About Social Media Today
In my experience as a former Government CIO, and in my current role interacting with Governments across the country, one of the most consistent and reoccurring concerns I hear government leaders talk about is an eroding citizen trust in government. For sure, our increasingly networked and digital world has caused citizen expectations for access and service to rise. There are plenty of ideas about why/how/what this means but there’s still a lot of discussion and confusion about the implications and possibilities of technology. I think it is important to note that ‘transparency’ and ‘sunshine’ are not new ideas – in fact the principles of openness, public debate, and accountability are essential cornerstones of our democracy. But therein lies the rub – technology has advanced our world rapidly, while many perceptions, context, and operation of government have struggled to keep pace. It is not for lack of trying – many working within and around government show up every day and try to make a difference. However, it is often difficult to see past the ‘shiny objects’ or get bogged down in looking for a perfect solution. There are no magic bullets, and a commitment to public service is hard and often unacknowledged work.
A recent trend has emerged to champion publishing raw data. I recently heard someone compare posting online data sources or feeds, without considering whether the data is of any use to the average citizen or government, as the digital equivalent of producing countless reports that no one reads. They argue our goal is to constantly improve how government operates and increase citizen trust, and we cannot measure ‘transparency’ simply by the volume of data published.
Honestly I have to agree. With hundreds of thousands of government web pages approaching yottabytes of data ‘more’ is actually having the opposite effect. What struck me is in the same way that the Paperwork Reduction Act was designed to streamline and enhance the way that government communicates with the public. Perhaps we need to set expectations with a “Digital Data Simplification Act” to ensure that the benefits of producing and publishing government data outweigh the burden. Government certainly has a responsibility to provide raw data but we can and should do more. We should publish and organize data it into actionable and consumable knowledge that is relevant to constituents and meaningful for decision making (btw, this challenge is also shared by the private sector…).
Simply put - data alone is meaningless, organize it and it becomes information!
I recently attended an Open311 event in San Francisco – it was exciting to see some creative ideas that are emerging. I’ve been fortunate to work with the City of San Francisco and many of the Open 311 government participants to be a part of, and contribute to the discussion. Although ‘sharing’ ideas among governments is not a new idea, the current evolution in technology has opened a new set of opportunities.
One of the best examples I’ve recently seen is Miami 311, the City of Miami’s implementation of the Open 311 API through HeyGov! Built on the Microsoft Windows Azure cloud platform, HeyGov! is an open system that can help developers bridge communication between citizens and governments through a common web interface which also encourages developers to build additional solutions with other non-Microsoft platforms and technology.
Unlike using a phone-based 311 system for non-emergency requests, residents logging on to Miami 311 can see on average 4,500 issues in progress—not represented as a list, but located on a map in relation to other projects in their neighborhood. It is interesting to note there are many more benefits to setting up an open 311 system in the ‘cloud.’ For example, duplicative issues are easily identifiable, status updates are real time, and developers have a new and open way to build new solutions. Still, the bottom line is this: Miami has turned what used to be represented by a meaningless list of data into useful information.
And that brings us back to the point—the most effective path to open government is to bring governments together to develop common business practices. Commonality matters. My job is about finding the best and brightest innovations of pioneering governments and their peers and it’s a privilege to work with governments across the country like Miami and San Francisco to create repeatable results. The Miami311 and Open311 effort is one example where we can begin to define interoperable business practices, show them in action, and help other geographies adopt in a meaningful way. This vision of open government is made possible only through hard work and the continuing evolution and advances in technology – the ubiquitous use of PCs, networks, and our interconnected world has raised the bar - citizen expectations will certainly continue to rise. We are all citizens, should we expect anything less?
Let me be clear – I, like many others at Microsoft, am an optimist and passionate that software in particular is a very powerful tool. Software is opening new doors to help us deliver on the promise of open government. It is a privilege to work with thought leaders and contribute to this central pillar of democracy in a way our forefathers could have never dreamed of. By empowering citizens with practical information in a way that makes sense, governments can increase transparency, accountability, and focus on producing the best outcomes for the public. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
By Stuart McKee, Microsoft State & Local Government National Technology Officer
