What is Open
Government?
#mesh09 #opengov
Mark Kuznicki & Daniel Rose
Mesh Conference, April 7, 2009

Expectations
• Not answers; a framework & questions
• Work together and share results with
everyone
• Roll up your sleeves and draw

Your Work
Using only shapes and lines, how would you
communicate the concept of \"Open
Government\" to someone who doesn't
speak the same language as you?
(ie. no words)
Take 5 minutes to complete your assignment
on the index card provided.

Who are we?
@remarkk @danielrose
Remarkk.com OmakaseGroup.com

What is Open?

Is Open > Not Closed?

Why Open?

The values of Open are
everywhere, yet
nowhere well defined

Why are we talking
about Open at all?

The Web is Open
(sorta, for now)

Anyone can connect to
anyone, both data and
code are open to
inspection and remix

Open Data Now
(Tim Berners-Lee)

What is Government?

Government
≠
Web

Government: the body with
the legitimate authority to
make rules and a monopoly
on using force to compel
others to obey

Open Web: anyone can
connect to anyone, both
data and code are open
to inspection and remix

Government: the body
Open Web: anyone
with the legitimate
can connect to
authority to make
anyone, both data
rules and a monopoly
and code are open
on using force to
to inspection and
compel others to
remix
obey

Government

Open Web

Why Open
Government?

Economist: the efficient
& effective production
of public goods

Political Scientist: a
healthy democracy,
vibrant public sphere

Afghan tribal warlords:
Open Government?

Power
(first you get the power)

Authority (Political)
(Power + Legitimacy)

Legitimacy
(who’s asking?)

Accountability
(calling to account)

Responsibility
(who and how assigned?)

Participation
(who gets to participate and how?)

Transparency
(More than FOI requests!)

Efficiency
(decisions per hour? services delivered for taxes
raised?)

Effectiveness
(what’s the outcome?)

Public Services
(just make it work)

Public Policy
(the making of sausage)

Social Innovation
(the Open Lab for Public Good?)

Examples

More Work
Using the individual models of “Open
Government” that you have each created
combined with the information from Mark’s
presentation, as a group create a new model
of “Open Government”.
+ =
Time: 20 Minutes.

Public Policy Power
Public Services
Transparency Responsibility
Accountability
Efficiency
Legitimacy
Effectiveness
Social Innovation

All your materials are belong to us
(not really)
#mesh09 #opengov
http://wiki.changecamp.ca/OpenGovernmentWorkshop