Democracy needs to evolve, and the next evolution will be in Smart Governance. For Hong Kong, the timing couldn't be more perfect as she begins her journey in being a Smart City.

1. Dr. G Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Smarter
Governance
for
the
new
Smart
City
of
Hong
Kong
After the dusts from Occupied Central have settled, will we see a Hong
Kong that is ready for the future, or will we see a Hong Kong that is
still being held in limbo with thoughts on governance that is
antiquated? A Smart City requires Smart Governance.
Democracy at one point in time was deemed to be one of the most
innovative systems created by humankind. It ranks up there with the
compass, gunpowder, and landing on the moon. This way of
governing has been the backbone for the majority of the societies
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2. Dr. G Wednesday, October 1, 2014
because it allows the society to present, discuss, debate, then come to
a consensus on key decisions that would affect everyone who’s part of
this changing society. And this process has worked, albeit sometimes
slowly and inefficiently, in many civilized societies.
In Hong Kong, this has worked rather ineffectively because of the
systems we have inherited, added on by the many patches we have
tried to throw on, including the ministerial system that is contributing
to the problem and less as a solution these days. Our legislature is
close to ineffective as a law-making machine and by the time a law or
policy is passed, it runs counter to new directions in the society that
has already taken its course. Our Chief Executive (CE) appears aloft
and disconnected with the dialogues that is taking place. Many of our
functional constituencies represent legacy industries that have faded in
glory and new industry cannot see the light of day due to factional
self-interest and we wondered why our youth are occupying Central.
Our system of governance has not kept up with the pace of changes in
our society. The way in which we have applied democracy has not
considered connectivity, the need for Smart Citizens, and the power of
technology where citizens can instantly vote on any issues and come
to a position before our leaders can sit down and formally meet.
We have understood, and now must come to accept that a modern
complex society comprises of a diversity of interests and individuals
and that getting them to work together requires a new paradigm shift
in how we govern ourselves. And this is much more than the current
thinking in democracy or even the so-called International Best
Practices. Organizations and societies are increasingly moving away
from the “command and control” type of structure, to a more
“cultivate and coordinate” model of governance using technology and
through connectivity. Modern governance is very much about the
process of making, and informing decisions, quickly and a complex
society will have many means in which joint decisions are made. In
fact, one of the eight pre-requisites for a Smart City is Smart
Governance. Is Hong Kong ready for Smart Governance and is this
paradigm shift in thinking necessary for the next phase of
development in democracy in the era of technology and connectivity?
Have we been asking the right questions? And asking the CE to step
down is not the right question. The consequence presents more
problems and doesn’t address the real issue.
Smart Governance means that government leaders can no longer rely
on old ways of thinking about leadership because its citizens are no
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3. Dr. G Wednesday, October 1, 2014
longer disconnected from the world and are increasingly becoming
independent thinkers, working collectively and self-organizing. The
Government is not in control; neither is the people who have staged
Occupied Central. New groups are emerging, as they should in a
chaotic situation. Emergent constituencies are a given. Smart
Governance means decisions are made quickly and decisively; and as
much as possible, decisions are made locally where authority,
accountability, and interests are aligned.
Hong Kong is no longer just a trading hub, but the coming together of
ideals, innovation, and the making of new markets. Hong Kong
society has become much more open, and as in the world of open
innovation where Mozilla Firefox are created and owned by global
citizens, Hong Kong is now an “Open” Society and increasingly being
owned by Hong Kong citizens living in Hong Kong and abroad.
The current situation is a sad case of irony. Underneath all the hypes,
we know Beijing wants change. What they have done in “corporate”
governance in recent decades has probably done more in propelling
China to the world’s stage than any other action. Hong Kong is now
ready for change in “civil” governance, but somehow our leaders in
Hong Kong still practice antiquated governance and believe Alibaba is
just a one-off event.
Dr. G. Professor of Governance, Leadership, and Innovation
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