Tech

Getting Started with open311

This is a continuation of an article about open311 use cases in which I looked at three cities using open311 solutions to communicate with their constituents. This week, I’d like to offer some advice about getting started with open311 technology. The best places to start are with mobile reporting applications and the constituent relationship managementRead… Read more »

On the Frontlines of Government’s Technological Transformation

In 1975 we saw the invention of the personal computer. In 2002 the first wave of smartphones hit the market. In 2008 the federal government considered cloud computing for the first time. James Sills has been witness to it all. And for the past five years, Sills has been the chief information officer for theRead… Read more »

Text Messaging vs. Mobile Instant Messaging

/> Over the course of the last year, I have noticed a rapidly rising organizational interest amongst my clients in using “text messaging” for communications purposes; specifically for opt-in notifications. The main reasons are quite obvious: 26.3% of Canadian households have no land-line (Convergence Consulting Group, 2014) The smartphone penetration rate is now at aRead… Read more »

Taxi Cabs Debates and What’s the Role of Gov – Plus the 7 Gov Stories

On GovLoop Insights’ DorobekINSIDER: What’s the appeal of secret societies? Oftentimes, they push members to excel, and make them feel like a part of a team effort. They allow their members to feel apart of an organization and push them to excel. Government doesn’t have any secret organization (or at least ones I know of),Read… Read more »

Mobile is Changing the Nature of Public Service

Dr. David Bray, Chief Information Officer of the FCC, speaking to Wednesday’s crowd. Mobile technology is filled with potential. It has the capacity to radically increase organizational response time, interconnectedness, and access to information. But there’s a flip side: it also has the capability to severely undermine privacy and security measures. The impulse, then, mayRead… Read more »

The Secret to Success? Collaboration

When you read about getting ahead in life, many times you’ll hear people discussing cutthroat options, ruthlessness, or other ways of dealing with the competition. But we really think that it’s actually collaboration that’s the key to success. Oftentimes, being a member of a collaborative group pushes members to excel, and make them feel likeRead… Read more »

Requirements Development is Key to Successful Software Development Acquisition

By Tom Colangelo Anyone who keeps up with national news is aware of a recent problematic major website deployment. Media pundits were quick to blame leadership problems. A noted information technology pundit pointed to acquisition and contracting failures and the governments’ inability to “hire” talented contractors. An Inspector General review will undoubtedly identify both functionalRead… Read more »

Social and Digital Engagement: You Can’t Outsource Leadership

Not content to focus on the benefits that social and digital engagement can bring, some advocates like to issue warnings about the inevitable demise of organizations that don’t jump on the social and digital bandwagons. Succumbing to that pressure, or perhaps feeling compelled by the bandwagon effect itself, leaders have gradually become interested in addingRead… Read more »

The Challenges State Leaders Face in Delivering True Fiscal Transparency

Most states have decided to list their expenses so their citizens can see where tax dollars are being spent. Listing the thousand, or millions, of individual transactions is good in theory, but these endless lists of expenditures fall dramatically short in providing the kind of transparency people yearn for as government continues to expand. GoodRead… Read more »