extraordinary Development Ideas In Action. The American Council forTechnology's Industry Advisory Council offered to Collection of Talent” partner on the project, as well. The result was the Better Buy Project By Andrew Krzmarzick, Community Evangelist which was launched in early October Steve Ressler, Founder and President 2009. Within two months, the site has GovLoop elicited more than 70 ideas and hundreds of votes and comments. In addition to the Acquisition 2.0 group, GovLoop members: “I think this is the most extraordinary technology officer of Canada, city • Were a leading source of collection of talent, of human managers and brilliant innovators government input into the Obama knowledge, that has ever been across all levels of government. Since administration’s open government gathered… with the possible exception its launch, GovLoop members have memo; of when Thomas Jefferson dined created thousands of blogs and alone.” discussions, and launched hundreds of • Established a repository of best — John F. Kennedy groups.The open, accelerated flow of practices on items including social information on GovLoop has led to the media policies, government hiring, early 50 Nobel Prize winners rapid replication of ideas and best and governmentTwitter use. N had gathered at the White House when President John F. Kennedy made this remark on April practices across all levels of government, assisting in improved government operations and • Launched a top-rated podcast "Gov 2.0 Radio" with such guests asTim O'Reilly, founder of O’Reilly media, 29, 1962. performance. and Craig Newmark, founder of By Memorial Day 2009 – almost 50 One of the most powerful features of Craig’s List ; and years later – thousands of bright GovLoop is the ability of members to • Produced a first-of-its-kind minds had formed another create groups. In March 2009, Assistant “TweetBook” following the Open “extraordinary collection of talent and Commissioner Mary Davie, of the GSA Government and Innovations human knowledge,” gathering not at Federal Acquisition Service’s Office of Conference and a similar summary the White House, but on a Web site. Assisted Acquisition Services, of tweets fromTransparency Camp Dubbed the “Facebook for launched the Acquisition 2.0 group. It West that is being replicated in government,” GovLoop has become has grown to include more than 400 highly active members representing all other industries. the premier social network for public servants and people supporting levels of government, nonprofits, and We expect GovLoop will play a large government to connect and private-sector organizations. Within role in informing the Open Government collaborate. two months of the group's creation, Working Group created to oversee members planned and hosted an event implementation of the Open Growing to more than 29,000 members that provided a platform for key thought Government Directive. Already, in just 20 months, the network is leaders and others to extend their members have created and extraordinary for its openness and online conversations in person. commented on more than a dozen blog transparency in sharing knowledge and posts and discussions forums on the professional networks to accelerate As word of the group and its goals directive and have formed an open innovation and improve government. spread, fresh ideas were floated to government group with nearly 200 Stretching from U.S. federal, state, and Davie, including the creation of a members. local government employees to their crowd-sourcing website where people counterparts in Canada, Australia, New could submit, vote, and comment on Furthermore, government agencies Zealand, and the United Kingdom (to recommendations for improving the across the world are collaborating at a name just a few), GovLoop members federal acquisition process. In fact, the peer-to-peer level that is rarely seen. discuss ideas, share best practices, National Academy for Public Approximately 5% of GovLoop’s and create a community dedicated to Administration was willing to provide membership is international. It draws the improvement of citizen services in some resources to create such a site members from the United States, the United States and beyond our using an idea generation platform Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and borders. called UserVoice. NAPA had already the United Kingdom, as well as Brazil, worked with UserVoice to set up China, India, New Zealand, Norway, Members range from White House similar discussions for the White Spain, Sweden, and many other political appointees to the deputy chief House, including Housing and Urban countries. Despite cultural differences, 36

