Slides for the course "Technology in the Public Sector" at Northwestern University, MPPA program, Summer 2012

1. technology in the public sector
week 1: social media and government
Northwestern University MPPA 490
Summer 2012 - Greg Wass
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2. • Introductions
• Course overview
• Learning objectives
• Group projects
• Grading
• Questions
• Social media and government
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3. • Course overview
1. Social media and government
2. Public safety and criminal justice IT
3. (no class)
4. Health and human services IT
5. ERP and shared services
6. Education technologies
7. Open data and big data in the public sector
8. The digital city
9. IT governance and funding
10. Group projects
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4. • Learning objectives
– Understand current use of technology in
government and education.
– Complete a group project on a technology in the
public sector topic of choice.
– Identify trends and future direction for use of
technology in public sector.
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5. • Grading
– Participation in class and on Blackboard
discussion board (25%)
– Midterm exam (25%) (July 23)
– Group project (plan/resources/draft/final) (25%)
– Final exam (25%) (week of August 20)
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6. Questions?
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7. Social media and government:
Does it make a difference?
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10. Drawing by
Margaret Hagan,
accessed at
http://www.razblint.com
6/17/12
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12. #ows
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13. “Do digital tools enhance democracy? (They)
probably do not hurt in the short run and might
help in the long run—and they have the most
dramatic effects in states where a public sphere
already constrains the actions of the
government.”
– Clay Shirky, “The Political Power of Social Media” in Foreign
Affairs
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14. “The instruments of social media are well suited
to making the existing social order more
efficient. They are not a natural enemy of the
status quo.”
-Malcolm Gladwell, “Small Change” in The New Yorker
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15. How can government use social media and
“choice” to engage and involve citizens?
(This is a different question from “Does social
media drive social change?”)
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17. !
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19. From The Power of Social Innovation:
Are we heading towards a new kind of “social
mediated” government?
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20. Leveraging social media for change
– Provide new, attention-grabbing ways for
individuals to mobilize fellow citizens.
– Devolve access to information from
“experts” to citizens.
– Gain access to and post providers’
performance and financial data.
Source: Stephen Goldsmith, The Power of Social Innovation, 2010
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21. Tapping into a shared identity
– Activate citizens by tapping into a shared
goal or interest.
– Meet people where they are (e.g., church,
school) to tap into existing identity.
– Mobilize families around the notion that
something is wrong by showing something
right.
Source: Stephen Goldsmith, The Power of Social Innovation, 2010
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22. Building trust and commitment
– Solidify a reputation for reliability.
– Furnish the activated group with tools and
direction to build broader public support.
– Hold elected officials accountable.
Source: Stephen Goldsmith, The Power of Social Innovation, 2010
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23. Engaging the public
“…one unrepaired broken
window is a signal that no
one cares, and so
breaking more windows
costs nothing.”
--George L. Kelling and James Q. Wilson, “Broken
Windows,” The Atlantic, March 1982.
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24. How can technology help increase the
relative # of people who care about an issue
and want to get involved (and reduce the
relative # of squeaky wheels)?
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25. Traditional
approach:
grease
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26. Increasing public participation via “e-democracy”
people who care people who care but
and are involved who aren't involved
squeaky wheels 
people who
don't care
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27. Examples:
•Crowdsourcing park design
•Interactive budgeting: Cook County, City
of Chicago
•Open board appointments: Illinois
•Open data, apps
•Other?
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28. Source: OpenPlans.org
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29. Potential positive effects of technological
innovation on government:
•Transparency  trust
•Government as a platform, not just
service deliverer
•Real public participation
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30. Appendix: Innovation in government
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31. “An innovation, to be effective, has to be simple and it
has to be focused. It should do only one thing,
otherwise it confuses. If it is not simple, it won’t work.
Everything new runs into trouble; if complicated, it
cannot be repaired or fixed.
“All effective innovations are breathtakingly simple.
Indeed, the greatest praise an innovation can receive is
for people to say: ‘This is obvious. Why didn’t I think of
it?’”
-- Peter F. Drucker
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32. Source for graphics on following pages: The Public Innovators Playbook, Deloitte, 2009
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35. “Integrated innovation
lifecycle”
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