Citizen Engagement
What is it?
The Internet gives government a real opportunity to give citizens a say in how they are governed...to create government of and by the people, not just for the people. It's part of the effort to make government more open to its citizens.
Web Managers play an important role in helping government managers engage citizens. Whether it's an online discussion, an online town hall, a blog that asks for comments on policy issues, or a "tweet" inviting comments, managers have many options. Web Managers need to explain the possibilities and help managers develop successful citizen engagement initiatives.
The important thing to remember about engaging citizens, from a web management point of view, is that the lead for engagement must reside with a program or subject matter manager. It takes significant resources, program/subject matter knowledge, and authority to review and act on input from citizens.
Resources
- President's memo on transparency and open government
- Open Government blog
- Open Government Innovations Gallery
- Collaboration Project, National Academy of Pubic Administration
- Promising Practices in Online Engagement, Center for Advances in Public Engagement
- Social Media in Government
- Public Participation and Engagement (presentation at 2009 Web Managers Conference)
- E-Democracy.org
- "Are We Ready for E-Democracy"
- Pew Internet – The Internet and Civic Engagement
