Collaborative technologies drive accountability, say international CIOs

A push for more transparency in government has been the primary impetus for agencies to use recently developed Web services that allow people to join the dialogue that forms public policy, according to international chief information officers.

Comment on this article in The Forum.The concept of Web 2.0 is defined by collaboration. While the last generation of the Internet enabled users to share information by viewing static Web pages and conducting one-way transactions, the latest technologies allow for real-time exchange of information.

Karen Evans, administrator of IT and e-government for the Office of Management and Budget and the Bush administration's top IT executive, said Web 2.0 applications can help improve government operations. For example, OMB developed an in-house wiki called the MAX Federal Community, which the agency used to compile and solicit comments on earmarks, The Washington Post reported. The wiki has 5,500 members and is growing by hundreds each month, according to the Post.

"There was nervousness because the comments are there for everyone to see, and may become a political commentary," Evans said. "But we've found people just want to contribute to the process. We remind people that [this kind of collaborative application] is just a Web site. It's just using a different set of tools."

Evans participated on a panel of four CIOs from around the world who spoke on Monday about the potential that Web 2.0 capabilities offers governments. The panel discussion was held at the Interagency Resources Management Conference in Cambridge, Md.

Web 2.0 requires governments to adopt a different view of managing information, said John Suffolk, chief information officer for the United Kingdom. "It can encourage government to go both horizontal and vertical [in efforts] at the same time," he said. "But the biggest challenge is letting go. Web 2.0 is a paradigm shift that is not about the technology, but rather about culture."

Web applications, from blogs and forums to online seminars and comment boards, also allow agencies to engage with citizens and industry. Canada, for example, invites up to 10,000 citizens annually to participate in Internet-based surveys to provide feedback on government sites and policies. "Government [needs to] understand, though, that when you turn it on, be prepared to respond to a very large population," said Ken Cochrane, CIO of Canada.

New Zealand developed a public services directory that provides contact information for the heads of agencies, and it also created its own version of USAsearch.gov, the federal search engine. The United Kingdom allows citizens to file public petitions online.

"Now there are consequences," Evans said. "Transparency brings accountability, which forces people to think about how they contribute. . . . If your system has information, it's searchable and discoverable and you need to have the policy discussions. We've had the luxury to hide behind legacy technology. That [luxury] is gone now."