future e gov conference catherine howe (24 11 09)
DESCRIPTION
Future E Gov Conference Catherine HoweTRANSCRIPT
Civic Architecture for Cyberspace
The social web is not a trend that can be ignored…..
…..some facts….
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/31/top-social-media-sites-of-2008-facebook-still-rising/
Some more facts…..
Oxford Internet Surveys:http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/microsites/oxis/
Social networking sites are not only growing in terms of people – they also have an increased share of online time
And other excellent facts….
Ofcom:http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/media_literacy/medlitpub/medlitpubrss/uk_adults_ml/http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/media_literacy/medlitpub/medlitpubrss/uk_childrens_ml/
Neilson:http://server-uk.imrworldwide.com/pdcimages/Global_Faces_and_Networked_Places-A_Nielsen_Report_on_Social_Networkings_New_Global_Footprint.pdf
Web Strategist blog:http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/01/11/a-collection-of-soical-network-stats-for-2009/
The democratic question…..
People are talking……..they are just not talking to us…….
………what can we do about this?
Answers start with questions…..
How can the social web help us make better decisions and live in better communities?
How do we blend the needs of formal democracy with the way in which people actually behave?
How do we move past the simple fact of eyeballs on social websites being our measure of success?
How do we translate the participation we see that we can stimulate on the social web into formal democratic participation?
Do Council’s need to respond?Democracy needs to happen where the people are – it can’t happen in isolation
You have to start somewhere – and at least these people are already participating in something
Online is a growing trend and if we take a medium to long term view it is essential that Local Government has a clear role on the web
Online is the most cost effective way to engage – move everything you can there and spend money on the face to face that can’t be replaced
Innovation in public services is essential and will involve more participatory design
How do we describe Social Websites?
Malleable identity
User generated content
Shared rule creation – communities set norms of behaviour
Participation is expected and encouraged
Content is viral and shared widely
There is no controlling the message
The new social web is an environment superbly suited to Participatory Design: Co-
creation
Old web v. New web
Collaboration / XML
Presentation / HTML
Engagement
Content
Communities
Websites
WidgetsPortals
Old eGov Gov 2.0
From a presentation by http://dontapscott.com/
The democratic question…..
Social websites are profoundly different to most government spaces…….
….and so is democracy….
…..we can’t make a decision on the basis of how many people join a
facebook group
You’ll have seen this before…..
But it makes an important point
Social Web: The Wild West Local Government: The Law
How can you map this relationship?
FormalConsultation
Alchemy
News and social networking sites
Council managed services like webcasting or online
consultationsWe need to use tools like
petitions which can transition people from
informal to formal
Social Web: The Wild WestSocial Web: The Wild West
InformalSocial
Participation
Social Web: The Wild West
InformalCivic
Participation
Social Web: The Wild West Government: The Law
FormalDemocracy
Social Web: The Wild West
So how we respond?
We concentrate on what we are good at – councils are not social spaces so don’t try to be – no-one wants to be your friend
Listen – the conversation is already happening – you just need to find it
Provide the right support – and leave the content to the citizens
Organise geographically – not institutionally
And how does Government need to change?
Ensure that 'Local' is user defined – its not about you!
Build an environment for co-creation
Unlock the potential within Councils - trust officers to engage
Create the idea of Councillor 2.0
Change gears to work at a speed closer to that of the internet: this means taking risks
How do we build this?
Do not compromise on democratic principles - accountability is essential even if its not web 2.0 friendly in terms of identity
Build an idea of better citizens - and help people to embrace this
Build the spaces which are needed to enable this to happen
Build beyond the next trend: think of Civic Architecture
One suggestion: The Virtual Town Hall
A permanent civic space which will provide an online space for democratic activity
Manage identity within this space
Somewhere where citizens can take an equal part in shaping the outcomes of their engagement: a co-
created space
Not a website – a web space which brings in content from the existing social web and
connects it with democratic activities and outcomes
Virtual Town Hall Pilot
Working with 5 Local Authorities to try and build permanent civic spaces for a 12 month Pilot:
ChorleyEssex County CouncilKirkleesNorth LincolnshireRedbridge
Involving citizens at every level – including to manage and moderate content
Looking specifically at how to involve elected representatives in this process
Our objective is measurable increases in democratic activity
Thank you……
……and more importantly….what do you think???
Curiouscatherine.wordpress.comwww.public-i.info