Australian Government 2.0 Taskforce Final Report

The Australian Federal Government released the final report of the Government 2.0 Taskforce on 22 December 2009.

Web 2.0: The New Tools for Democratic Conversations – A snapshot of Initiatives in Government

This paper provides an overview of developments in the use of interactive online communications described as Web 2.0 and when applied in government, better known as Government 2.0.

Government 2.0 Action Plan - Victoria

The Victorian Government 2.0 action plan involves direct citizen engagement in conversations about government services and public policy through open access to public sector information and web 2.0 technologies. It also enables collaborative working which is both open and engaging.

Australian Government 2.0 Taskforce Draft Report

The Taskforce has released its draft report. Comments are due by 16 December 2009. The invitation to "engage" is both a call to action and affirmation of the vision towards which that action leads. This is the promise of Government 2.0. "Engagement" is what Government 2.0 is all about.

Dynamic Technologies for Smarter Government - Unlocking Knowledge in the Web 2.0 Age

Web 2.0 or Gov 2.0 technologies, based on social networking and online interaction and collaboration, have the potential to break-down information silos, improve decision-making processes and encourage collaboration.

Elizabeth Losh - If You Can't Control the Data, Consider the Message

Paper presented by Elizabeth Losh, Writing Director of the Humanities Core Course at U.C. Irvine, at the Gov 2.0 Expo in Washington DC on Tuesday 25 May 2010.

Getting Under the Skin of Government 2.0 - Issues, Insights and Implications

Presentation to the New Media Group, Victorian Government, Melbourne, March 2010, by Martin Stewart-Weeks, Director, Public Sector (Asia-Pacific), Internet Business Solutions Group.

Gov 2.0 Summit 2010: Ellen Miller - Open Government Scorecard

Paper presented by Ellen Miller, The Sunlight Foundation to the Government 2.0 Summit in Washington DC on September 7, 2010.

Gov 2.0 Toolbox: Glossary of Applications

Definitions of terms used by practitioners in the government 2.0 sphere.

Government 2.0 - Getting started in the social web

Paper presented to: Participating in the Social Web: Government 2.0 Government Web 2.0 conference, Ottawa Ontario November 17, 2009, by Tamera Kremer / Partner, Strategic Consulting, Teehan+Lax. Provides a Government 2.0 primer on using social media to engage with citizens.

Government 2.0 - Google Insights for Search

This graph provides an indication of the level of interest in government 2.0, as presented by the volume of searches using the Google search engine.

Government 2.0 Action Plan: Background Research

For the Victorian Public Service - VPS, Gov 2.0 is the next development in an expansion in Victoria's online government presence and investment in e-Government since the 1990s. The use of this new media by government sits alongside and complements existing practices and VPS Hub which provides a WoVG platform and online space to collaborate across the VPS. This report documents the research and development of the Government 2.0 Action Plan launched on 12 August 2010.

Government 2.0 Report Card

Presentation by Darren Whitelaw - Smart Government Australia 2011 conference, Tuesday 6 September 2011. There's been plenty of open government initiatives in Australia in the six years since the phrase Government 2.0 was first coined. This presentation looks at the importance of Gov2.0, scores performance within Australia, and identifies some great examples and ideas.

Jack Dangermond - GeoEnabling Gov 2.0

Paper presented by Jack Dangermond from ESRI at the Gov 2.0 Expo in Washington DC on Thursday 27 May 2010.

Kate Lundy - The Path to Open Government: The Pillars of Gov 2.0

Paper presented by Australian Senator Kate Lundy at the Gov 2.0 Expo in Washington DC on Wednesday 26 May 2010 which discusses the three pillars of Gov 2.0: democratising data, citizen-centric services and participatory democracy.

Local Government 2.0 - Current practice and development opportunities

Social media in Local Government a few examples - and ways ahead

Opportunities and risks associated with Gov 2.0 information sharing arrangements

by Andrew Schatz, Australian Government Solicitors Office Adelaide and Justin Davidson, Australian Government Solicitors Office Canberra. Paper presented to the CeBIT Australia Government 2.0 Conference, November 2010. Topics covered include: Gov 2.0 information sharing opportunities, Fragmentation in information management, FOI and privacy laws, Archives / document retention laws, Secrecy and confidentiality issues, Other legal issues, Risk mitigation strategies, Enforceability of electronic contracts, Guidelines for enforceable eContracts.

Redefining Public/Private Partnerships

Paper presented by Nicholas Gruen to the Gov 2.0 Summit, Washington DC, September 7-8, 2010. Nicholas discusses the concept of a new 'economics of abundance in which public goods are privately provided. He puts forward the point that Government 2.0 means nothing less than a new relationship between the public and private sector to achieve common goals.

