Gov Tech - Citizen Engagement Special

Citizen & Business Engagement Special Report
A Research Report from the center for digital government
Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville, Ky., Winner of the Best of the Web City Portal Award
a supplement to public cio
[ from the Executive Director ]
Citizens Today:
Seeing More, Knowing More and Saying More About Government
President Abraham Lincoln, in his famous Gettysburg Address, didnt look to the Constitution for inspiration, but rather to the Declaration of Independence when he distilled the essence of American government to, of the people, by the people and for the people For any government, so constituted, to be successful, the people must be actively engaged in the process of government and not merely subject to it. Technology is reducing the importance of time and money as requisites for civic participation. Recent national surveys demonstrate that what many of us thought we knew about the digital divide as a limiter of access and participation is proving not to be accurate. Almost half of American adults currently own smartphones, a number that is rapidly increasing. Public expectations of interaction with government are being fueled by private sector experiences that often set a high bar. The most successful agencies are embracing this change and using technology to develop robust relationships with those they serve across the organizational service portfolio. This is important because people want to see more, know more and say more about their government and they want to feel like they are being heard. This is empowering and encourages them to participate in their communities, thereby making those communities stronger and more vibrant. This Public CIO Special Report looks at the changing nature of citizen and business engagement. It highlights best practices and examples of successful policies and implementation strategies from public agencies across the nation. We trust you will find it informative and useful as you work to better communicate, interact and engage with your constituents.
Todd Sander
Executive Director, Center for Digital Government
PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT
content
4 6
Citizen and Business Engagement 2.0

So long, snail mail.
Mobility + Social Media: The New Foundation of Public Engagement

Government-to-citizen interaction is increasingly convenient and happening in real time.
Static is out, dynamic is in.
JESSICA MULHOLLAND
shutterstock.com
The Ever-Evolving Portal
24
14
Friends, Fans and Followers
Social media has government agencies and citizens interacting like old friends.
20 24
Open Data: Not Just a Trend

Open data has legs its here to stay and has the potential to be a powerful engagement tool.
22
Adjust Your APP-titude

Citizen service delivery: If there isnt already an app for it, there should be.
3-1-1 on Steroids
Its high time to lift the burden off of the call center.
Jonathan Reichental, CIO for the city of Palo Alto, Calif.
26
The Power of Many

Crowdsourcing taps the wisdom and talents of governments greatest asset its people.
30
General Guidelines for Public Engagement 2.0

Bottom line: Communicate, interact and engage.
2 20 22
2012 e.Republic. All Rights Reserved 100 Blue Ravine Road, Folsom, CA 95630 916.932.1300 phone | 916.932.1470 fax
[ introduCtion ]
Citizen and Business Engagement 2.0

So long, snail mail.
Attendees use of mobile devices at the 2012 Democratic National Convention highlights how dependent citizens are on handheld technologies.
cars.4 And NASA learned that interest in Mars is high when they tabulated the opinions of more than 1,200 citizens that participated in an online voting forum on the Mars ROVER mission.5 Governments are used to having constituents not friends, fans and followers. Citizen engagement historically meant snail mail and telephone calls that didnt require immediate action, or even acknowledgement. And 10 years ago, opening an agencys data for the world to review was unheard of. Its a new era of citizen and business engagement that builds a close-knit community of governments and their employees as well as hundreds, thousands, even millions of their friends. Governments are embracing new technology-driven models of citizen engagement. Many large governments or agencies, such as the state of Maryland and New York City, have full-time digital media strategists or other staff that plan and manage multi-faceted public engagement efforts. As a result, governments are reaching exponentially more citizens, reaping the rewards of being more transparent and dare we say it becoming cool. Z
Gettyimages.com
he convergence of ubiquitous mobility with user-centric, interactive social media technologies has pushed federal, state and local governments to develop technology initiatives that provide citizens and businesses with unprecedented opportunities for communication. For example, the state of Washington developed an app that allows citizens to register to vote using Facebook,1 while the U.S. Army maintains a Pinterest board to connect with Army
families.2 The city of Palo Alto, Calif., harnessed the power of open data to enable armchair budget analysts to review its inner financial workings,3 and Virginias e-procurement portal makes it easy for businesses to view RFPs, make bids, receive orders and submit invoices and in the process has helped the state save money. The city of New Haven, Conn., developed an interactive Web forum where users can report and track problems such as graffiti, broken pipes and abandoned
[ Survey Highlights ]
Survey says:
The Center for Digital Government surveyed 100 state and local government leaders on their agencies citizen and business
engagement initiatives. The results paint a picture of how agencies are utilizing social media and digital tools to connect with constituents and also reveal some of the challenges they need to overcome.
69
percent of respondents said
their city/county/state website was their favorite tool to connect with citizens.
Governments favorite social media network to connect with citizens is Facebook (11%). 35% of agencies and departments surveyed
do not have a budget for citizen engagement initiatives.
50
46%
percent of respondents of agencies and departments surveyed had developed mobile applications for their constituents.
said their biggest obstacle to getting citizens engaged was lack of time and staff to dedicate to new techniques.
56% of government agencies surveyed

had developed applications for businesses within their jurisdiction. These mobile business applications are primarily used for permitting (33%) and licensing (23%).
[ Fundamental Technologies ]
Mobility + Social Media:

The New Foundation of Public Engagement
echnology initiatives that improve public engagement are being fueled by citizen expectations based upon their interaction with the private sector. Mobility and social media technologies are the underpinnings of a new type of government interaction with constituents and businesses that is increasingly convenient and happening in real time. For example, citizens can report potholes, graffiti, electrical outages, broken tree limbs or other non-emergency events to local government using mobile applications and social media tools that allow simple interaction with the appropriate department.
Instead of unreturned emails and phone messages, new citizen engagement tools have feedback loops that inform users of the status of requests and complaints, giving them a feeling of empowerment and encouraging them to continue to participate in their community. For their part, governments become more efficient, effective, accountable and transparent.
Make Mine Mobile, Please

A March 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center showed that 46 percent of American adults own smartphones an increase of 11 percent in 10 months and that
Citizens can
report potholes, graffiti, electrical outages, broken tree limbs or other non-emergency events to local government using mobile applications and social media tools.
allow them to leverage their mobile device to improve communication and increase productivity. By leveraging the mobility boom, governments can improve service delivery and communications and provide a huge boost in citizen satisfaction. billion registered users;12 Twitter has half a billion.13 And thats just two of hundreds of social networking sites, not to mention individual blogs and other interactive websites. Well-informed public sector leaders understand that citizen engagement requires citizens to have access to government agencies and elected officials. Historically, this meant opening multiple communication channels, such as walk-in office visits, letters, telephone numbers maybe even a contact center and even the good old-fashioned suggestion box. The advent of the digital age means adding email and websites to the list. Social media further increases the number of digital communication channels that governments can use to communicate with their constituents. By embracing social media, the public sector can expand its outreach initiatives and further increase citizen satisfaction. Z
Social Media: Are You Listening?

With mobile phones, citizens ask Can you hear me? With social media, they ask Are you listening? Social media fuels the need and desire to communicate and interact with people and organizations that were formerly unreachable. Social media is free the only thing one needs is Internet access. And increasingly, more users are accessing social media sites from mobile phones instead of devices with fixed connections.11 The number of global social media users is fast approaching two billion. Facebook alone has more than a
smartphone owners outnumber users of basic mobile phones.6 Fifty-five percent of cell phone owners access the Internet or check email using their phone.7 For many of them, the device has become the preferred mode of Internet access: 25 percent of smartphone users surveyed said they use their phone, instead of a computer, to access the Internet in many cases because they lack high-speed Internet at home.8 Pew found that non-college graduates and those with annual incomes of less than $50,000 are more likely to use their phones for online access than those with higher incomes and education levels, suggesting that conventional ideas about the digital divide may not be applicable to mobile technology.9 Similarly, Nielsen has found that smartphone adoption crosses racial boundaries.10 As consumers increase the use of mobile devices, they expect organizations to provide easy mobile access, mobile apps and other tools that
flickr/Esther Gibbons
55
PERCENT PERCENT
of cell phone owners access the Internet or check email using their phone
For many of them, the device has become the preferred mode of Internet access
25
of smartphone users surveyed said they use their phone, instead of a computer, to access the Internet
in many cases because they lack high-speed Internet at home
Source: Pew Research Center March 2012 Survey14
[ Websites ]
The EverEvolving Portal

Joe Thomassen
he popularity of mobility and social media has impacted Web page design and functionality, even in the public sector. The functionality and aesthetics of government sites are beginning to rival the most innovative private sector companies. Static is out; dynamic is in. Lackluster design? Out. Obsolete contact information? Way out. Online service delivery? In. Instant or near-instant interactivity, and integration with social media and mobility? In, in and in. Government agencies focused their early efforts on self-service transactions, such as hunting and fishing licenses, tax and other payments, permitting, background checks, drivers licenses, auto registration renewals and park reservations. Now theyre taking their websites to the next level, following the lead of the private sector community, which has built brands by innovating websites and using them to
improve customer self-service, develop customer loyalty, gain competitive advantage and help customer-facing employees be more productive. By enhancing navigation, usability, presentation and integration with mobility and social media, public sector agencies are creating portals that put constituent convenience first. Why bother? In testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, the CEO of customer experience analytics research firm ForeSee said that citizens with high levels of website satisfaction also report having higher trust in the agency and are 48 percent more likely to provide feedback than those who are less satisfied. In addition, website satisfaction increases the likelihood that the citizen will return to the website again and recommend the site to others both factors that help reduce the use of more expensive communication channels.15
Alabama.gov
Winner of the Best of the Web State Portal Award
(LEFT) AgriMissouri, a program that connects local farms to consumers, is the focus of one of the states most successful Web portals. (RIGHT) Residents explore caverns at Lake of the Ozarks State Park.
Citizen Passions Fuel the Best Websites