there are many similarities around the have been providing spaces for federal cross-government, collaboration- globe in the adoption of a more open, employees to discuss and collaborate producing power. transparent and collaborative on internal and cross-agency Government may not be perfect. But government. In traditional situations, initiatives.These sites have been we are convinced that GovLoop is a best practices around e-government hugely successful in increasing place where both Jefferson and are shared at conferences where only a information-sharing within the federal Kennedy would be proud and few select countries and a few government and connecting like- impressed to find such “a collection of representatives can attend. GovLoop minded people across bureaucratic talent and of human knowledge” has fostered peer-to-peer information- silos. GovLoop builds upon these among people concerned with the sharing at the international level initiatives and is one of the most improvement of government – and that among both leaders and at the working diverse, with its state, local and they would call it nothing less than level. international membership, as well as extraordinary. academic, nonprofit, and private-sector To be fair, GovLoop is not the first participants. Membership ranks are website to gather a group of Steve Ressler is the founder and President increasing at a rate of 10% each month government employees across of GovLoop and Andrew Krzmarzick is the – a number that is growing agencies. Such sites as OMB’s MAX Community Evangelist. For more exponentially as more and more public information go to www.govloop.com. Community, Army Knowledge Online, servants tell their colleagues about its Intellipedia, and Company Command 37

Better Buying Through Collaboration By Mary Davie, Assistant Commissioner for the Federal Acquisition Service and Lynnie Martin, Contracting Specialist, Federal Systems Integration Management Center U.S. General Services Administration n President Obama's first day government and the private sector. group was created in May 2009 to help O in office, he challenged leaders in government to “use innovative tools, methods, and As the Brooking Institution’s Darrell West wrote in the Spring 2009 Intergovernmental Solutions fill the void and provide a collaborative platform across the acquisition community (including the systems to cooperate among private sector) to improve the way the Newsletter on Transparency and Open themselves, across all levels of government buys and to reduce Government, “technology [is] a government, and with nonprofit associated costs. It now has more ‘game-changer’ that transforms the organizations, businesses, and than 400 members from federal, state culture, organization and functioning individuals in the private sector.” and local government, industry, and of government.” Technology is other stakeholder organizations Within six weeks of taking office, changing every aspect of our lives, around the world. They are actively Obama issued a memo to the heads including markedly improving our and openly discussing common of departments and agencies on ability to communicate, collaborate, acquisition challenges, solutions, government contracting. The memo and solve problems using a worldwide ideas, and experiences, as well as notes that “since 2001, spending on network. Employed effectively, specific ideas to improve agency government contracts has more than collaborative technology can also be a mission effectiveness. doubled, reaching over $500 billion in game-changer for federal acquisition. 2008.” As the demand for goods and One early post by Andy Krzmarzick One example of this is the Acquisition services increased, the acquisition (now GovLoop’s Community 2.0 group residing on GovLoop.com, process has simultaneously become Evangelist), titled “10 Ways Social the “social network for government.” more complex and less efficient. The Media Will Improve Federal GovLoop was created in the summer costs of this complexity and Acquisition,” sparked a new direction of 2008 to provide a platform to enable inefficiency are borne by the in the Acquisition2.0 group. This post information sharing and networking government, the private sector described the potential for applying by individuals from federal, state, industry, and, ultimately, the public. collaborative technologies to the local and international governments, acquisition process. Krzmarzick Since that March 2009 memo, the and private-sector and nonprofit reviewed more than 120 comments Office of Management and Budget organizations. Today, the GovLoop posted in the Acquisition 2.0 group, as has released several additional community is almost 23,000 strong and well as background documents that memos focused on reducing spending supports more than 600 shared- had been posted by group members. and costs, strengthening the interest groups, It was the logical These included blog posts, white acquisition work force, and improving place to seek out new ideas about the papers out of industry and academia, the way the government buys. Much of federal procurement process, from and a Government Accountability the guidance provided encourages the people who use it in their work Office report on the Federal agencies to find ways to reduce every day. Acquisition Function at Federal spending by examining current At the GSA Federal Acquisition Agencies. contracts and contracting practices. Service, the government’s central In addition, recruiting issues have This analysis, coupled with his own procurement agency, which oversees become critical as the government experience led him to propose more than $66 billion a year in federal has been unable to keep the federal applying technology in different ways contracts, we are always looking for acquisition work force growing at the to support people and change the better ideas. So we started a group same pace as the growth in acquisition process. The ensuing within GovLoop for “sharing ideas acquisitions. As a result, government discussion energized the group, and experiences employing innovative program and acquisition officials are which wanted to test the ideas on an acquisition practices, collaborative being asked to do more with fewer actual acquisition. Several group methods and use of Web2.0 resources. The acquisition process members from GSA and the technologies to transform federal represents one of the most important American Council for acquisition.” The Acquisition 2.0 areas of collaboration between Technology/Industry Advisory Council 38

