Government as a platform for social innovation #gov20
After reading a few hours about Don Tapscott thoughts on government, I want to share some highlights on governing by network with you:
Why do we see the same institutions that produced the current mess as the source of solutions and stability in the future? Why do we take most of the old assumptions about how the world works for granted? Let’s call for a complete rethink of the top-down approach to global problem solving. Don’t call the same old elite club of decision makers, new models of social innovation and wealth creation offer genuine promise. Traditional instruments like taxes and legal agreements won’t be enough. Isn’t it time for a new model of regulation: one that uses the web to disclose pertinent information and enables a worldwide network of experts to pool their tips and analysis? There is a new fabric of connectivity in society that is leading to a deep change in our institutions. Governments must summon the courage and creativity to reinvent themselves, using technology and collaboration as an enabler, a catalyst, and a driver of change with the ultimate goal of providing better outcomes for citizens and users. Those that resist, or fail to get on board, will find themselves even more isolated - cut off from the networks that are sharing, adapting, and updating knowledge to solve problems, small and big.
5 principles for the age of the networked intelligence
1. Collaboration
Smart companies increasingly collaborate globally to get things done. Collective knowledge, capability and resources embodied within broad horizontal networks of participants can accomplish much more than one organization or one individual can acting alone.
2. Open
Most government organizations would rather shield important information from the public and only grant access when forced to by regulation or statute. One of the best, and fastest way to fostering change in government is to open up the mountains of public data burried inaccessible databases and file drawers to broader public input and innovation. When more people understand what’s happening in their area, more are willing to contribute to solve environmental problems.
Most of the information will be run in the a virtual cloud. Everybody can see and help what isn’t working in the community. With releasing data you can analyse the governments operations and see where we can improve.
3. Sharing
Sharing knowlegde placed on the internet for others to use. We need places where businesses, governments, universities, nonprofits can share and collaborate around innovations.
4. Integrity
You do well by going good. Trust in business and society is the expectation that another party will be honest, considerate, accountable and open.
5. Interdependence
We live in an interconnected world. Global interdependence has become a defining feature of our time as people, money, technology, products, services, culture and ideas relentlessly cross borders in a vast network of transactions and social exchanges. The internet also reinforces our consciousness of interconnectedness.
Too many government organizations are still largely locked into old structures and outmodel ways of thinking, based in the same command-and-control model as industrial age. New models of collaboration and innovation are arriving at governments everywhere. Why can’t the public sector seize, networked business models to cut across departmental silos, improve policy outcomes, reduce costs and increase public value? If public servants and politicians are to ensure their relevance and authory going forward, they must move quickly to meet rising expectations for openness, accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Government by and for the people
Todays citizens can self organize to do many of the things that governments do today, only they often do them better, a government by and for the people, often called governing by network or government 2.0. Government shouldn’t try to create all of this capability internally when it can leverage the social networks that already are flourishing. Instead of creating new departments and new layars of management, governments should be creating platforms for social achievement. Government becomes a platform for social innovation.
- next week after our Open Innovation Festival some more or buy the book MacroWikinomics -
Source and thoughts: Don Tapscott