Smart Government Australia 2010 Conference - Gov 2.0 Action Plan

Presentation by Maria Katsonis, Victorian Government, Department of Premier and Cabinet, September 14, 2010. Discusses the Victorian Government's Government 2.0 Action plan, what is Government 2.0 and how it differs from Government 1.0, how the plan came about, what are the constraints and benefits, the four action areas of the plan, the fourteen initiatives associated with the plan, how it is being implemented and what has been said in the public arena about it.

So what is government 2.0?

Provides an overview of Government 2.0 and supports the Victorian Government's Government 2.0 Action Plan.

Engage: Getting on with Government 2.0: Report of the Government 2.0 Taskforce

Government 2.0 Taskforce, December 2009. "Government 2.0 or the use of the new collaborative tools and approaches of Web 2.0 offers an unprecedented opportunity to achieve more open, accountable, responsive and efficient government. Though it involves new technology, Government 2.0 is really about a new approach to organising and governing. It will draw people into a closer and more collaborative relationship with their government. Australia has an opportunity to resume its leadership in seizing these opportunities and capturing the resulting social and economic benefits..."

'Government IT' is not the same as 'Gov 2.0'

by Alex Howard. Gov20.Govfresh, April 24, 2012. "'The first real insights into where we stand on Gov 2.0?' Really? Are Govloop and the staff of the Dorobek INSIDER being serious? From a n=100 survey of government IT professionals? Think back to a similar survey of IT pros in 2010. There's also a large community of people around the country who believe they've been sharing 'real insight' into the area for years, including many readers and contributors at Radar or Govfresh know, along with, it's worth noting, Govloop itself..."

From talking at citizens to talking with them

by Craig Thomler. Canberra Times, May 1, 2012. "... It's tempting to treat social media as merely an extension of traditional communication channels. However, in reality, there is a huge leap from engaging with citizens through time-limited vertically managed, one-way channels, where technical limits shape the dialogue into particular forms (TV, radio and print), to freer-flowing, two-way conversations, where agencies are an equal participant in the discussion. Your customers - and staff - can now create their own virtual newspapers, radio stations and television channels, or hold national discussions without your involvement. Organisations therefore need to rethink their approach to dialogue and engagement, rebuilding from the ground up..."

The Digital Politico: 5 Ways Digital Media is Shaping the 2012 Presidential Election

comScore, Inc, April 30, 2012 "Digital media has become one of the most significant game-changers in the political landscape, helping determine winners and losers in recent elections. With the realities of this new digitally dominated political environment, campaigns are becoming increasingly sophisticated about developing teams and strategies designed to deploy digital resources to reach and influence key voter constituencies. In this report, comScore shares a variety of data and insights that help explain how digital is being used by both parties in the run-up to the Republican primary, and how these strategies are likely to influence the upcoming general election. This report identifies five key trends shaping the 2012 election cycle and analyzes how these themes are likely to play out in the course of the general election..." [Requires Registration]

HP Government IT Professionals Survey Quick Read Report March 2012

Wakefield Research, March 2012. A custom online survey of 100 government IT professionas at the local, state or federal level. The HP Government IT Professionals Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 100 government IT professionals at the local, state or federal level, between February 28th and March 8th, 2012, using an email invitation and an online survey.

HP and AMD Research Shows Concerns about Security, Technology Budgets Are Main Barrier to "Gov 2.0"

Study reveals education needed to best use new government tools, PALO ALTO, Calif., Hewlett-Packard Development Company, April 24, 2012. "According to a recent survey commissioned by HP and AMD, security concerns are still the top barrier to the adoption of Gov 2.0 tools, with 40 percent of government IT professionals listing security as a concern. Gov 2.0, which involves the use of technology to make government an open platform that allows for greater innovation, also is being hampered by lack of budget (20 percent) and lack of technical expertise and ability (14 percent). The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research,(1) showed that government IT professionals think Gov 2.0 initiatives are beneficial to the public, but 79 percent believe that the public does not understand how to use Gov 2.0 tools to their advantage..."

Frequently Asked Questions about Gov 2.0: How do we convince risk-averse management to say yes to social media initiatives?

eGov AU - Craig Thomler's professional blog - eGovernment and Gov 2.0 thoughts and speculations from an Australian perspective, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. "... This challenge with senior management is, in my opinion, partially generational, partially cultural, partially based on priorities and partially rooted in lack of knowledge. Senior managers have many priorities to consider and often are focused on "managing inwards" rather than "managing outwards", with their priorities being serving a Minister, managing staff and services delivered by an agency and managing the compliance and governance burdens that fall on public agencies..."

