A very interesting topic to write about. I recall the days when the first we would hear anything about the government used to be via the 6pm news on the telly. Now I log into Facebook and see feeds and posts on parliament updates from various sources. How has this changed? What changes has the state made so that the public can know more about things that matters? What is the benefit of using social media by the government?
The Turning Point
Rapidly growing interest in the upper house affairs and the recognition of the citizen’s rights has brought many positive changes in how information has become readily available to the public via the use of social media and internet based sources.
The government holds data on behalf of the New Zealand public and they release it to enable the private and community sectors to use it to grow the economy, strengthen social and cultural fabric, and sustain the environment. The release of this information helps the public, local communities and the business sector to make informed decisions in regards to government related matters.
Through this commitment New Zealand citizens and businesses can expect a more efficient and accountable public sector, more services tailored to their needs, and a greater level of participation in shaping government decisions.
A programme of work called “Open Government Information and Data” was initiated in 2008 and, is currently hosted by Land Information New Zealand, and led by the Open Government Data Chief Executives Governance Group, and the Open Government Data Steering Group. The Declaration on Open and Transparent Government was approved by Cabinet on 8 August 2011.
Benefits Of Open Government data
There are four key benefits of releasing government data:
- Improving government – Open data is improving government, primarily by tackling corruption and increasing transparency, and enhancing public services and resource allocation.
- Empowering citizens – Open data is empowering citizens to take control of their lives and demand change by enabling more informed decision making and new forms of social mobilization, both in turn facilitated by new ways of communicating and accessing information.
- Creating opportunity – Open data is creating new opportunities for citizens and organizations, by fostering innovation and promoting economic growth and job creation.
- Solving public problems – Open data is playing an increasingly important role in solving big public problems, primarily by allowing citizens and policymakers access to new forms of data-driven assessment of the problems at hand. It also enables data-driven engagement producing more targeted interventions and enhanced collaboration.
- Building trust – Open government enables transparency and help to build and maintain trust of the public and to seek and engage the public along the way.
Government Initiative To Use Social Media
In 2011 (November), the ICT Strategy Group (external site link) approved the “Social media in government” guidance and the aim was to encourage best practice of social media use by government agencies, provide useful templates and tools for planning, and give an overview of the strengths, weaknesses, benefits and risks of this very important and rapidly growing toolset.
“Government agencies are beginning to view data and information as key public assets – the release of which can play a significant role in driving innovation through better decision making and the creation of new services, tools, and knowledge.” – Minister Louise Upston
Social Media In Action
Social media include but are not limited to blogs, wikis (e.g. Wikipedia), social networking sites (e.g. Facebook), micro-blogging services (e.g. Twitter),and multimedia sharing services (e.g. Flickr, YouTube). Social media are often associated such concepts as user-generated content, crowdsourcing, and Web 2.0.
Social Media opens up communication channels for the Government and the people to engage in various matters. It makes the Government accountable for its decisions on a daily basis and overall approachable. A recent example is the flag referendum here in New Zealand. By expressing your opinion on Facebook, Twitter or your social media platform of choice the potential is there to reach an unprecedented amount of people to join in with their own opinions and have their voices heard.
In terms of anti-corruption, social media has four major potential strengths: collaboration, participation, empowerment, and time. Social media is collaborative and is defined by social interaction. It provides the ability for users to connect with each other and form communities to socialize, share information, or to achieve a common goal or interest.
Social media can be empowering to its users as it gives them a platform to speak. It allows anyone with access to the internet the ability to inexpensively publish or broadcast information, effectively democratizing media. In terms of time, social media
Technologies allow users to immediately publish information in near real time.
While the push is to have more digital / internet based communication between the government and the public, it certainly pays to bear in mind that not everyone is computer savvy and that are technology glitches. Also with access to any information, the responsibility to use (not abuse) lies with everyone. Be good digital citizens.
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