The state of Missouris website is designed to respond to the passions of its citizens, says acting CIO Tim Robyn. We found that the best way to keep citizens engaged is to give them multiple opportunities to interact with us on the activities and interests that they are most enthusiastic about, he explains. Missourians, it turns out, are passionate admirers of their states natural beauty, so the states website is packed with ways for them to discover nature. Lovers of the outdoors can apply for a hunting or fishing license, take an online boating safety course or reserve a campsite at a state park or campground. AgriMissouri, a program that connects local farms to consumers, is the focus of one of the states most successful Web portals, www.agrimissouri. com, which promotes agritourism as
a way to simultaneously educate consumers about local food choices and boost the states agriculture industry. By engaging agribusinesses and citizens with each other, the government can play a part in bringing together local producers and consumers, says Robyn. Its a win-win for everybody. Theres much more to www.mo.gov than nature and agriculture, though. The state currently offers its residents access to more than 650 online services. For example, citizens can obtain a copy of their GED transcript, submit a cruelty complaint against a dog breeder or transfer money to an inmate.16
Engage Businesses with Business-Friendly Websites

Governments can also use their Web portals to bolster their reputation as a business-friendly jurisdiction. For example, to help develop the states workforce by connecting
employers and potential employees, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) provides online meeting technology to registered users. The department has hosted virtual job fairs, workshops, trainings and live employer presentations. Two recent virtual job fairs held by the Pueblo and Pikes Peak workforce centers served more than 1,000 job seekers. Participating employers saved on costs for booths, materials, travel and staffing; the workforce centers reduced staff coordination time and eliminated facility costs.17 One of the most helpful ways to engage the business community is to develop an online procurement application. Traditional, paper-based purchasing processes are very labor-intensive and cumbersome, notes Bob Sievert, director of Virginias e-Procurement Bureau, Division of Purchases and Supply. The paper-based process
10 PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT
What Makes a Good Government Website?

Winning websites make liberal use of mobile optimization, location awareness, live customer service, and notifications and alerts.20 3 Mobile optimization. As more information seekers arrive at websites via smartphones and tablets, websites need to be optimized for mobile devices. The state of California and Rhode Islands Department of Health, among others, use a technique called responsive design, which automatically scales and reformats website content to fit smaller screen sizes. 3 Location awareness. Location-aware websites use global positioning system (GPS) data to automatically determine user location to display relevant local information. Users can also manually input their location information to receive a map with the location of nearby offices and facilities. Californias website uses GPS to automatically serve up location-aware information to mobile users. 3 Live customer service. Live customer service assists users as they navigate websites and complete transactions. The state of Nebraskas website allows surfers to open a chat window and get help from a live representative, while mobile users of the Alabama state portal can text state staff for help. 3 Notification services. Citizens increasingly want to sign up for customized email or text-based reminders and alerts for information such as severe weather conditions, traffic problems and activity reminders. More than 90,000 residents are subscribed to Louisvilles notification system, which reminds them of garbage pickup days and delivers crime data, among other alerts.
makes it hard to bring more vendors involved in the bidding process. Virginias online procurement system, known as eVA, has been instrumental in engaging more small, women- and minority-owned businesses in the government procurement process. Many of these businesses dont often have the staff resources to deal with a complicated paper-based procurement process, says Sievert. Our e-procurement solution makes it easier for them to participate and helps level the playing field. This increases competition and leads to better pricing, which means that tax dollars are used more efficiently. eVA allows state agencies, educational institutions and many local governments to conduct all sourcing and purchasing activities for goods and services. It also enables the state to capture e-procurement data and make it available for citizen review.
Taxpayers can access reports that provide detail on what the state is buying and from which vendors, how much it paid and other spending information. eVA serves 171 state organizations, more than 23,000 employees and 600 local governments. More than 53,000 suppliers including 15,000 small, women- and minority-owned businesses are signed up on eVA.18 Oklahoma implemented QuickTax, a statewide online business tax filing system. Launched in early 2011, QuickTax allows most businesses to view and pay their taxes via the Internet. Its the kind of easy, common-sense service that eGovernment excels at providing. Its been a huge success, says Mary Frantz, deputy administrator of the Oklahoma Tax Commission. If we dont have to touch a piece of paper, the errors are reduced and costs are saved.19 Z
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
11
2012 Digital Government Achievement Awards

Each year, the Center for Digital Government highlights some of the most innovative applications and websites from cities, counties and states, as well as the federal government. The Best of the Web Awards showcase the excellence of official Web portals of cities, counties and states. The Digital Government Achievement Awards recognize outstanding agency and department websites and application and infrastructure projects for all levels of government. Lets take a look at how some of this years winners used websites and applications to improve engagement with citizens and businesses.
Featured Best of the Web Award Winners

Alabama - First place, state portal category. Alabamas Web portal
includes online and text options for live chat and features a variety of customizable interactive maps, children- and student-specific content and integration with multiple social media sites. The state brings awareness to the sites 150 online services by rotating various service statistics on the home page.
Arvada, Colo. - Second place, city portal category. Arvadas website

features a rotating image-based news feed and graphic icons that link to featured content. The city includes copious amounts of open data and location-based information and maps. Socially, the home page features recent videos and podcasts, as well as links to multiple social media accounts and a mobile app in the Android and Apple app stores.
California - Second place, state portal category. Californias Web page gives
prominent access to news, popular searches and pages, new videos and the states 280 social media accounts. A website data dashboard parses important website visit data, such as number of visits per day and per month, mobile visits and social media followers.
Louisville, Ky. - First place, city portal category. The Louisville portal includes
links to an active social media center with multiple social tools, including virtual town meetings conducted via Facebook and Twitter. This year the city added geospatial data, giving citizens the ability to find services and locations on a map-based tool.
with autism communicate in emergency situations by employing a commonly used color-coded scale.
social media, enables citizens to share ideas and create projects that benefit the city of Philadelphia.
New Jersey - Government-to-business award. The Garden State makes it easy

for car dealers to issue and manage temporary vehicle tags with the online Temp Tags application. The website eliminates handwritten forms, enabling dealers to print temporary vehicle tags directly from their own printers.
Salt Lake City, Utah - Governmentto-citizen award, local government category. The goal of the Solar Salt
Lake Project is to facilitate at least 10 megawatts of solar installations by 2015. The website provides a threedimensional map and tools that allow residents and businesses to determine the solar potential of their property.
Orange County, Fla. - First place, county portal category. Orange

