Engage: getting on with Government 2.0 Nicholas Gruen Government 2.0 Taskforce 24 Feb 2010 Parliament House

3 Outline –Government 2.0 – it’s not the technology –Towards collaborative intelligence –Web 2.0 platforms as public goods –Turbocharging the ecology of reputation –Information from the periphery –The two tranches of Government 2.0 Online engagement Public sector information –How are we going? Not as well as the best How we can join the best –Government 2.0, coming ready or not

4 What is web 2.0 –Web 1.0 was Point to point – Broadcast – firm to customer (and back) - websites –Web 2.0 is collaborative web Google 1998 – a collaborative site Wikipedia 2001 – the community writes an encyclopaedia Blogs early 2000s – self-publishing and discussion Facebook 2004 – social networking Twitter 2006 – new communications platform

What characterises Web 2.0? Web 2.0 isn’t fancy technology –The technology is simple and ubiquitous Web 2.0 is a culture change –Collaborate don’t control –Improvise, share, play –Users build value, the technology can let them in –Be modular: use others’ stuff, let them use yours –Build for user value - monetise later

What characterises Government 2.0? Government 2.0 isn’t fancy technology –The technology is simple and ubiquitous Government 2.0 is a culture change –Collaborate don’t control –Improvise, share, play –Users build value, the technology can let them in –Be modular: use others’ stuff, let them use yours –Build for user value – bureaucratic drivers can come later

What is government 2.0? Web 2.0 platforms are public goods Google 1998 – a collaborative site Wikipedia 2001 – the community writes an encyclopaedia Blogs early 2000s – self-publishing and discussion Facebook 2004 – social networking Twitter 2006 – new communications platform And governments exist to build public goods Yet Government didn’t build any of them Nor did existing firms or NFPs

What is government 2.0? How can governement/large organisations respond? –Adapt the new tools –Explore the potential for openness to optimise mission –You’re sitting on platforms of huge social value – PSI –Build new platforms/public goods

11 Why does web 2.0 matter? Organisation without organisations Web 2.0 slashes cost of new social formations –Makes connections of all kinds Informational, social, organisational –Collaborations of all kinds for purposes Economic - Social - Cultural – Political\ –Reduces hierarchy – permits experimentation, improvisation From anywhere, by anyone By massively lowering the cost of –Failure – meetup.com –Experimentation - Google By turbocharging the market for reputation –‘Tanta’ is quoted by the Federal US Reserve –Steve Randy Waldman quoted by Paul Krugman

12 Identity Contribution Contribution Reputation Reputation Authority Why does web 2.0 matter?

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14 Web 2.0 makes connections? Martin Piotte and Martin Chabbert

What’s in it for government The National Library Newspaper digitisation project Site has run 24/7 since launch in % of correctors are overseas Over 7 mil lines of text corrected Julie Hempenstall has corrected over 300,000 of them!

16 Designing a website The old way =>Management => employees => clients => specs => tender The new way =>Management => employees => clients => specs => tender - With hacking events throughout -Unleashing the power of play, of association -Between ideas and perspectives -Between people -Between agencies

Public sector information Information is special –The internet’s capacity to disseminate and transform it make it a potential public good –If it already exists – economic efficiency and equity says we shouldn’t lock it down, shouldn’t try to sell it again A national resource to be managed for public purposes Having been vigorous in taking the wrong turn in the 1980s –requiring higher cost recovery from its information-agencies Australia has taken the lead on this –In 2001 – geospatial information distributed at marginal cost (generally zero cost) –In 2005 – ABS likewise

Find, Play, Share 1.If it can’t be spidered or indexed, it doesn’t exist; 2.If it isn’t available in open and machine readable format, it can’t engage; 3.If a legal framework doesn’t allow it to be repurposed, it doesn’t empower.

Play, show, tell

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21 Public sector information

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23 leader.whereilive.co m.au/maps/Melbourn e-swoop-hot- spots.php

Does your agency have useful data Release it and find out!

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Central finding Australia has some of the world’s best examples of Government 2.0 –Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum first to use Flikr –Future Melbourne Wiki was a world leader But other countries are taking whole of government action to transform their policies and their institutions –UK –US –New Zealand

27 A Declaration on Open Government Online engagement by public servants should be enabled and encouraged. –Robust professional discussion benefits their agencies, their professional development, and the Australian public; Public sector information is a national resource –releasing as much of it on as permissive terms as possible maximises its value and reinforces democracy; Open engagement at all levels of government is integral to promoting an informed, connected and democratic community, to public sector reform, innovation and best use of the national investment in broadband.

Other recommendations Establish a lead agency to coach, enable, advocate and co-ordinate effort Use Information Commissioner to deliver accountability to the open government policy Encourage Agencies to engage and innovate online Encourage public servants to engage online

New APSC Guidelines Web 2.0 provides public servants with unprecedented opportunities to open up government decision making and implementation to contributions from the community. In a professional and respectful manner, APS employees should engage in robust policy conversations. Equally, as citizens, APS employees should also embrace the opportunity to add to the mix of opinions contributing to sound, sustainable policies and service delivery approaches. Employees should also consider carefully whether they should identify themselves as either an APS employee or an employee of their agency. There are some ground rules. The APS Values and Code of Conduct, including Public Service Regulation 2.1, apply to working with online media in the same way as when participating in any other public forum. The requirements include: – being apolitical, impartial and professional; –behaving with respect and courtesy, and without harassment; –dealing appropriately with information, recognising that some information needs to remain confidential; –delivering services fairly, effectively, impartially and courteously to the Australian public; –being sensitive to the diversity of the Australian public; –taking reasonable steps to avoid conflicts of interest; –making proper use of Commonwealth resources; –upholding the APS Values and the integrity and good reputation of the APS.APS employees need to ensure that they fully understand the APS Values and Code of Conduct and how they apply to official or personal communications. If in doubt, they should stop and think about whether to comment and what to say, refer to the Code of Conduct, consult their agency’s policies, seek advice from someone in authority in their agency, or consult the Ethics Advisory Service in the Australian Public Service Commission. –Agencies may find it helpful to provide guidance and training to employees in using ICT resources, including personal use, the use of social media, and any rules or policies about representing their agency online. It would be particularly helpful to workshop scenarios around some of the more complex or ‘grey’ issues that arise for employees in deciding whether and how to participate online, in the performance of their duties or otherwise, consistent with the above principles.

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PSI recommendations Ensure the ‘default’ for PSI is –Findable Agencies to publish comprehensive schedules of PSI to be audited by the IC –Machine readable and transformable – Gratis (free as in beer) – Libre (free as in speech) Unless it is kept confidential for good reasons of –Privacy –Confidentiality –Security Which are agreed by the Information Commissioner Accelerate take-up with data.gov.au So it becomes an increasingly valuable public good –A pre-competitive platform for use, adding value and innovating

32 Enthusiasm counts Complacency isn’t an option Take a look at Sidewiki...

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37 Ubiquitous Computing: the connected society Triangulation: Putting together 2+2 –Location plus voice recognition plus history plus context Seniors green man time