Frequently Asked Questions for Gov 2.0: How do we manage the resourcing requirements of engaging online?

eGov AU - Craig Thomler's professional blog - eGovernment and Gov 2.0 thoughts and speculations from an Australian perspective, Wednesday, April 18, 2012. "Another question I get asked regularly is "How do we manage the resourcing requirements of engaging online?" This is an interesting 'length of string' question as the resourcing requirements of social media vary dramatically depending on why and how an organisation chooses to use social media. Generally the more engaging your participation the higher the resourcing needs - although even social media listening can soak up resources rapidly. I consider social media participation as a 'ladder of effort'..."

Gov 2.0 evolution: G2R third birthday (pt 2)

by Gov20Radio, BlogTalkRadio, March 23, 2012. "In the second of this 2-part program, the G2R team talk with the 'original crew': GovLoop's Steve Ressler, GovTwit's Steve Lunceford and Luke Fretwell of GovFresh. We reminisce on the evolution of gov 2.0 & open gov and ask the tough question: 'Is gov 2.0 dead or alive'?..."

Gov 2.0 finding its voice: G2R third birthday (pt 1)

by Gov20Radio, BlogTalkRadio, March 22, 2012. "In the first of this 2-part program, the new G2R crew deliver a sneak preview of good things for 2012 and - with founder Adriel Hampton - look back on 3 years of all things gov 2.0 & open gov..."

Govt failing on Government 2.0: Turnbull

By Suzanne Tindal, ZDNet Australia, March 21, 2012. "Malcolm Turnbull has taken the government to task over its commitment to ensure open government, accusing it of failing to implement the recommendations laid out by Nicolas Gruen in his 2009 Government 2.0 Taskforce report. Turnbull called the government's commitment to open government half hearted, despite the government's declaration of open government in 2010. Policies are not being formed with citizens in the front of mind, according to Turnbull, who accused the government of either not consulting with the public, or, when it does consult, of ignoring public submissions and viewing them as the work of the uneducated..."

A Conversation About Social Media, Open Government and eDemocracy

by Alex Howard. Gov20.Govfresh, March 8, 2012. "... At the end of Social Media Week 2012, I moderated a discussion with Matt Lira, Lorelei Kelly our Clay Johnson at the U.S. National Archives. This conversation explored more than how social media is changing politics in Washington: we looked at its potential to can help elected officials and other public servants make better policy decisions in the 21st century..."

The paranoia that will 'shut' government

By Steve Davies - OzLoop. PS News, Edition Number 255. Updated to Wednesday, 14 March 2012. "Public servants must let go of old, pointless fears if they are to engage the community.... This reflects the risk-averse culture that the APS's taskforce, and other reports, have highlighted. The predominant approach to open government and APS reform is gradual and measured, administered heavily by corporate areas. While there is nothing wrong with this approach to gradual change, societal change is not gradual. How often do agencies put changes in place only to find they are ineffective, because the world has changed, and the changes no longer meet people's needs? The same problem bedevils public servants' efforts to innovate. Most agencies have so many rules and cautions about the internal use of social media it is little wonder that staff are uncertain about engaging online. Despite so many rules, they remain unclear about which conversations are allowed and which aren't..."

Let's start delivering information to the right person at the right time – that's the value of open gov

by Luke Fretwell. GovFresh, February 29, 2012. "... I think part of the issue here is that funders are almost naturally agenda-driven, so many of their activities tend to address the entrenched interests of the foundation, rather than the frustrations of governments or citizens. Stumbling upon some random app that fulfills a niche is no different than finding some Web site the government created that fulfills that same niche. Transferring the same old problem to a new platform isn’t going to get the job done..."

How do you measure the value of Gov 2.0?

by Luke Fretwell. GovFresh, February 25, 2012. "... So much of the hype surrounding Gov 2.0 achievements is relegated to applications (or 'crapplications' as one prominent U.S. city CIO once said to me) and hackathons that fail to truly address bigger accomplishments that could be made with less hype..."

Government 2.0 Action Plan

The Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet requested the development of a Whole of Victorian Government (WoVG) Gov 2.0 Action Plan to be implemented across the Victorian Public Service (the VPS). Here you will find documents and materials supporting the rollout of government 2.0 initiatives across the Victorian Government.

Government Information and Data

Articles and resources about e-Government initiatives related to the provision of open government information and data including publications and freedom of information.

Government Wiki use

Articles and resources about the use of wiki websites by government to allow collaboration on government initiatives by multiple authors using a web browser interface.

Second Life in Government

Examples of how governments are making use of Second Life or virtual worlds to reach their citizens.

Social Networks and Social Media in Government

Articles and resources about government use of social networking and social media tools as well as best practice examples of how organisations can make use of social media to intereact with their customers.

Web 2.0

Articles and resources about the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies with an emphasis on government.