Countys recently revamped website is designed to be as intuitive as possible for citizens. Real-time online services include information on active fire rescue operations, lost and available pets, current county inmates, online permitting and utility bill payment.
Orange County, Calif. - Governmentto-citizen award, local government category. On its revamped website,
OCVote.com, the Orange County Registrar of Voters give residents the ability to register to vote, maintain
Utah - Government-to-business award. Utah's OneStop Business

Registration is a registration website that allows business owners to register with and receive licenses,
Pinellas County, Fla. - Second place, county portal category. Using integrated
map-based tools, residents can learn about their neighborhood, report a service issue and find evacuation and other emergency information.
their registration, request vote-bymail ballots, replace a lost ballot, sign up for online voter information and volunteer to be a poll worker.
account numbers and documentation from five agencies, including the tax and labor commissions and the departments of commerce, workforce services and environmental quality.
Featured Digital Government Achievement Award Winners

Minnesota - Government-to-citizen award, state government category.
The Minnesota Governors Council on Developmental Disabilities developed the Autism Help app, which helps children and adults
Philadelphia, Pa. - Driving digital government award, local government category. Change by Us Philly, a civic
engagement platform that leverages the power of crowdsourcing and
West Virginia - Driving digital government award, state government category. The Suspicious Activity
Reporting mobile app is a free app that serves as an anonymous digital tip line. It allows users to submit tips along with geotagged photos and video of suspicious activity to state authorities. Z
Change by Us Philly leverages the power of crowdsourcing.

13
[ Social Media ]
Fr and
Cory Booker
The Newark, N.J., mayors use of social media to connect with residents is legendary.
getty images/Joe Raedel
Friends, Fans d Followers

Streamlining I communication, engaging constituents
ts safe to say that the use of social media in government represents a seismic shift in the way governments communicate and interact with each other and their constituents. Sophisticated social media strategies and ongoing social media relationships with citizens are helping government agencies streamline communication, reach new audiences and better engage their current audiences by creating content that is relevant to citizens. Social media and government agencies got off to a bumpy start, primarily because the companies standard terms of service conflicted with federal and state laws and procurement guidelines. Over the last few years, most social media providers have worked
15
NASA
The agencys official Twitter feed has more than 3 million followers. The feed for its latest Mars mission went wildly viral in Summer 2012.
Getty Images/AFP
engage the public

A recent survey that tracks and ranks the use of social media in the 75 largest U.S. cities revealed:
>87%
2011
used Facebook to engage the public

2009
used Facebook to engage the public
13%
75%
2011
useD YouTube TO engage the public

2009
useD YouTube TO engage the public
16%
87%
2011
useD twitter to engage the public

2009
useD twitter to engage the public
25%
Source: University of Illinois Chicago study, as reported by ScienceDaily
with governments to modify their standard terms, spurring the adoption of social media in the public sector. Now, the use of social media by government agencies is nearly universal. A recent survey that tracks and ranks the use of social media in the 75 largest U.S. cities revealed that more than 87 percent of them used Facebook to engage the public in 2011, compared to 13 percent in 2009. In addition, the use of YouTube increased from 16 to 75 percent and Twitter use climbed from 25 to 87 percent.21 Somerville, Mass., Social Media Director Denise Taylor told Government Technology that her citys 76,000 residents are more vested in the community because of their participation in social media. We have seen attendance at meetings increase significantly because of it, she said. Were receiving volunteers [and] including commission members we werent reaching before.22 Social media can be used effectively by individuals as well as organizations. Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Bookers use of social media to connect with residents is legendary. On his personal website, Facebook
page, YouTube channel and Twitter feed, which he manages himself, Mayor Booker personally interacts with citizens and responds to their suggestions and help.
Tools in the Social Media Toolbox

