sunshine 2.0: using technology for democracy

Neighborhoods

Sunshine 2.0:Using Technology in DemocracySteven CliftExecutive DirectorE-Democracy.org

1Government by Day, Citizen by Night - 1994

Sunshine 2.0Vision. Demand. Goals. Measures.

for Local Democracy Onlinehttp://e-democracy.org/sunshine Government Online PewInternet.orgApril 2010 report brings fresh data:48% of internet users have looked for information about a public policy or issue online with their local, state or federal government46% have looked up what services a government agency provides41% have downloaded government forms35% have researched official government documents or statistics33% have renewed a drivers license or auto registration

31% use online platforms such as blogs, social networking sites, email, online video or text messaging to get government information23% participate in the online debate around government policies or issues, with much of this discussion occurring outside of official government channels.

Outline - Example1. What government wants to tell us.2. What government must tell us. What we feel we need to know.3. What we want to tell government.4. What we need to hear from each other publicly in the context of government decisions.5. Community collaboration, problem-solving, and inclusive engagement1. What government wants to tell us.A home page says 1,000 words.Minneapolis wants so: Share news it has decided is importantHighlight resultsUse social mediaProvide non-English informationPromote services strongly

Minneapolis must:Post salaries of top three paid employees for 90 days on home page

2. What government must tell us. What we feel we need to know.public=online? Transparency campaign by the Sunlight Foundation

Accountability information.Timely Access to InformationKey e-service

e-alerts so you can ACT on information before it is too late!

Public Meetings On-DemandLinked video, documents

Also see PublicMeetings.Info

Reusing Data Personalized to You

Budgets and SpendingSouth Carolina state agencies must put spending information online

Comptroller promoting local government efforts

3. What we want to tell governmentCommunication. Understanding the will of the people in government.Contact Me!Old and new clash online

Current agendas are posted in front of City Hall in King Plaza on the elevator walls

Sorting Policy Input from Service QueriesMenlo Park, CA

Community Engagement Feedback

Both citizen and government can track responses

DemocracyMapCan you Enter address, see every government entity that serves you and who specifically represents you (and how to contact them)

The United States lacks an open data set on ALL government jurisdictions, districts, associated websites and elected officials.

Huge local up market failure

Online working group:http://e-democracy.org/democracymap

4. What we need to hear from each other publicly in the context of government decisionsImagining online public spaces and hearings?Great Councilmember Page, But Disconnected from Two-way

Tip Toe in the FacebookReal-names giving some governments confidence to create Facebook Pages with open comments

Why not elsewhere?

5. Community collaboration, problem-solving, and inclusive engagementThis page left intentionally blank.Lets make this happen.Community collaborationUsing Technology for Community Building Webinarhttp://e-democracy.org/webinars

E-Democracy Neighbors Forumshttp://tcneighbors.orghttp://neighbours.cc New Zealand!

Action Alexandriahttp://actionalexandria.org

Democracy Home PageLets be citizen-centric online in government.Democracy Home PageHow process works, effective participation

Decision-making information

Who represents you?Good tools for elected officials

Local laws and rules

Local elections

Budgets, spending, and taxes

AccountabilityEthics, Freedom of Information, Transparency data, your rights, etc.Democracy HomeAskBristol.com A world leading local e-democracy city (UK)

Democracy HomePalo Alto giving it a try with Know Zone

Secrecy image?

Next Generation Local Democracy FeaturesMore examples!

Gathering Public InputSanta Cruz UserVoiceAmherst LocalocracyManor Labs Texas

Freedom of Information RequestsUK WhatDoTheyKnow.com shares results online

Deep TransparencyE-mail sent to all Palo Alto City Council members before meetings

Data sets in Washington DC

Really Deep TransparencyPost-Communist Estonia appreciates public=onlineTallinns Document Register, National X-Road provides secure access to private data held on you

Local Open Government Directive

From CityCamp Colorado came an idea lets create generate bottom up support for local open government

Modeled after Federal Open Government Directivehttp://opengovernmentinitiative.org Community-wide Support for Democracy OnlineWebinar preview:http://e-democracy.org/webinarsThe default local online news commenting experience is

Most people see, expect public conflict. Sharp contrast with private social networking.34The most democratizing aspect of the Internet is the ability of people to organize and communicate in groups.

