Government 2.0: Intelligence Renaissance Networks

Via Mashable

This is part of an ongoing series about government 2.0 written by Dr. Mark Drapeau. To view previous posts in the series click here.

Future planning is a big part of what the national security apparatus of the United States does, and it is incredibly difficult to do well. As the national security writer William Arkin relates in his 2005 book Code Names: “Our Intelligence Community is constantly being surprised by events in the world and misreads what is happening.” Along the same lines, Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his must-read book The Black Swan explains why and how we are often surprised by rare, extraordinary events of huge consequence.

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How the DoD learned to stop worrying and love open source

Via ARS Technica

By Ryan Paul | Published: September 10, 2008 – 07:05PM CT

The House draft of the annual defense budget reauthorization bill prominently lists open source software (OSS) among the objectives that should be considered in the procurement strategy for aerial vehicle technology and veteran health systems. If the bill passes in the House, it would be the first time that the National Defense Authorization Act explicitly expresses a preference for OSS.

OSS has seen rapid public sector uptake over the past few years. Governments around the world are streamlining their technological infrastructure and reducing their IT costs by using emerging open technologies. Adopters have reported a wide range of benefits, including greater interoperability, less dependence on any single vendor, more competitive pricing, and greater flexibility.

The benefits of OSS are even greater in a military setting, where open technologies could provide troops with a tangible strategic advantage. One vocal advocate of open source adoption in the military is deputy undersecretary of defense, Sue C. Payton, who helped author the Department of Defense’s Open Technology Development Roadmap in 2006. She argues that OSS could increase the agility of modern warfare by helping to accelerate deployment of new technologies that are essential to success on the front lines.

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Canadian parties look south for lessons in web campaigning

Via the Globe and Mail -STEVE MERTL – The Canadian Press September 3, 2008 at 5:25 PM EDT

VANCOUVER — Democrat Barack Obama’s historic run to his party’s presidential nomination owes a lot to his campaign’s stunningly successful use of the Web to mobilize support and raise money.

And the lessons of how the Obama campaign exploited tools such as social networking, video sharing and blogs have not been lost on Canadian political parties as they gear up for an expected federal election.

“It’s more than fair to say that … the Web is going to have a larger effect on this election than any election before in history,” says Adam Miron, national director of Young Liberals of Canada.

Politicians have been using the Internet to reach confirmed and potential supporters for more than a decade. But Mr. Obama’s campaign used the Web to build a two-way conversation and recruit a political cybermachine that was both huge and quick on its feet.

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Open source group sues Quebec over no-bid Microsoft contracts

By Ryan Paul | Published: August 29, 2008 – 06:15AM CT _ Via ARS Technica

A nonprofit open source advocacy group in Quebec is taking the provincial government to court over its software procurement policies. The group, which is called FACIL, contends that the government has failed to comply with contract regulations by consistently adopting foreign proprietary software without first evaluating open source alternatives.

In a complaint filed with Quebec Superior Court, FACIL points out that the government awarded Microsoft CAN$10 million across seven different contracts, but never invited other vendors to propose bids. This behavior could fall afoul of regulations that require government agencies to solicit bids for contracts exceeding CAN$25,000. FACIL also cites a procurement guidelines document issued by the government of Quebec last year which instructs officials to define their operational needs during the procurement process in a way that is broadly inclusive and nonprejudicial towards open source solutions.

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Government 2.0

Original Source: http://www.socialtext.net/wiki-government-and-democracy/index.cgi?

For both emerging and established democratic societies, the Wikinomics<!– wiki-renamed-hyperlink “Wikinomics” –> era holds the promise and the inevitability of new models for delivering the functions of government. Government 2.0: Wikinomics, Government & Democracy is a global research project that will identify and analyze emerging opportunities to harness new models of collaboration to transform the public sector. It builds on a wealth of continuing research by New Paradigm<!– wiki-renamed-hyperlink “New Paradigm” –> – a renowned think tank led by author and strategist Don Tapscott – and a global faculty of experts.

