Gov20 Collaboration Best Practices – Dan Munz at #pfgov

Shaping a Public Dialogue
What works (we think!)
Dan Munz @dan_munz NAPA National Academy of Public Administration

Founded by former NASA head looking for expert management advice

Our mission / vision questions are around: How can we make government better, more effective, more accessible, etc.

Collaborative tools are mainstream
Nearly every federal agency has figured out how to use them for government
We know there are serious legal and policy challenges and we’re tackling them
More people should do it right!

NAPA – what we’ve been up to:
A National Dialogue on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review
Engage DHS stakeholders in shaping strategic review
Gain new ideas, engage new communities
Next one starts Aug 31, 2009 (Monday!)
www.homelandsecuritydialogue.org

Some crowdsourcing best practices:
Defining the problem well – pick an issue in your purview to address and solve
Areas where Fresh perspective and new ideas will add value
Potential communities can’t form due to silos, stovepipes, lack of platform to coordinate

Find Emergent Expertise
Not talking about Explicit expertise — people who study the issues and shape your policies
Look instead for frontline stakeholders, community leaders, engaged customers and the general audience
They are your emerging experts

Know what crowds can do — are they really wise? What do they really know?
They aren’t experts on what you do, however!
They know what they want and need from Gov
Process: They know what they want it to be like to interact with Gov (simple, fast, courtesy, helpful, etc.)
Best practices – they know what works where they are
Outcomes – their goals

What do they get?
Opp to participate
Feedback about their contribution
what else?
What can you offer them for engagement?

Thoughts: Build a process not a website

Some things don’t change:
Collaboration is making new things possible.
But what doesn’t change is that governance is the job of government
People are busy, use their time wisely
Leadership — lead!

Challenge isn’t technology it is leadership.
ID probs requiring innovation
Build durable community
Ensure that collaboration is productive