Thursday, December 09, 2010

Government 2.0 Action Plan Victoria

The Victorian Government released a "Government 2.0 Action Plan - Victoria" (July 2010). Craig Thomler organised an excellent talk on this in Canberra, yesterday (his blog is a goldmine of useful information on topics such as use of Yammer by government).

The Victorian government plan provides a useful, and brief, 21 page overview of what Government 2.0 is, benefits and risks, how it fits with government strategies and how to go about implementing it. The Australian Government lacks a similar concise overview document. So in the absence of anything more suitable, I will be using the Victorian document for teaching the course
COMP7420 at ANU, starting 14 February 2011.

Government 2.0 Action Plan - Victoria

Contents

  1. Driving adoption in the VPS
  2. Engaging communities and citizens
  3. Opening up government
  4. Building capability

Introduction

Government 2.0 involves direct citizen engagement in conversations about government services and public policy through open access to public sector information and new Internet based technologies. It also encapsulates a way of working that is underpinned by collaboration, openness and engagement.

The application of the underlying principles and approaches of Web 2.0 are redefining how people communicate and are transforming the web into a platform of participation and co-production. This transformation extends to the public sector where Web 2.0 tools can deepen democratic processes through participation; support policy development through open consultation; and tailor the delivery of services to meet citizens' needs for personalisation and choice.

This Government 2.0 Action Plan provides the foundation for a whole of Victorian Public Service approach to Government 2.0. It recognises that new approaches, processes and technologies such as social media, wikis, and blogs can put the citizen at the centre in a more open and collaborative relationship with government. It also means a shift in how we work, with an increased emphasis on transparency and collaboration. There are already pockets of innovative Government 2.0 practice in the VPS, ranging from the use of Twitter to keep the public informed during emergencies through to using Facebook to bring together small business owners and prospective owners for networking and information sharing. The Victorian Government has also committed to open access to public sector information in its response to the 2009 Parliamentary Inquiry into Improving Access to Victorian Public Sector Information and Data. Opening up public sector data and information is a major opportunity to increase engagement with the community and realise a range of social and economic benefits.

The Government 2.0 Action Plan focuses on the following priority areas:

  1. Driving adoption in the VPS > Leadership
  2. Engaging communities and citizens > Participation
  3. Opening up government > Transparency
  4. Building capability > Performance

There are 14 initiatives under these four action areas, aimed at engaging and empowering citizens, making government more transparent and improving government capability. Our approach to implementation is think big, start small and scale fast.

In the spirit of collaboration and co-production, the Action Plan was developed through extensive consultation and an open wiki process. It sits alongside the VPS Innovation Action Plan and both Plans represent our commitment to developing a leading edge Victorian Public Service that delivers better outcomes for the Victorian community.

The Government 2.0 Action Plan will continue to develop as we harness the ideas and energy already evident in the Victorian Public Service. ...Link

From: Government 2.0 Action Plan - Victoria, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victorian Government, July 2010.

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