The investigation will equip subscriber organizations with the insights required to harness new models of Web-based collaboration to reinvent the way they develop policy, partner across institutional boundaries, and engage and serve their constituents. The program will be conducted in partnership with the world’s leading thinkers and practitioners, funded by both governments around the world and private companies seeking to participate in this transformation.

We’ve opened up this workspace to inform members of the public about our new program and to invite input into our research. Feel free to jump in and have fun!

Program Description

Find out more about New Paradigm’s Government 2.0 Investigation and how your organization can participate.

Research Topics

New Paradigm’s Government 2.0 program will investigate how public sector organizations can harness new models of collaboration to reinvigorate government and democracy. Read about the research agenda and suggest new topics for investigation.

Gov 2.0 Resource Center

As part of our ongoing investigation New Paradigm is building a public resource center. Do you know of any great gov 2.0 case studies that New Paradigm should be researching? How about papers on pertinent Gov 2.0 topics, people worth talking to, or other think tanks or government research centers that are doing similar work? Share your suggestions with the community.

Government 2.0 Manifesto

Have your say: What should governments should do now to harness the power of mass collaboration and the web 2.0?

Government 2.0 Blog<!– wiki-renamed-hyperlink “Government 2.0 Blog” –>

Do you have questions about Government 2.0 for New Paradigm researchers and other community members? Would you like to start a discussion with other community members? Post your thoughts on the Government 2.0 Blog<!– wiki-renamed-hyperlink “Government 2.0 Blog” –>

Wikinomics and the Challenge to Government – by Anthony D. Williams

Today, thanks largely to the internet, the kind of creativity and innovation that used to take place primarily within the confines of corporate walls now occurs across large, loosely connected networks of firms and individual entrepreneurs.

Already, millions of people have joined forces in self-organized collaborations that have produced dynamic innovations in goods and services rivaling the world’s largest and best-financed enterprise networks. If masses of ordinary people can peer-produce an operating system (Linux), an encyclopedia (Wikipedia), the media (YouTube/Current TV), a mutual fund, and even a physical thing such as a motorcycle, one should carefully consider what might come next.

Arguably, this vast global network of specialized producers who swap and exchange services for entertainment, sustenance and learning is becoming an economy unto itself.

But what does Wikinomics entail for government and how will mass collaboration transform the business of delivering public services and the nature of democracy? Could societies “open source” government much the way thousands of dispersed Linux programmers converged on the internet to develop one of the world’s leading computer operating systems? Would large-scale, web-enabled consultations improve political decision-making or channel greater ingenuity and urgency into efforts to solve global challenges like terrorism and climate change? What about the provision of public services: could public agencies use ongoing collaboration with citizens, civil society and the private sector to achieve better results at a lower cost?

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Web2 0 for eGovernment: why and how? » SlideShare

Web2 0 for eGovernment: why and how? » SlideShare

Social Networks And Government Application » SlideShare

Social Networks And Government Application » SlideShare

Models of Government Blogging » SlideShare

Models of Government Blogging » SlideShare

http://www.slideshare.net/manuel.perez/models-of-government-blogging

Web 2.0: Government’s social networking debate

By: Rosie Lombardi, InterGovWorld.com(Jan 23, 2008

The Ontario government’s ban on the use of social networking upstart Facebook in the workplace unleashed a hail of controversy in 2007. Pundits, technology evangelists and naysayers squared off in the media, debating the pros and cons of this emerging phenomenon.

Facebook has risen to sudden prominence in Canada, growing from one million visitors in 2006 to 14 million in 2007, according to ComScore Canada. Facebook ranks fourth in the top ten Web sites, after major search giants MSN, Google and Yahoo. And Canada contains about 10 per cent of Facebook’s entire global population, according to The Facebook Blog.

The government is scrambling to deal with social networking and other Web 2.0 technologies that are spreading like wildfire across the nation, particularly among the young. Some say social media can revolutionize government communications, while others say they are enormous time-wasters. How should governments tackle this new beast?

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