Assessing Public Value of Government IT Projects Steve Kelley Senior Fellow and Director Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy University of Minnesota

Broad Approach to Public Value Go Beyond Comparison of Costs to Internal Returns and Direct Benefits Incorporate Indirect Returns to Government or Citizens Generally Incorporate Risk Analysis Use the Broader Benefits and Risks in the Design Loop

Four Part Value Framework Costs Internal Returns Increased Efficiency Increased Effectiveness Public Returns Benefits delivered directly to citizens or groups (efficiency and effectiveness) Value to public from improving government Risk Reduction

Mechanisms of Value Creation Increased Efficiency (internal and public) Increased Effectiveness (internal and public) Enablement (primarily public) Intrinsic Improvement – transparency, trust, collaboration, innovation (primarily public)

Public Return Value Types Financial (direct) Political (direct) Social (direct) Strategic – economic or political goals Ideological – aligned with beliefs Stewardship – respect for government

Recognize Stakeholders Citizens Elected Officials Vendors

Cases Electronic Real Estate Recording Many direct financial benefits Potential indirect benefits, new value School Interoperability Framework Direct benefit in cost savings Indirect benefits to citizens, single enterprise

Risks Governance – central v. local; broad v. narrow Management – leadership and competence Implementation – complexity and usefulness/usability Negative values – loss of privacy, autonomy, costs shifted

Virtuous Design Loop If the public value differential is too low, redesign Telecomm Access Grant case Note effect on risks If the risk estimate is too high, redesign Metro Radio Board, MNLink Statewide Public Safety Radio; CrimNet (privacy risk)

Web 2.0 and Value Enables collaboration and participatory creation of value Potential for government data “mash- ups” Voluntary cost shifts Citizen engagement and value

Mapping Everything

APIs for Government GovTracker – Rhode Island Political Contributions-Unfluence

Carbon-Managed World Implicit Cost Now, Explicit in Future Potential for IT to Play a Key Role Direct Cost Benefits and Leadership Effect

For More Info Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, SUNY Citizen-Centered Government Web Sites: The User Experience, E- Democracy and Web September 27, 2007; Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy Steve Kelley, Director,