Alpha gorilla

Everybody who has had much to do with the development of government web services knows that there have been failures of imagination, failures of bravery, failures of technique and failures to seize opportunities – as well as successes in the teeth of opposition and incomprehension. Few have had the opportunity to start from scratch (thoughRead… Read more »

The New Boy

So Mike Bracken, former digital boss at Guardian Media Group is the new Executive Director for Digital for the UK government. Welcome, Mike. In times as tough as these for the public sector, it’s a real coup to have recruited someone of your calibre to the role. The post was recommended by Martha Lane FoxRead… Read more »

Inside the walls of Masdar City

Known in transportation circles for its personal rapid transit system, Masdar City is an experiment in sustainable urban design. The Guardian’s Jonathan Glancey visited the city and wrote about his experience: Arriving by road from Abu Dhabi – there will be a train in years to come – you swap your car for a rideRead… Read more »

Like Monetizing the Margins: On Creating Public Value around the Public Service

Last week I sat down with Alex, an Epidemiologist (and fellow public servant), and we worked through a redesign of the information systems he and his team use to track infectious diseases that may be threatening Canada. Although to be honest, that was never the intention. We originally met to discuss how (if) tablet computersRead… Read more »

Track Mega-Trends in National Security with new KippsDeSanto Corporate Web Site

KippsDeSanto is an investment banking firm with an outstanding reputation in the national security and advanced technology sectors. The leadership of the firm have demonstrated a proven commitment to community building and in doing so have built a very virtuous system that delivers value to a wide range of stakeholders. Every person I’ve ever metRead… Read more »

DoD Releases Open Technology Development: Lessons Learned by the Military

It’s been about five years since the DoD-commissioned Open Technology Development Road Map was published, considered the definitive primer for smart government agencies and their personnel diving in to Open Source development, acquisition and operational policy-making. The next anxiously-awaited (well, not anxious but very much looked-forward to) installment – entitled “Open Technology Development: Lessons LearnedRead… Read more »

Sale of fake passes cost MBTA millions

An employee of Cubic Transportation Systems was arrested for creating and selling fake Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority passes. According to Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley, the man allegedly made 20,000 “ghost passes” since 2007 and sold them for a discount in person or on Craigslist. Because the passes were made on the same equipment asRead… Read more »

The Federal Coach: Timothy Wirth on Leadership: A Conversation with the UN Foundation President and Former U.S. Representative

Timothy E. Wirth has been the president of the United Nations Foundation since its inception in 1998. Wirth began his political career as a White House Fellow under President Lyndon Johnson and was deputy assistant secretary for education in the Nixon Administration. He is a former U.S. senator from Colorado and was also a memberRead… Read more »

Thank you, LocalGovCamp sponsors!

Since my last desperate begging funding drive, several companies and organisations have leapt to support LocalGovCamp, namely: Public-i Firmstep Talk About Local Global Crossing Arcus Global Many thanks to them. They join those who had already stuck their hands in their pockets: LGIU Podnosh The MoreOpen fund (where the cash comes indirectly from all theRead… Read more »

The Case for Choosing Open Source Collaboration Technology

Tomorrow, Friday, May 20 at 8:00 A.M. Eastern Time I will be interviewing Kurt Voelker, CTO with ForumOne, a digital communications firm based in Alexandria, Virginia on my Web Radio show ‘Collaboration TechTalk.” The topic will be “The Case for Choosing Open Source Collaboration Technology.” ForumOne provides internet strategy, online community and collaboration, user experienceRead… Read more »