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September 2, 2009
I see that NSW is embracing the Government 2.0 initiative that advocates, and tries to develop, a strong citizen-centric approach in the delivery of government services and a greater public access to government data. Opening up data is the big test for Government 2.0.
Maybe SA will follow NSW lead here instead of just locking up bikies and members of youth gangs. Democracy, if it is to have any substance, should be seen as the task of continually expanding the power of citizens to influence the decisions that affect their lives. Most SA politicians are still using their websites to inform their constituents rather than engage with them. A digital republic? What's that?
What has been developed by the Government 2.0. initiative is the form of engagement. This has been described by Kate Lundy and Pia Waugh at the Centre for Policy Development
They say:
we realised that the inherent strength of the new online social media tools were most effective when used to complement a physical get together - a focused, timely and facilitated presence - ideally with a specific goal that people can rally around. This is why each Public Sphere includes a short conference-style event as well as the open online submissions period for input to the blog or wiki. The discussions are encouraged to be online, whether through Twitter, comments on the Live Blogging (which doesn't require an account) or other methods. This means there is a continual and distributed feedback loop on what is being said or discussed, which helps us understand community responses to ideas being put forward, as they are put forward, and in a way that can be easily analysed after the event. In the traditional sense, people can physically attend the conference and network. However the idea is that people can participate equally in the process and discussions, whether in person or online.
What is not on the NSW open government agenda (the twitter thread ) is an attempt to bring citizens into the formation of public policy. If the formation of public policy is based on inquiries---eg.,the Henry Tax Review--- then a case can be made for participation in policy formation as an example of more direct engagement in government processes, more open and transparent government processes and democratic renewal.
This is one way to facilitating online engagement with the aim of drawing in the information, knowledge, perspectives, resources and even, where possible, the active collaboration of anyone wishing to contribute to public life. At the moment we only have the provision of electronic forms to make submissions to senate inquiries and others which are pretty much one-way discussions with little interaction.
Greater online engagement around inquiries is one pathway for transforming government. the Government 2.0 Taskforce is raising it.
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