proposed expanding the discussion to stand up and host the platform for three pre-award phases of the solicit additional ideas through a BetterBuy and the companion blog. process – targeted for February 2010. forum similar to the National • GSA, the customer whose The team is using the BetterBuy blog Academy for Public Administration’s as a forum to provide updates on the responsibility is to manage the National Dialogues. project and for those involved or complex federal procurement interested in the project to share Thus, the BetterBuy Project was born. process, would review and apply thoughts and experiences. Even BetterBuy is a platform that enables ideas as appropriate to selected Craig Newmark of Craig’s List, a the public to submit, comment, and acquisitions; pioneer of innovative acquisition, vote on ideas to make the federal To date, more than 100 ideas have contributed early on. acquisition process more open, been received through BetterBuy collaborative, and transparent, with a primarily addressing the pre-award What’s unique to the Better Buy particular focus on the use of phases of acquisition: market project is that it has resulted in a collaborative technology to do so. research and requirements definition, process, not just a website, which presolicitation, and issuing the provides a model for governments to NAPA and ACT/IAC formed a solicitation. GSA reviewed all engage in idea exchange and partnership with GSA and submitted ideas and categorized incubation for innovation. This model established these roles: them for action into three areas: 1. will help make the government a more • ACT/IAC, a nonprofit public- within scope of BetterBuy and to be informed, effective buyer and result in private partnership, would direct its analyzed for application; 2. to be better government for the American Acquisition Management Shared discussed with the Government taxpayers. Interest Group to document the Accountability Office or Office of process and experience, and would Management and Budget; 3. Mary Davie is the Assistant Commissioner supply volunteers to serve as suggestions that would require for the Assisted Acquisition Services moderators and catalysts for the legislative or Federal Acquisition Portfolio in the GSA Federal Acquisition Service. For more information about the public forum; Regulation changes. project visit www.betterbuyproject.com for • NAPA, which had conducted GSA then selected an acquisition Frequently Asked Questions. several previous online dialogues and selected appropriate ideas and for government agencies would technologies to apply throughout the 39

Technology Enables Local up a MuniGov HQ in Second Life. These initial efforts attracted a community of like-minded peers with a Governments to Collaborate common interest in applying Web 2.0 concepts to local government. Our growing group embraced the use of By Bill Greeves and Pam Broviak these online tools and started Co-founders MuniGov2.0 documenting Web 2.0 resources and best practices. We welcomed ideas from around the world and opened the group up to collaboration from anyone Come Mix it Up With Us! MuniGov2.0 is a coalition of working in or for government. Word of federal/state /municipal and mouth and some very timely media In September 2008, we were both civil international governments focused on coverage did the rest. We grew rapidly, servants on a mission, scanning the exploring the use and principles of Web nearly exponentially, as the demand horizon from our work stations in city 2.0 in an effort to improve citizen skyrocketed for guidance and and county governments 750 miles services and communication via camaraderie and the journey of 2.0 use apart, looking for better resources for technology. in government became commonplace. government foot soldiers to take some Web 2.0 action. We met through a We based the group solely on the idea We modeled MuniGov on the following mutual online colleague and discussed that there was value to be had in principles to allow the group to evolve some great ideas via Skype and collaboration, and that Web 2.0 could as more governments begin exploring Second Life, but when we returned to be just the platform we needed to and applying the concepts and our respective work in Geneva, IL and promote and leverage that technologies of the Web 2.0 movement: Roanoke, VA, we found it hard to find collaboration in government. • The more people participate in the some solid resources to help us build We started the organization with a development of the product, the on our ideas. We whined about it for a collaboration Web site using Google more valuable it will become little while but soon we decided that if Sites.Then we built a Google Groups we couldn’t find it, we’d build it! So we • All ideas and collaboration are discussion board and established a put our money where our mouths were, welcome foothold in the virtual world by setting and we founded MuniGov2.0. • Individual feedback and submissions Group photo of participants at a regular MuniGov2.0 meeting in Second Life. 40