Facebook and Twitter are the two most popular social media vehicles for government agencies. Pinterest is a rising star, and a variety of other social networks and tools are available. Facebook. Facebook is social medias 800-pound gorilla. If a government with limited resources could only have one social media account, it would probably choose Facebook. A 2010 NASCIO survey found that it was the most frequently used social networking site for state governments. 23 Some of Facebooks most liked sites are from the federal government. At this writing, the Marines have almost 2.5 million Facebook likes,24 NASA has nearly 1.3 million 25 and the Army has more than 1.6 million.26 Facebook is by far the most popular social media tool for Somerville, a Boston suburb that has 27 (and counting) Facebook pages for various
agencies, programs, departments and initiatives. Somervilles Facebook pages are part of an integrated social media effort that also includes multiple Twitter feeds, a couple of YouTube channels and several blogs. The most common Facebook use is for day-to-day communication needs, but governments also create Facebook pages for special event promotion and emergency communications. The state of Washington has created an app that allows users to register to vote via Facebook (and announce their newly registered status to their friends). Washington, which already allows online voter registration (and is one of less than 20 states to do so), is the first state to allow Facebookbased voter registration.27 Twitter. Like Facebook, Twitter is used by governments for emergency communications and to promote special events and campaigns, but it is most frequently used for daily engagement efforts.
For extra-heroic Twitter efforts, we turn to NASA, which has received much praise and recognition for its use of Twitter (and all other social media, for that matter). The space agencys official Twitter feed has more than 3 million followers at this writing, and the feed for its latest Mars mission went wildly viral this past summer in Internetspeak, it blew up the Twitterverse. @MarsCuriosity live-tweeted its own landing and subsequent explorations, made an overnight Internet sensation out of the Mars Curiosity flight director and has been credited with reviving flagging interest in NASAs space missions. Leveraging the success of the ongoing Mars Curiosity mission, NASA created the hashtags #SpotTheShuttle and #Endeavour and invited its followers to post pictures on Twitter (and Facebook) of the retired space shuttle Endeavour as it was transported this fall from Texas to California
What Makes a Good Social Media Presence?

You can achieve sublime results by including a few simple ingredients in your social media recipe: 3 Sticky content. Find out what your constituents love and make sure to include relevant, interesting multimedia content that your followers will want to share. Avoid pasting news release headlines into your social media feeds, steer clear of political content and be sure to post regularly. 3 Original content. Dont just repost the same content on your Facebook page, Twitter feed and blog. Try to post original or exclusive content to each network at least part of the time. Do, however, use social networks to link to longer content on your website or blog. 3 Dialogue. Invite followers to engage by asking questions and encouraging dialogue. Ask them what they want to see or learn about and deliver it. 3 An authentic voice. Dont be afraid to sound human. Be professional without being robotic, boring or stiff. 3 The good, the bad and the ugly. Disgruntled citizens may be publicly negative on government social media channels. Your first reaction to a critical Facebook comment might be to delete it, but resist the urge. You show your commitment to openness by leaving it up. 3 Ground rules. Do draw the line at profanity, abuse and hate speech. The GSAs Social Media Navigator, located at www.gsa.gov/portal/ category/101299, provides suggestions that are applicable across any level of government.
The Marines have almost 2.5 million Facebook likes.
17
via 747. The agency invited 40 of its social media followers, chosen in a random online drawing, to attend Endeavours arrival at the Edwards Air Force Base and tour the shuttle afterwards.28 The resulting Twitter explosion allowed NASAs followers to track the shuttle via Twitter as it made its way from Texas to California and was yet another public engagement win for the space agency. Unfortunately, not every agency can tweet about Mars missions and space shuttles. More mundane government tweets can still create buzz and engage the public, however. A host of executive leaders, including
Louisvilles Mayor Greg Fischer, Palo Altos Mayor Yiaway Yeh and Marylands Governor Martin OMalley use Twitter to host open online meetings and tweet-ups where on-site participants provide ongoing, realtime tweets.29 The city of Seattle uses Twitter extensively. Besides the mayors main feed and the primary city council feed, most council members have individual feeds, as do many city
departments. The Seattle Police Department is using Twitter to get the latest word on city crime out to its citizens. For example, to combat rising car theft, the department created the @getyourcarback feed to report the make, model, year, color and license plate of all stolen automobiles.30 The Seattle Police Department recently launched Tweets by Beat, a hyper-local Twitter project with a near real-time feed for each of
Welcome to the Seattle Police Departments Tweets By Beat page. The Seattle Police Department is making it easier than ever before for you to find out about crime happening in your neighborhood. With Tweets by Beat, you can follow or view a Twitter feed of police dispatches in each of Seattles 51 police beats, and find out about the flashing lights and sirens on your block. In order to protect crime victims, officers and the integrity of investigations, calls will display one hour after a dispatcher sends the call to an officer. The feeds also do not include information about domestic violence calls, sexual assaults and other certain types of crimes.
Seattles 51 neighborhood police beats. The department tweets most of the crimes, emergencies and other police calls by neighborhood. Theres an hour delay for safety reasons (to discourage gawkers) and some crimes, such as sexual assaults, are not reported for privacy reasons. Its like a 21st-century police scanner, says acting Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Erin Devoto. One month after its launch, more than 8,000 people are using the Tweets by Beat service.31 Pinterest. Pinterest is a fairly new social network that capitalizes on the appeal of images. It has catapulted into the list of top 10 social networks, behind only Facebook and Twitter, in a little over two years.32 Pinterest may not be right for every government agency, but because of its astronomical growth rate, its worth considering especially for agencies with visually appealing content.33 The Army is on Pinterest, as are the Navy and the National Guard. Rhode Island and Maryland were among the first states to sign up. In March, Maryland launched a Pinterest Business Pitch Contest to showcase its small businesses and start-ups and encourage entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs entered the contest by creating a Pinterest page and pitching their business ideas using 10 photos. 34 The competition netted about 60 submissions, including an eight-year-old who makes and sells duct tape wallets and a Johns Hopkins University researcher with a maternal health business. Other tools. Many, many other social media tools exist. Here are just a few of the ones that governments are using to get the word (and the image) out to their constituencies.
Who Should Represent the Government?

