Enabling Collaboration Three Priorities for the New Administration
The Fundamental Problem “We cannot meet 21st century challenges with a 20th century bureaucracy.” – Barack Obama We face critical challenges: ● Rigid hierarchies and stovepipes constrain our action and trap information ● Complacency leads us to maintain the status quo rather than proactively innovate ● Issues evolve faster than we are able to respond 2
How It Works To many, government looks like this. 1. Government makes a decision 2. Government reveals it to citizens 3. (Repeat.) 3
How It’s Changing Technology is enabling transparency, collaboration & participation. ● Citizens can see inside their government… ● …and influence it. 4
Changing The Way We Work The Old Way The New Way 20th‐century industrial‐era 21st‐century emergent, hierarchy agile networks The citizen at the end of a The citizen directly involved service delivery chain in governance Focus on doing it “faster, Focus on doing it differently cheaper, better” Need‐to‐know Need‐to‐share 5
1. Build Open IT Infrastructure ● Government’s basic communications infrastructure is outdated. ● Today, computing power isn’t a physical asset – it’s a utility ● Cloud computing and SaaS mean lower costs and greater environmental sustainability ● More managerial agility and flexibility, especially for bringing the CIO shop into the mission ● Using these tools is the only way to stay relevant to the citizen 6
2. Treat Data as a National Asset ● We need to incentivize sharing data instead of controlling it. ● Use lightweight, interoperable data formats that anyone in government or the public can understand and use ● Data is no longer “owned” – it has to flow seamlessly without our outmoded concept of stewardship ● Use collaborative tools to manage knowledge across constant leadership transitions 7
3. Build a Culture of Collaboration ● Ultimately, this isn’t a technology issue; this is a leadership issue. ● Find and celebrate success stories and best practices to create a “safe‐fail” environment ● Give CIOs a seat at the program table – and make sure they use it ● Resolve the legal and policy ambiguities that empower our “inner lawyer”
8
The Result ● These three steps will build a government that can: ● Collaborate internally across silos and through hierarchy ● Empower citizens and civil servants with data to make their own discoveries and conclusions ● Enable government to act on citizen input
9
How Does This Start? ● With you. ● Get engaged with MAX Community (if you’re in government) ● Push to understand your IT environment and partner with your CIO on your core challenges ● Learn the tools and engage the community ● Visit and add to www.collaborationproject.org
Ask not what your country can do for you…
Ask what we can do together. 10
About Us The Collaboration Project The Collaboration Project (www.collaborationproject.org) is an independent forum of leaders who share a commitment to the adoption and use of collaborative technologies to solve complex problems of public management. With the support of dedicated staff and access to the National Academy’s distinguished Fellows and other subject matter experts, the Collaboration Project convenes members in person and online to share best practices; produces research on the opportunities and challenges of collaboration; and assists agencies in implementing collaborative tools and approaches.
For More Information: Frank DiGiammarino, Vice President (202) 204‐3673 •
[email protected] Lena Trudeau, Program Area Director (202) 315‐5476 •
[email protected] Danielle Germain, Project Director (202) 468‐7092 •
[email protected]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution‐Noncommercial‐Share Alike 3.0 United States License. See http://collaborationproject.org/x/HIA4AQ for more information.
11