will make the group a truly effective community. Munigov members met in dedicated membership that literally resource and create an environment Second Life to plan the conference and spans the globe and incorporates in which everyone learns from each held one-on-one planning discussions nearly all of the functions in each level other. via Skype. A collaboration site was of government. From police officers to used to share information and allow for public information officers, technology These principles were enhanced with conference registrations.Twitter, blogs, directors to elected officials, the the following basic goals: and social networks were used to help MuniGov group and its resources have • Become a recognized, powerful and get the word out. become a powerful asset to use as a dynamic resource for governments resource for 2.0 research and By the time the conference time rolled implementing and innovating via implementations.The group has around, we had nearly 170 Web 2.0 established a prolific Web presence registrations. And although we don't (www.munigov.org) and meets via • Establish a strong set of virtual- have an exact number, we estimate that avatar every other Wednesday night in world resources for government the number of attendees was actually the virtual world of Second Life to talk agencies at least double this. Many shop about the policies, tools, trials, • Coalesce into a large, active, and organizations filled a real-life and tribulations of Government 2.0 or conference room and watched the innovative user community just government in general. We’ve conference on the big screen via the • Seek innovation and opportunity in accomplished all this solely thanks to virtual eyes of a designated avatar. As difficult economic times the efforts of a talented and dedicated you'll note from the session videos, we volunteer group – no budget required! • Have a little fun along the way certainly had a fair share of technical hiccups throughout. We knew this was Thanks to the generosity of the The group continued to attract interest inevitable, given the heavily National Oceanic and Atmospheric because Web 2.0 in government could concentrated noob herd that the Administration, we’ve got a bigger, no longer be ignored.The Web site conference attracted. However, the better home in Second Life as we also expanded as more and more MuniGov2.0 hosts and conference begin to explore other virtual world participants shared their best speakers showed tenacity, opportunities. And we’ve got big plans practices, policies, ideas and resourcefulness, and perseverance in with regards to government education suggestions.The list serve started working through the problems and and collaboration.There is no end in rolling with dynamic questions and putting on a good show. sight for the future potential of answers from all areas of government. Government 2.0 and we hope to Both of us, along with several other The speakers at the event included continue to be a valuable part of it! members of the group, began to people from local, state, and federal participate in discussions, government offices, as well as higher Want to know more? Give us a shout or presentations and projects in work education, all of whom spoke on sign-up today on the Web site, and join rooms, college lecture halls, and larger intriguing ideas and engaging topics in the conversation and the conferences around the globe. Using relevant to Government 2.0. We even collaboration! Web 2.0 tools, we were able to had an interactive Q&A session that participate not only in-person but often engaged the audience with a panel of Pam Broviak is the city engineer/assistant virtually. Our foothold in Second Life Government 2.0 enthusiasts focused director of public works for the city of expanded as we added free virtual on several social-media related topics. Geneva, Ill. She co-hosts the Gov101 radio offices for all member governments to The speakers and their topics were show and manages the Public Works use. well received, based on the very Group, an online resource for public works positive evaluations we collected. professionals. One Wednesday last winter, someone Perhaps most importantly in these came up with a great idea: why not economic times, we were able to save Bill Greeves is the Director of hold a conference in Second Life?This Communications & Information Technology attendees thousands of dollars in would allow us to move past the for the County of Roanoke, Virginia. In registration and travel fees to attend general "wouldn't-it-be-cool-if" addition to co-founding MuniGov2.0, the enlightening sessions. All they had discussions into providing tangible, Greeves blogs about his web 2.0 travels for to do was log-in from a computer. And Government Technology magazine, which valuable (and free!) resources to our there was no lost baggage, missed recently named him one of the Top 25 members.There was a unanimous flights, or expensive hotel rooms Doers, Dreamers and Drivers for 2010. For group decision to go for it and additional information contact associated with this conference! MuniGovCon09 was born! For several pbroviak@geneva.il.us or months we devoted our Wednesdays, Eighteen months later, MuniGov has bgreeves@roanokcountyva.gov. and many more days, to pulling grown to nearly 600 members from together a conference in Second Life. around the world, and we are happy to The theme of the conference was report significant progress towards all introducing Web2.0 to the government of our goals. We have a diverse and 41

