Candi Harrison, former manager of a U.S. government website for over a decade, has some advice to offer when it comes to customer service.  In the case of government websites, customer service equates to citizen service since citizens routinely flex their ownership in this democratic nation by voting and electing their own officials.  And to facilitate the best of partnerships in this government/citizen relationship, customer service is crucial.  Harrison believes the foundation of customer service can be boiled down to the simple tenant of “listen, respect and follow”.
 
Governments continually strive to earn citizen’s trust, entice them to utilize services and participate more.  In this constant push, the agencies that stop for a second, listen to their audience, respect the feedback they receive and follow citizen’s advice, are the government entities that ultimately build stronger relationships with their communities.  Obviously as citizens we have a reciprocal duty to engage in our government and offer opinions.  But isn’t becoming involved much more enticing when you feel your opinions are respected and you witness change being instituted based upon your suggestions?
 
The listen, respect, follow mantra is understandably easier said than done.  However, the state of Georgia is blazing the way in implementing progressive customer service policies.  Georgia is the first state in the country to target customer service across the board and it’s been a long and winding journey.  The initiative first grew roots four years ago when the new governor, Joe Doyle, created the Governor’s Office of Customer Service.  After careful observations incognito, Governor Doyle realized that citizens viewed the state of Georgia as lagging so far behind to being almost entirely unresponsive to their needs.  In this case, getting employees to buy-into the system was the key to increasing their woeful customer service.
 
Without hiring expensive outside consultants, the Governor dramatically increased customer service throughout the entire state.  According to the Governor’s office: “At Child Support Services, the time between a parent’s first contact with the agency and meeting a caseworker went from a 30-day wait to same-day service.  It used to take a prospective teacher an average of nine minutes to speak with a live person at the Professional Standards Commission. Now it takes eight seconds. Medicaid approval went from nine weeks to twelve days.”
 
To read more of Candi Harrison’s advice browse here:  http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/02/customer-service-mantra-listen-respect.html
 
To read more about how Georgia dramatically improved their customer service, browse here:  http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/georgia-praised-for-customer-320785.html

Guest Post by Ryan Link, Project Manager - Planning/Public Involvement at Michael Baker Corp.

I may be a bit behind in finding this, but I just came across the Levi’s Go Forth Braddock campaign on Chris Brogan’s Blog.  The one question that seems to be on everyone’s mind is “Is this a true investment in community planning and revitalization or simply a well planned publicity campaign?”  One claim on the Levi’s Go Forth Braddock Facebook Page (Not a Town or Levi’s site) states “There is no public input.”  The official press release from Levi’s issued on June 24, 2010 states “Today, Levi’s^® is investing in the American revolution that is taking shape in Braddock.  Levi’s^® and Braddock are intertwined by an unshakable mantra for progress: Real People + Real Work = Real Change.”

There seems to be no question that the overall effort to revitalize Braddock is spearheaded by a true leader who is passionate about revitalizing Braddock, Mayor John Fetterman.  Regardless of what your opinion is, I would think that we could all agree that Braddock is a town, like many across this Country that has fallen on very tough times, but yet we can all see the promise in it and realize that it can reinvent itself. 

Social media is just starting to play a role in this campaign with You Tube videos from Levi’s an independent Facebook Page and various blog posts debating the project.  This is an interesting example of how social media can take a local project and propel it into the national spotlight and national dialogue.  Could revitalization efforts of this type benefit from additional social media strategies/efforts? 

So what are your thoughts? 

We look forward to discussing this further in the upcoming weeks.

Re-Imagining Chinatown: An Interactive Planning Process

The 4x8 ft. model of Chinatown includes Los Angeles State Historical Park (formerly known as the Cornfields) and portions of the LA River and will highlight the areas topography, streets, and blocks. It is designed to inspire the minds of the participants through its grand interventions, vivid use of materials, colors, textures and by allowing the public to touch and imprint their vision on it.


Fifth Floor becomes an impromptu urban planning store with shelves lining the wall that host an array of small, colorful buildings. Visitors can take these buildings off the shelves and place them on the model located in the middle of the gallery to create their ideal urban form. The model will constantly change as the work builds upon the contributions of others.


This technique, conceived by Rojas, facilitates public participation in the urban planning process by using art as an interactive, creative medium to help people think about their community. The evolving exhibition mimics the dynamic and collective nature of life in Chinatown. These activities reflect how varied groups of players—strangers, neighbors, friends—interact to create a sense of place in Chinatown.

Our friend Tim Bonnemann recently wrote a commentary on the evolving uses of crowdsourcing technology over at Federal Computer Week.  Namely, the coupling of crowdsourcing with government decision-making and policy creation.  Bonnemann suggests that successful case studies using this technique, may not be applicable in many contexts of Government2.0.  He references an article by Jeff Howe in Wired magazine that originally coined and defined the term crowdsourcing.  In the article, The Rise of Crowdsourcing, characteristics of successful projects are highlighted.  Bonnemann concurs with those characteristics and notes that many projects currently attempting to integrate crowdsourcing strategies aren’t a good fit for the technology and may see less than promising results.

