Government 2.0 Predictions for 2009

As part of my ongoing research for my university dissertation, I have read and viewed many examples of Web 2.0 on Local Government websites over the past few weeks.  Many of these applications such as Twitter and Facebook have been a good start for citizen engagement and collaboration but I feel they need to be  focussed on topical issues or an approach used by Saturn or BA for social networking rather than a general one size fits all facebook profile page for it to catch on with users outside of IT, PR and blogging/tech enthusiasts.

However I feel that some Web 2.0 applications play a key part of the E-GOV or T-GOV program! and will allow local authorities and other government departments to deliver cost effective IT services to the public, instead of the delayed, over complicated, multi-million pound IT disasters that have occurred in the past. 
I would be interested to hear what predictions on what Gov 2.0 services they would like to see in mainstream government or their predictions in general about Local Government websites in 2009.

Listed below are some of my suggestions

1.) User Generated Content (UGC) is the key Web 2.0 tool I feel that should be integrated into LA’s website. Following the lead set by the Guardian newspaper and integrating a comments system throughout the website with user profiles, tags and clippings combined with a usable design (as many LA websites are still far from usable compared to the private sector) will help LA’s reach out to their citizens, and allow them to comment on topics that interest them and allow them to connect with fellow citizens on the LA website with similar interests.

2.) The potential now exists for local authorities to achieve significant efficiency gains by transforming customer service and delivering services to the public via low-cost, self-service, website channels instead of the more costly phone and face-to-face channels that they have traditionally used in the past, but LA websites must become highly usable  in order for that potential to be realised.

The integration of Web 2.0 style knowledge base /wiki with self service into the CRM to deliver multichannel web delivery of council services (ie. Web, Call Centre, 1 stop shop etc) will help reduce call volume, providing better customer service and efficiency savings.

In the private sector Easyjet use the Internet as their main delivery channel resulting in significant cost savings over traditional access channels such as phone and face to face.

• Easyjet cost to sell seat on the phone £2.60
• Cost to sell seat on the internet £0.05p
• 98% of sales are online rather than by phone
• 70% of their customer service queries resolved online

The Royal Mail has also reduced the number of email and call queries by 50% overall, since providing their new web self service FAQ facility which many local authorities could emulate and improve upon.

3.) Interactive Mashups – like the example used by the City of Amsterdam, who use mashups and googlemaps to provide real time daily refuse runs.  Citizens can also report issues by clicking on a location on the map.  Previous issues and their status are also displayed on the map, which citizens can view. 

4.)Use of applications such as ‘Dell’s Ideastorm’ ’My Starbucks Idea” or OracleMix by local authorities – this is  the tool that if not overly moderated by councils/government can transform local/central government.  This could be used for citizens to provide their ideas and thoughts on how their to improve their communities and the council, how the LA could improve tourism in the area etc.  This would provide an interactive brainstorming session that the LA could gather ideas on topics they may not have been considering or on new ways on achieving goals.

Does anybody know if this platform has been developed in-house by Starbucks or is it an open source application?

5.) Widespread use of blogs – not just because everybody else is starting to have them so the organisation just creates a blog but creating blogs of value to the public.  Such as Blogs by every local councillor, allowing citizens to engage with their elected official and find out what they have been doing to benefit the local community.  This would be a much better medium and service to the public than the usual quarterly newsletter that I doubt many read when it is posted through their letterbox.

Blogs could be used by Chief Executives, heads of service or staff to engage more effectively with new audiences within the local community and to demonstrate that their local authority is committed to engage with its citizens in more cost effective and personal ways.

6.) Increased number of personalised websites such as LB of Redbridge who are the trailblazers in this field at present.  However I feel they can learn from examples such as Amazon or Netflix to deliver personalised websites that are of true benefit to the user.

7.) Greater collaboration/integration with information from other government departments  such as the Police, DVLA via mashups, xml feeds etc and delivered on the LA website.

8.) Improved search and tagging – The majority of LA websites are difficult to navigate around to locate the information you are looking for. By integrating an auto suggest facility on the search field and tagging  throughout websites will allow the public to locate the information they are looking for quicker and easier.

9.) Video and Images – By using tools such as YouTube/Flickr and integrated into the LA website could encourage citizens to post video or images, such as their favourite walk in the county borough  helping generate interest in tourism in the area etc or the use of video for walkthroughs/tutorials as being used by corporates such as Homedepot.  Perhaps how to be greener or how to complete a planning application? .  To increase engagement with younger audiences LA’s could also deliver certain news stories via Video and Podcasts.

10.) Further applications could include mobile applications where it will be possible to take a photograph of a street scene issue such as graffiti or an abandoned car, tag it with a geographic reference using the GPS system, and then send it to the local authority and the police for attention.

But for Web 2.0 to be successful as it has been in the private sector i.e. Dell, Starbucks, NorthWest Airlines etc local government/government will need to let go of control which many will find difficult. However in the local authorities that do and truely embrace these tools will deliver services that will transform government and the services they provide, developing relationships and engagement with the public.

Any other solutions or ideas you would like to see on your local government website?