Many organizations and not just those in the public sector are confused about who should be allowed to be social. Agency leaders must decide which departments, agencies or programs should have their own social media page and on which networks, and who will administer each social media presence. Larger jurisdictions may be able to hire staffers that focus solely on social media. Others may find it more cost effective to add social media responsibilities to the job descriptions of individual program managers. (Consider that the most authentic voice most likely belongs to employees that are most vested in or passionate about a program.) Or, jurisdictions can combine the two strategies by having a social media or digital communications manager or team that focuses on strategy and major initiatives, while program managers handle the efforts for their specific programs. Be careful not to position a post, comment or response as written by Mayor Smith if its really written by a junior staffer. Similarly, be clear about who is able to address which kind of topic. For example, is it OK for a junior staffer to respond to a question about a sensitive or critical issue? The General Service Administrations (GSA) policy is a good place to start developing guidelines (www.gsa.gov/graphics/staffoffices/socialmediapolicy.pdf). The agency also has a video at www.howto.gov/training/classes/hatch-act-social-media.
shutterstock.com
Flickr. Flickr is for sharing original

photos. Because its one of the older social tools, many governments have been using it for some time and will likely continue to do so in spite of the proliferation of integrated photo sharing on social networks such as Facebook. YouTube. Video-sharing networks help government reach their constituents, and YouTube is by far the biggest and most popular network. Governments can develop and brand their own unique video channel. LinkedIn can help governments connect with younger workers and other social users that might not otherwise be considering government employment. Many governments maintain an active presence with details on job opportunities and upcoming job fairs. Blogs are a great tool for long-form content for governments or individual employees or officials. Z
Of 100 state and Local government leaders surveyed By the Center for Digital Government:
69% 69%
think social media has the most value for event promotion.
think social media has the most value for customer/ constituent services.
19
[ Transparency ]
Open
JESSICA MULHOLLAND
Data
Not Just a Trend
pen data became important for tracking tax dollar spending when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was passed in 2009. The open data trend has legs its here to stay and it has the potential to be a powerful public engagement tool. Open data is governments lowhanging public engagement fruit. Thats because so many governmentpublic interactions are digital and generate vast amounts of data, notes Jonathan Reichental, CIO for the
city of Palo Alto, Calif. Government data is owned by the people and by liberating it, we create unlimited opportunities for engaging the public, he says. This also enables us to score points in the community for being more transparent, increase public trust and get better citizen feedback. Palo Altos Open Data and Open Budget initiatives launched in the summer of 2012. Open Data provides information on demographics, community services, public works, development center permits, public
utilities and more. A separate mapbased section for geographic data includes locations of trees, parks and trails. Open Budget is a highly visual interactive platform that allows users to view and analyze spending, revenue and other financial data by all departments. Users can view the data in a variety of different graph styles or filter it to find specific information.36 Marylands StateStat performance measurement and management tool is based on a similar philosophy. StateStats user-friendly online
Open Budget is a highly visual interactive platform that allows users to view and analyze spending, revenues and other financial data by all departments.
Jonathan Reichental
CIO for the city of Palo Alto, Calif.
track spending by project type or by location so they could understand exactly how the money is being used. Much of StateStat data is in a document format that can be cumbersome for users and computer applications to read and analyze. The state is in the process of transitioning to an open data platform that will provide users with interactive capability. The open data platform will build on what weve already accomplished and provide the public with even more tools that they can use to analyze Marylands progress, says Sidh. 36
dashboards make it easy for the public to review map-based visualizations of the performance of key public safety, health care and social services agencies. By putting information about its performance at its constituents fingertips, StateStat builds trust and encourages public engagement, says Sameer Sidh, deputy director of StateStat. RecoveryStat and Marylands Recovery Act website is a classic example, he explains. We gave citizens the ability to
Location, Location, Location: The Role of GIS

Who wants to look at a bunch of tables and graphs? On the other hand, everybody loves maps. Thats why geographic information systems (GIS) technology is critical for states that want to visually draw citizens into their data. GIS databases with location-based and map information can be queried and analyzed to enhance decision-making and improve citizen engagement.
The combination of maps and data is powerful it localizes government right down to the citizens neighborhood, street or residence. Seattles open data platform, data. seattle.gov, includes detailed mapbased information on crime, business permits, electric permits, real-time fire dispatch, traffic accidents and the locations of city-owned bike racks, to name just a few of the citys more than 100 datasets. One popular open data project, My Neighborhood Map, allows users to map the location of basketball courts, schools, cemeteries, play areas, community centers, senior centers, pools, emissions inspectors, gardens, heritage trees and dozens of other items located throughout their neighborhood. Seattle CTO Devoto echoes a message weve heard before the passion of the citizen is key in building data-driven maps products. Open data is successful when its based on data thats important to the public, she says. Residents are going to be most engaged with data that theyre interested in.37 Z
21
[ Mobile APPS ]
2012 Evergreen Apps Challenge Winners
flickr/evergreen Apps
Adjust Your APP-titude

