Crowdsourcing’s Potential for the UN System Joseph Gaylord, ITU - International Telecommunications Union Presented at Crowdsourcing Week Summit Geneva. For more information or to join the next event: http://crowdsourcingweek.com/

1. Crowdsourcing in and for the UN System
Joseph Gaylord
ITU Telecom World Young Innovators Competition

2. C CONSULTANT
NOT CONSIDERED ITU STAFF
VIEWS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT
THOSE OF THE ITU OR OTHER UN BODIES

3. ITU Crowdsourcing Projects
• Summer 2013- BYND2015 Global Youth Summit
• Fall 2013- SG Dialogues and Global Programme
for Youth
• Spring 2014- Young Innovators Competition
• Summer 2014- Youth Resolution
• Spring 2015- Cocreate.itu.int

4. Summer-Fall 2013
• Crowdsourced input on
the post-2015
development agenda
• 3000+ young people
• First crowdsourced UN
Declaration
• SG Dialogues and GPY
then followed up

5. • Competition for young social entrepreneurs
• Moved to a crowdsourcing platform
• Built a more collaborative community
• Improved our users access to resources and
added value beyond competition

6. COCREATE.ITU.INT

7. • Democratization of the process and
improved openness and transparency
• Helping to build a community and mobilize
networks on major issues
2 Main Benefits

8. Democratization
• Always a goal of UN reform
• Crowdsourcing gives individuals a voice
• More representative, less political
• Inverts the development conversation

9. Inverting the Conversation
Traditional Development Crowdsourced Development
Experts Experts
Community Community

10. Community Mobilization
• Major UN priority
• UN has tremendous convening power
• Draws on a broad base of expertise and
resources
• Makes connections
• Invests your community in your work

11. Relationships and Networks

12. Relationships and Networks

13. Relationships and Networks

14. Bad Reasons To Crowdsource
• It’s cheaper than hiring experts
– You have to bring value back to your people
• It’s a faster or easier process
– Processing this much data is NOT
• It’s the new big thing
– Have a good reason to use it
• We need to show support for our ideas
– This isn’t about you and your ideas

15. Tips to Succeed
• Let go of the control to some extent
• Let your users lead your process
• They are probably having the
conversation already. So go where they
are and leverage existing networks

16. Tips to Succeed

17. Tips to Succeed
• Give back
• Obsess over the motivation of and
benefit to your participants
• Make sure to show gratitude and respect
• Don’t poison the well

18. Tips to Succeed
• Use your profile
• We’re the United Nations
• Use your connections for promotion
• Be honest and open about the process
• Show the progress you’re making
• Use your purpose for promotion

19. Thank You
Joseph Gaylord
Joseph.Gaylord@itu.int
@jgaylord87
Photo Credits:
ITU & UN Flickr Accounts,
Personal Records