[LINK] The Open Government Partnership

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Jan writes,

>> When a young Aussie *Attorney General* feels we need more public opinion
>> for proper law making, and good governance, then by golly I guess we do!
> 
> I think the medium varies.. However, if online is the choice, there
> must be another element:  awareness of its existence. How does that
> happen? .. How else do those in govt and public service who want to
> involved the public get their attention? .. I think crossover media
> connections are the key IF there's sites as the means for capturing
> this interaction. People need to be invited to participate. Call me
> cynical (because I am) that until there is a major disruption in the
> type of politics in this country .. most people prefer to sit on the
> sidelines hoping they'll implode.


Agree completely, Jan. But, I would say, social media can galvanize any
culture that's ignored, for example China and the Middle East. But what
would it take for Aussie politicians to respond to we, the public, with
democratic and effective use of social mediums? Any legislation that is
widely discussed with the public, will be widely 'owned' by the public. 

However even supposed, "Public Service Social Media Expert Conferences" 
almost completely ignore us, the public, (strange but true) in terms of 
Government 'Best Practice' with social media.

For eg have a look at this Conference "Showcase". Notice anyone missing?


"The Australian Government Social Media Best Practice Toolkit 2014"

Conference, 9 April 2014 to 10 April 2014
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
<http://www.arkgroupaustralia.com.au/Events-E095AGSM2014.htm>


An essential annual forum for the public sector in Australia for all areas 
to attend, not only to learn, but gain hands on knowledge to take advantage 
of new technologies

The case studies in this report showcase the different ways in which social 
media fosters ..

* Innovation – crowdsourcing ideas from employees;

* Internal communications – increasing staff engagement with new-style
  newsletters;

* Sharing knowledge – using the social intranet to publish product
  information and marketing materials, interact with users, and share
  subject matter experts’ insights through a blog;

* Events management – building and continuing momentum for strategy
  meetings;

* Project management – enabling project managers to connect with project
  team members, facilitating discussions, and sharing updates, meeting
  minutes, and project documents;

* Sales enablement – connecting the sales team to align sales priorities,
  connecting the global sales team to serve global clients, and gaining
  real time market and competitor insights;

* Operational efficiency – reducing support costs and building a dynamic
  knowledge * Learning and development – enabling social learning to allow
  deeper self-reflection and learning from peers.

--

Cheers,
Stephen


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