What are these vital characteristics?  According to both Howe and Bonnemann they are:

• Fairly objective, or agreed-upon, evaluation criteria and success metrics for participant input.
• No concept of stakeholders, and thus no need for inclusion, representativeness, consensus seeking and deliberation.

They have a valid point.  If stakeholders are involved in a project but not active in the crowdsourcing efforts or able to give considerable feedback within participatory efforts, disputes will undoubtedly arise that could viably lead to the failure of the project.  And, as Bonnemann notes, when personal values and beliefs come to play, trade-offs are subjective and reaching a consensus becomes inconceivable.

Personally, I’d add understanding of the incentives that drive people to participate as another vital characteristic. Many projects I’ve seen often assume that there’s enough excitement for a cause that people will invest their valuable time. They end up being surprised that the tasks they were trying to crowdsource do not resonate with their audience and response rates remain low.

This all seems logical, but it begs the question: When is crowdsourcing appropriate?  Bonnemann suggests crowdsourcing be used for specific tasks, such as idea generation, fact checking and translations.  Crowdsourcing is a wonderful tool but let’s not forget that it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Effective participatory strategies require a multi-pronged approach, not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Read the full article here:  http://fcw.com/articles/2010/01/25/comment-bonnemann-crowdsourcing-government-policy.aspx

View more presentations from Ryan Link.

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Increase Citizen Engagement is a report recently released by The IBM Center for The Business of Government.  What the technical title boils down to is: how can GIS aid and abet participatory planning?  Are geographic information systems the next major accomplice in the movement towards increased citizen engagement?  Dr. Sukumar Ganapati, author of the report, believes so, but it will first require a political paradigm shift.
 
Ganapti believes we’ve entered the third wave of GIS technology.  The first wave introduced stand-alone GIS applications, the second brought GIS to the world wide web and the third has introduced the “geospatial web 2.0 platform” where spatial data can easily be overlaid with existing maps.  And with this third wave, GIS and GPS technology has been made widely available to the public.  Not only is GIS more accessible than ever, but it now comes with the power to harness public participation in real time.  Ganapti calls out three areas in which GIS applications are having a positive impact and a fourth - participatory planning - where he sees great potential for the technology.
 
Citizen-oriented services were among the first adopters of GIS.  Transit authorities have utilized GIS software to provide real-time reports on traffic conditions and independent software developers have begun creating tools including applications for places of interest near transit stops and alerts at stations.  Non-emergency citizen service requests have started interfacing with GIS software.  Government agencies can now easily generate maps depicting political boundaries, demographic and socioeconomic information, land use and zoning information, and natural environment conditions such as floodplains, making the information available to the public.  Agencies have tackled other services as well, such as enabling citizens to report graffiti, potholes and traffic accidents through a geospatial web 2.0 platform.  The newest area of integration comes from using GIS to gather information provided voluntarily by citizens, such as in the Louisiana Bucket Brigade.
 
Lastly, Ganapti cites participatory planning as an area where there is “considerable opportunity for growth” when taking advantage of GIS technology.  With increasing ease-of-use and accessibility, Ganapti notes the main roadblocks in adopting GIS are likely to be organizational and institutional barriers.  For the full potential of GIS technology to be realized, it will require leadership that recognizes the capacity to increase government interaction with citizens.
 
Learn more about the report and its author at: http://www.businessofgovernment.org/report/using-geographic-information-systems-increase-citizen-engagement

As open data policies begin to take root and transparency in government becomes a federal priority, the Pew Research Center has sough to study the outcomes of governments going online.  What they found is reassuring to government 2.0 advocates.    According to their Government Online report, “40% of adult internet users have gone online for raw data about government spending and activities”.  

Aaron Smith, a research specialist at the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, notes that citizens are increasingly “going to the source”, i.e. going directly to government websites to monitor how tax money is being spent, follow legislation, and stay abreast of current government issues.  The study of online activities confirmed Smith’s assertion.  Almost one-quarter (23%) of citizens surveyed as part of the study had researched how federal stimulus money was being spent online.  An even more surprising discovery is that 22% of adults surveyed had gone online to read or download legislation.  The mere fact that residents are actively seeking out a clearer understanding of legislation fuels the open data movement and seems to confirm a build it and they will come mentality.  Put information online and those who are involved and active citizens will come.  

Social media was also touched on in the Pew study.  The report indicated that “31% of online adults have used social tools such as blogs, social networking sites, and online video as well as email and text alerts to keep informed about government activities”.  More importantly, the report addressed the use of these social tools with respect to minorities.  Minority groups, specifically Latinos and African Americans, who in the past have not taken advantage of online government resources, are turning to these new technologies with increasing frequency.  The Pew report notes that minorities find these outlets to be more accessible.  This wave of government outreach is going past the already active and involved citizens and reaching entirely new facets of the population.  And isn’t that - a more participatory form of government with a highly informed constituency - what’s at the heart of this movement?  