Upping the ante in citizen service delivery
hances are, if you need any type of government information, theres already an app for it. Governments are beginning to up the ante by providing service delivery apps to allow citizens to do business with governments from anywhere they happen to be. The first goal of the federal Digital Government Strategy is to enable the American people and an increasingly mobile workforce to access high-quality digital government information and services anywhere, anytime, on any device.38 So its no surprise that the federal government has jumped into mobile app development with both feet. The federal mobile apps gallery contains nearly 300 (and counting) apps for Apple, Android and BlackBerry devices.39 State and local governments have also been busy developing mobile apps that put needed information at the users fingertips. In California, Alameda Countys Voter Profile app allows residents to view voter registration status, polling place locations and a sample ballot, among other tasks. Utah has developed apps to make life easier for its residents and visitors. Nature lovers can download mobile apps that allow them to explore Utahs state parks or receive avalanche
When the app grows organically from within the community, theres more support than when the government pushes something out.
Erin Devoto, Acting Chief Technology Officer, City of Seattle
advisories. Would-be drivers can take drivers license practice tests, while commuters have mobile access to a wealth of information from the states extensive network of overhead traffic cameras and in-road traffic sensors.40 The Tennessee Department of Transportation recently launched SmartWay, an app designed to help drivers reach their destination while avoiding traffic and other hassles.
Commuters can view live shots of traffic cameras on their route, helping them plan detours if necessary.41 Jurisdictions that have embraced open data can take advantage of their residents talents by creating a community app challenge. Since the first app challenge was held in 2009 by Washington, D.C., theyve become a popular way for jurisdictions to connect with citizens (and enjoy the benefits of their technical skills). The federal government urged citizens to use data from data.gov in its Apps for America challenges; New York City followed with its BigApps contest. Chicagos version was called Apps for Metro Chicago. A joint effort of King County, the city of Seattle, and the state of Washington and funded in part by ARRA money, the 2012 Evergreen Apps Challenge was open to all Washington residents and featured 10 prizes worth more than $75,000. The contest challenges app developers to make life better in Washington by creating apps that use data from data.seattle.gov, data.wa.gov, and datakc.org.42 There are a lot of benefits when we leverage resident talent because residents understand the community needs, says Seattles Devoto. When the app grows organically from within the community, theres more support than when the government pushes something out.43 Z
What Makes a Good Mobile App?

Developing your first mobile app can be intimidating. Find a good development partner and keep the following tenets in mind. 3 Strive for simplicity. Follow the KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) principle and keep it simple. Too many functions and itll be hard to use consider developing multiple apps instead. The same goes for design. It should be intuitive and use pre-filled categories or drop-down menus to make it easy for the person entering information. 3 Integrate with relevant systems. If your app collects data, it should integrate with existing systems, such as work order or dispatch systems for 3-1-1 apps. If it doesnt, staff will waste time re-inputting data. 3 Leverage GPS technology. Apps are more valuable when they are able to leverage geospatial information from the mobile devices GPS and serve up locationbased content. This doubles or triples your ability to connect with constituents because its the ultimate in personalization. 3 Support multiple platforms. No single platform has won the mobile OS war yet. Focus on only one at your peril. You dont want to alienate users of the other platforms.
23
[ 3-1-1 ]
3-1-1 on Steroids
S
ince the introduction of the first 3-1-1 center in the mid-1990s, the number of non-emergency call centers for citizen complaints, requests for service and suggestions has dramatically increased. But so has the cost per call: A recent study of 15 cities found that the average cost per 3-1-1 call was $3.39. For one city, the cost was nearly $8.00 per call. This is a significant investment, given that some cities field hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of calls each year.44 Given that budgets are under the scalpel now and for the foreseeable future, is 3-1-1 worth the cost? By enhancing standard 3-1-1 services with social and mobile technologies, governments open multiple communication channels for public engagement and lift some of the burden from the call center. In this way, they can cut costs and paradoxically reach more constituents particularly those who prefer to use mobile devices and the Internet instead of traditional landline phones. Bostons Citizens Connect initiative is an example of souped-up 3-1-1. Its centerpiece is the Citizens Connect app, free for both Apple and Android mobile devices, which allows constituents to use their phones GPS
Not only have we reached out and found a new way to connect with the citizens, [but] we have also created a really low-cost channel to allow them to do that.
Bill Oates, Chief Information Officer, City of Boston
and camera technology to specifically identify and report the location and description of complaints or service requests. Citizens get a case number that allows them to track their requests, and they can view the status of all submitted requests plotted on a map or by photo. This information is mirrored on a separate Citizens Connect website as well as a Twitter feed, both of
which can be used by those without mobile devices to make a request. Since its inception in 2009, the Citizens Connect mobile app is now the portal for 20 percent of the citys 3-1-1 requests. Boston CIO Bill Oates told SearchCIO.com that the public response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive. Not only have we reached out and found a new way to connect with the citizens, [but] we have also created a really low-cost channel to allow them to do that, he says. Its been great, and now we get all the data generated from those requests as well.45 The city of New Haven, Conn., has a work order submission system on its website that it has supplemented with a thirdparty, database-driven community problem-solving website. The subscription-based service is ideal for municipalities that dont have the resources to develop an in-house website, mobile application or other 3-1-1 system. New Havens system receives, processes and tracks service requests, which can be viewed by status on a map. It includes a free iPhone app, which enables users to take and include photos in their service request. The app geotags the photos, using the phones GPS technology to record the exact location.
In Massachusetts, Somerville created a Facebook 3-1-1 page to supplement its call center. Residents can post questions and service requests via the Facebook interface or submit a work order via a form-based app. The city also posts service reminders and announcements about activities such as city office closings, street sweeping and hydrant flushings. The citys Facebook 3-1-1 effort has reduced call center calls by 15 percent. In addition to its Facebook page, Somervilles 3-1-1 arsenal includes a Twitter feed, an iPhone app and a submission form on its Web page. Steve Craig, the citys 3-1-1 director, told Government Technology that he doesnt care what channel citizens use to engage. It doesnt really make a difference to us either way. Were happy to take it, Craig said. We do find that a lot of constituents find it [social media] easier because theyre busy. If theyre at work or on the bus or whatever theyre doing, its easier for them to pull up their Facebook page or Twitter account.46 One major benefit of online 3-1-1 systems is that they make visible the work that a city does. This creates a better sense of connection with the public because constituents can see that their requests and complaints are being attended to.47 Z
shutterstock.com
25
[ collaboration ]
Tom Menino
Boston, and Mayor Tom Menino, are known for using citizen engagement initiatives to help solve city problems. Here, Menino speaks at a Toys for Tots drive in the city.
The Power of Many