- Steven Clift in Democracy is Online article published by Internet Society, 1998Neighbors Online PewInternet.org27% of American adult Internet users (or 20% of adults overall) use digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues.14% read a blog dealing with community issues at least once in the last year13% exchanged emails with neighbors about community issues7% say they belong to a community e-mail list (more women)6% communicated with neighbors by text messaging on cell phones5% joined a social network site group connected to community issues3% followed neighbors using TwitterRead full report

Lower income, Latino, rural need to be includedAnalysis on E-Democracy.org blog.CC:, E-Lists, Placeblogs, Social Nets CC: E-mail The simple sheet of paper passed around at National Night Out

E-mail Discussion ListsE-Democracy.org forums, Google/YahooGroups, DC nhoods, Brooklyn parents

PlaceblogsCornerstone of citizen journalism online, sometimes watch dog protest sites

Local Social NetworksFacebook Pages/Groups, Ning Sites, etc.

Networks: Everyblock (v2), OhSoWe, Hey Neighbor, i-Neighbors (academic), Front Porch Forum, CommonPlace, Hello Elephant, and perhaps open source, non-profit BeNeighbors.org social enterprise led by E-Democracy.org37Creating Public Space - Issues ForumsCity HallSecondaryNetworkse-mail forwardsCivil SocietyPersonalNetworksLocal MediaCoverageLibrarianReporterArts GroupCity CouncilorCandidateLocal BizCtizen #1Advocacy GroupNeighborhood LeaderMayorForum ManagerCitizen 500PoliceCitizensIssues Forum

GroupServer e-mails posts web viewSubscribe onceCommitment securedPost via e-mail/webNew Resident

Neighbor Issues Forums StoriesSomali community 20 missing youth to crosswalks

Little Mekong and BoaLees lessons

Powderhorn Cinco de Mayoviolence

Community garden

Chickens in Bemidji

Leech Lake Native American majority rural forum

Inclusion evaluation in progress:http://e-democracy.org/inclusion

39ConclusionServices first, democracy later.

It is now later!Sunshine 2.0 Draft IndicatorsInformation

"Your" Government/Democracy PageHow request information via FOIAccountability Information - The Transparency Ten PackOpen Data InitiativeDocument Register/Info Catalog

Representation

Elected/appointed governance body clear on home page and Elected Officials ListAppointed Officials and BodiesElection InformationCouncil Member/Mayor Site SectionCouncil Member/Mayor E-Newsletter or BlogE-Response Tool - E-Petition Receiver

Help us pick the top ten!http://e-democracy.org/sunshine Decision-MakingPublic Meeting Calendar, Agenda, and MinutesPublic Meeting DocumentsWebcasts - Live and On-DemandPerformance DataE-Transparency System

Engagement

311/Web Comment Form/General E-mail InboxOnline surveys and polls or requests for comments on reports or proposalsPolicy Pack - Response, Community Engagement, Social Media UseOnline Exchange with Public (External Tools)Online Government Engagement (Government Managed)

Online Features

Community Links SectionSite SearchContent Management System with Web FeedsE-Updates ServicesWhat's New/What's Popular - AutomatedFurther InformationSteven [email protected]@democracy on Twitter612-234-7072

Linkshttp://blog.e-democracy.orghttp://e-democracy.org/p3http://stevenclift.com

Slides also available from:http://www.slideshare.net/netclift As part of Participation 3.0 we are:

Convening and working to move the field

Plotting a Locals Online roll call webinar

Working with League of Women Voters on Sunshine 2.0 guide for local evaluation of govs online support for democracy

Working with OpenPlans.org on DemocracyMap

Really pushing inclusion in online civic engagement

Developing next generation partnership proposals by 4Q

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