Find the report in its entirety here:  http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Government-Online.aspx

While idle text messaging is ubiquitous to the American teenager, those on the other side of the world view this mode of communication in a different light.  The power of mobile phones has been applied, particularly in developing nations, to far nobler purposes.  From search and rescue disaster relief to fighting corruption, mobile phones have become essential to connecting people in far flung lands to benefit the greater good.
 
Using simple text messaging, China has created an entire communication network for its farmers.  Advice on planting techniques, information on pest management and local and national government policies is quickly disseminated to those most in need through low-tech mobile phones.  India uses a similar technique to connect farmers with agricultural experts.  Used in this capacity, mobile phones are becoming the foundation of self-sustaining economic growth.  In fact, the World Bank estimates that a 10% increase of mobile phones in a typical developing country will add 0.8% to the county’s GDP growth.
 
India and the Philippines capitalized on the increased density of mobile phone network during their recent elections.  Non-biased information about candidates, including education and religious beliefs, could be accessed by voters through mobile devices.  For some rural families, cell phones were the only outlet to information on who was running.  The Philippines adopted a similar system that also provides information on locating voting machines.
 
Cell phones are widespread throughout the United States, but some may not realize that 75% of all cell phones in circulation are found in the developing world.  According to Informa Telecoms & Media, the world’s fastest growing mobile phone markets are India, Africa, China and Indonesia.  Leading to their saturated use, mobile phones require a low level of technological noble
literacy and are relatively inexpensive in these markets, costing on average the equivalent of $10.  Even the cheapest of laptops are over $150 in these areas.  With the continued dominance of personal computers in the U.S., our cell phones remain relegated to uses that seem far less extraordinary when compared to those in other parts of the world.  With a vast network of mobile phones already in place, let us all take note of the ingenuity driving their function in Asia and Africa and aim to exploit their potential in positive ways.
 
All statistics as well as further reading on the subject can be found here:
http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/apr/27/can-mobiles-close-digital-divide/

If you’ve ever wondered if your local state representative is on Twitter, Gov2Social has made it easier than ever to find out.  A new web-based directory launched by Microsoft, Gov2Social aims to connect social media and government with the people.  Users can easily search by city, county or state and find a list of all city/county/state government departments and officials as well as elected federal officials, with links to their corresponding social media accounts.  According to Microsoft the site is “geared to help state and local governments connect with each other…. highlight what state and local governments have been doing around social media, as well as enable citizens to track activities and announcements”.
 
The only visible drawback of the site at this time is that it’s inherently incomplete.  Agencies and officials must add themselves to the database.  Since launching less than two months ago, the directly has garnered hundreds of additions, but ultimately its success draws upon the government recognizing it as an important tool.
 
While we view the directory as a worthy endeavor, what’s really exciting are the long-term plans for the site.  Gov2Social is part of Microsoft’s Bright Side of Government initiative.  Started in 2008, the Bright Side of Government has undertaken the task of pursuing ways technology can aide in solving critical problems with government. 
 
In the future, Bright Side of Government intends to develop podcasts on government 2.0 initiatives which will be featured on Gov2Social.  As government agencies continue to become web 2.0 friendly, Microsoft plans on including best practices information and case studies for social media as well.  Showcasing forward-thinking agencies and offering advice while allowing governments to easily see what their peers are doing is where the exciting potential of Gov2Social emerges.  As citizens, I would think we’d all encourage our local, state, and federal agencies to interact more and learn from each other.  And who doesn’t appreciate a one-stop shop for connecting with government officials and activities?
 
Find the growing directory here: http://gov2social.cloudapp.net/

While the name may imply old-fashioned single-file lines of volunteers passing buckets one by one; the Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) - formed to contribute to clean-up efforts resulting from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill - has embraced an outreach plan that utilizes real-time data sent from citizens to create interactive maps and charts tracking the oil spill along the Gulf.  In harnessing the power of the people, they’re revolutionizing the way rescue and clean-up operations are performed.    

The LABB targets Twitter, text messaging, mobile phone applications, and email; asking citizens and volunteers to report news of the oil spill as well as anything witnessed firsthand.  All reports are added to the Oil Spill Crisis Map, a map created by students at Tulane University that uses the open source software Ushahidi.  Typical reports on the map include oil sightings, affected animals, curious smells, oil control burns and potential human health impacts.  The map allows for various filters to be applied showing reports not only on the devastating effects of the oil spill but on positive themes such as solutions and ideas and community organizing and meetings. 

The interactive map also allows users to receive alerts.  By entering a location and selecting a radius anywhere from 1 to 100 kilometers, anyone can receive alerts via email or text about the progress of the oil spill.  Mobile phone applications for android and iPhones have also been created.  The Oil Spill Tracker App, with over 500 downloads to date, brings the crisis map to any android phone.  The MoGo app connects the Bucket Brigade with the Mobile Gulf Observatory and allows users to upload photos tagged with an exact location derived from internal GPS capabilities.  The Mobile Gulf Observatory is taking advantage of the application by immediately connecting users to the Wildlife Hotline when they report locations of injured wildlife.  
 
See the Oil Spill Crisis Map:  http://www.oilspill.labucketbrigade.org/
Find the Mobile Gulf Observatory:  http://www.savegulfwildlife.org/