Information Communications Effectiveness (ICE) is now the key to governmental and political success. The benefit to citizens of effective government technology (IT) and telecommunications - from process improvements and knowledge management to ecommerce, communications, collaboration, individual empowerment and optimal economic development - is so powerful and transformational, it is inconceivable a less tech-savvy up-start could upstage an effective ICE-savvy incumbent. We have never seen an ICE-savvy politician surface in NEO, so all communities here are just waiting for information revolution [1].
In the mean time, a posting on Brewed Fresh Daily [2] references where consultants Civic Strategies [3] are exploring the flip-side... what can "a public official do to thwart
Internet detractors? Two things: Build a network of informed and
sympathetic citizens who'll come to your aid if you stumble. (You can
do this the same way as your detractors, through e-mails and web
sites.) And deal with the disgruntled before they become determined"... and BFD's host George Nemeth concludes "In my opinion, one of the reasons people become
soreheads is because public officials don't engage the public after they
get elected."
I agree, and go further to say in this information age officials failing with IT fail their citizens and community, and have no business trying to lead them at all. That NEO leaders don't get IT is a major reason for our economy failing here, for so long (I say that not as a sorehead but as an IT analyst). In the UK, a citizen is drawing attention to fainings in his country and empowering citizens there to address leadership directly, through the Ideal Government [4] website. Great initiative, and a smart evolution is for government leaders to embrace such a feedback process and do all this right from the inside, from the start. For some pointers on how, take a look to the UK.
From Ideal Government [4]:
Wouldn't it be better if...
Ideal government is a web user's antidote to personal frustration with
public services. If a government process frustrates you, just do two
things:
1. Observe and record precisely what happens, and
2. what the ideal encounter should have been like.
Join us and post it up here. Gradually we could map out the reality of
this uncharted territory called government, and compile the first-ever
user requirement. Start being an ethnographer of bureaucracy today!
Ideal Government - the next big idea
The next stage is called Wibbipedia. The plan is a project to create an
open on-line mechanism for objective, scientific feedback about
experience of public service quality. It invites everyone to become an
ethnographer of bureaucracy, to deliver evidence and independent
feedback about public service quality. One nation in a mystary shopping
groove, if you like. The draft proposal is here [5]- comments and improvements welcome by end January, for final proposal submission in February.
Links:
[1] http://realneo.contenthosting.org/node/589
[2] http://www.brewedfreshdaily.com/
[3] http://www.civic-strategies.com/last_issue.htm
[4] http://www.idealgovernment.com/
[5] http://www.idealgovernment.com/index.php/weblog/comments/196/
[6] http://li326-157.members.linode.com/egovernment-www-empowering-communites-and-their-citizens
[7] http://li326-157.members.linode.com/egovernment-www-empowering-communites-and-their-citizens/24x7-baltimore-mayor-says-dear-business-leader