Creating a Problem-Solving Network (Part I)

The Obama Administration says it wants to create “problem solving networks” across the government. Well, yesterday a group of like-minded people from across the government convened to discuss creating just such a network around the implementation of agencies’ Open Government Plans.
 
While there is a formal cross-agency Open Government Working Group, many people at the staff level seem to feel excluded and see a need to develop their own network. Many say their agency’s Open

GSA's FedSpace Collaboration Platform

The President’s budget for fiscal year 2011 promises two interesting steps toward cross-government collaboration.

Scorecarding Agency Open Gov Plans

The Obama Administration announced today a scorecard of the quality of the plans submitted earlier this month by 29 major agencies. Using a checklist of 30 criteria, the scorecards show all agencies rating either a “yellow” or a “green” on their scorecards. These plans are being referred to as “version 1.0.”

Open Gov Plans Released, And . . .

. . . Both the White House and the Open Government advocacy groups plan to assess them. No good deed goes unnoticed!

The OMB Prize Memo

OMB deputy director for management ,Jeff Zients, released a 12-page memo, “Guidance on the Use of Challenges and Prizes to Promote Open Government.”

Topic 4: Technology, Transparency, and Participatory Democracy

President Obama issued a memorandum on Transparency and Open Government following his inauguration in early 2009. The memo outlined his commitment to greater transparency, increased citizen participation, and more collaboration. This commitment acknowledges that government cannot solve by itself the challenges facing our nation.

Redefining the Role of Citizen in a Gov 2.0 World

What does it mean to be a citizen in a Gov 2.0 world? President Obama’s FY 2011 budget is being dissected for its shift in the size and scope of government. But several initiatives in the budget, and things happening at the state and local levels, point to subtle -- but significant --shifts in the role of citizens in their government.

Using Crowdsourcing in Government

For years, democracy advocates have promoted the notion of engaging citizens in their government. There are different ways of doing this (public hearings, debates, dialogue panels, etc), and at different points in the policy cycle (proposing, debating, implementing, reviewing, etc.).

Participatory Budgeting: Ten Actions to Engage Citizens via Social Media

It has since spread to 1,000 other cities worldwide and is gaining interest in U.S. cities as well.

Dr. Gordon’s report offers an overview of the state of participatory budgeting, and the potential value of integrating the use of social media into the participatory process design. Her report details three case studies of U.S. communities that have undertaken participatory budgeting initiatives.  While these cases are relatively small in scope, they provide insights into what potential users need to consider if they wanted to develop their own initiatives.

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