Virtual Worlds as a Setting for Scientific Collaboration By Lisa Zyga Freelance writer Physorg.com ormally, virtual worlds are the It will expand to other virtual worlds In addition to getting people together N setting of many online games and entertainment applications, but now they’re when appropriate. Currently MICA has 52 professional members and over 100 members of the general in a free and convenient way, virtual worlds can offer new possibilities for scientific visualization or “visual becoming a place for scientific public interested in learning about analytics.” As data sets become collaboration and outreach, as well. A science, specifically astronomy. MICA larger and more complex, team of scientists from the California is also establishing collaborative visualization can help researchers Institute of Technology, Princeton, partnerships with the IT industry, better understand different Drexel University, and the including Microsoft and IBM, and phenomena. Virtual worlds not only Massachusetts Institute of plans to further develop industrial offer visualization, but also enable Technology have formed the first partnerships. researchers to become immersed in professional scientific organization data and simulations, which may help “Virtual worlds are already a very based entirely in virtual worlds. scientists think differently about data fruitful arena for research in social Called the Meta Institute for and patterns. Multi-dimensional data sciences and humanities, including Computational Astrophysics (MICA), visualization can provide further sociology, economics, psychology, 1 the organization conducts advantages for certain types of data. etc.,” said author George Djorgovski. professional seminars and popular The researchers found they could “They are already a superb lectures, among other events, for its encode data in spaces with up to 12 educational and outreach platform, growing membership. dimensions, although they ran into the and should be used much more. We challenge of getting the human mind MICA (http://www.mica-vw.org/) is are trying to find out what else we can to easily grasp the encoded content. currently based in Second Life, where do with these technologies in the participants use avatars to explore natural sciences, such as physics and “The slow adoption of these virtual and interact with their surroundings. astronomy.” reality technologies by the academic 42

The Meta Institute for Computational Astrophysics, based in virtual worlds, conducts professional seminars and popular lectures for its members on Second Life. (or any other professional) community screen and file directory paradigm for “Ask an Astronomer” sessions. The is probably largely due to a widely information display and access,” the authors have also started held misperception that this is ‘just authors explained in their overview. experimenting with regular student games,’” Djorgovski said. “This is classes, graduate seminars, class As Djorgovski added, immersive incorrect. While these technologies discussions, and hybrids in which virtual reality (including virtual got developed largely by the gaming students read lecture materials on worlds) seems currently to be roughly industry, and there is certainly a lot of their own and use class time for an at a stage of development as the Web gaming going on, virtual worlds are open discussion in the virtual world in 1992, with limited reach but huge something bigger: a general platform setting. They also plan to conduct a growth potential. “Possibly the overall for all kinds of activities, ranging from series of international “summer societal impact of these technologies entertainment to purely professional. schools” on topics including will be as big as that of the Web itself Just like the Web itself.” numerical stellar dynamics, - or even bigger,” he said. computational science and others, in Djorgovski and his coauthors see One part of this possible next an immersive and interactive virtual virtual reality as the next step in the generation application of virtual world venue. continuing evolution of the ways we reality is an open source program use information and computation called “OpenSimulator” (or PhysOrg.com (http://www.physorg.com) is technology to interact with each “OpenSim”), which enables users to a leading web-based science, research and other. They predict that, in the future, create their own 3D virtual worlds and technology news service which covers a full virtual reality will become more range of topics. These include physics, applications. The authors predict that synthesized with the Web by serving earth science, medicine, nanotechnology, the synthesis of the Web and virtual as an interface and replacing today’s electronics, space, biology, chemistry, reality could involve individuals browsers. computer sciences, engineering, managing their own virtual reality mathematics and other sciences and “One can think of immersive virtual environment in a way that is technologies. reality as the next-generation browser analogous to hosting and managing technology, which will be as websites today. 1. S. G. Djorgovski, P. Hut, S. McMillan, E. Vesperini, R. Knop, W. Farr and M. J. Graham. “Exploring the Use qualitatively different from the of Virtual Worlds as a Scientific Research Platform: In the meantime, MICA’s virtual current, flat desktop and web page The Meta-Institute for Computational Astrophysics events for a general audience include (MICA).” paradigm. As the current browsers a series of popular talks called “Dr. were different from the older, terminal Knop Talks Astronomy” and weekly 43

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Government by Collaboration

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Government by Collaboration — Document Transcript