Tapping the wisdom and talents of governments greatest resource.
sing social media-influenced tools that bring citizens together to collaborate, crowdsourcing taps the wisdom and talents of government constituencies to address and solve pressing challenges that they might not have the resources to solve on their own. Its not new, but the emergence of social media technologies has helped it become a trend by making large-scale crowdsourcing easy, fast and affordable. Crowdsourcing can help governments reach and engage their constituents, manage their feedback and choose the best ideas at a very low cost. Early public sector efforts focused on competitions and challenges, but today, governments rely on several types of crowdsourcing. Competitions and challenges. App challenges are just one type of crowd competition, and youll find plenty of them on challenge.gov, the
david kidd
27
Find related story on Govtech.com:

www.govtech.com/wireless/ Boston-Testing-App-for-Auto-DetectingPotholes.html
federal governments online challenge platform. But theres more to crowd competitions than app challenges. For example, Boston held a public challenge because it needed a computer algorithm to integrate into StreetBump, an existing app that it had developed. StreetBump was supposed to use a phones accelerometer and GPS technology to accurately identify the location and severity of potholes. When a user drove over a pothole, the app was designed to automatically measure and geolocate it and deliver that information to the city. But the existing app couldnt tell the difference between potholes, speedbumps and manhole covers. Enter crowdsourcing. A prize of $25,000 enticed developers to create solutions. Three groups of developers ended up splitting the prize.48,49 To create the competition, Boston used an online third-party platform, which served as a sort of broker, to host the challenge. To secure funding, it partnered with the private sector to provide the prize money, a common crowd competition model in the public sector. In many cases, if a budget for the
project already exists, its more cost effective for an agency to fund the competition itself than to go through traditional procurement channels. Be sure that any crowdsourced products have a strategy for sustainability. For example, only one of the 47 apps produced for the first app challenge in Washington, D.C., is still being used. Citizen developers usually have day jobs and may not have the resources or desire to maintain, update, service and improve the app.50 Agencies should have a plan for sustaining any products resulting from crowdsourcing efforts. Crowdvoting. The federal government was an early user of crowdvoting, in which an online platform is used to solicit ideas on how to solve a problem. Citizens submit ideas
and other users vote and comment on their favorites. The most popular ideas rise above the rest.51 Users can see who had the most ideas and whose ideas were the most popular. The FCC used an online third party crowdvoting platform to solicit citizen feedback on the National Broadband Plan. The FCC invited users to give their opinions on the plan, engage in dialogue with others about their ideas and vote on the best suggestions.52 Oakland County, Mich., uses crowdvoting to learn about what its citizens like and dont like about the county. Their crowdvoting website asks for opinions, ideas and suggestions to improve programs and services and make government more effective.53 Crowdvoting is a useful tool for measuring and ranking citizen opinions and brainstorming ideas, but be wary of promising that the most popular option will be implemented. After all, the most popular ideas or
The National Archives

and Records Administrations (NARA) Citizen Archivist Dashboard provides constituents with access to photos and records that NARA doesnt have time to manage. Amateur archivists can tag images, including this poster from the World War II era.
Kansas City, Mo., has used crowdsourcing to successfully expand a bike-sharing program and educate the residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods about the value of high-speed Internet.
technologies are not necessarily the most successful in the long term. Finally, as with other social media tools, dissatisfied citizens may leave negative feedback on crowdvoting platforms. When the White House set up a crowdvoting platform for its Open Government Initiative, by far the most popular suggestion was the legalization of marijuana. The most discussed suggestion involved the presidents birth certificate. To its credit, the White House let these ideas stand.54 Again, draw the line at profanity, abuse and hate speech. Crowdfunding. Crowdfunding taps into the wallets of constituents, asking them to log in to a social platform and make a pledge to fund a project. In the private sector startup community, crowdfunding has become a popular way for bootstrappers to reach potential customers and funders. The practice is beginning to emerge in the public sector as well. Philadelphia is trialing a crowdfunding platform that allows citizens to make pledges to help the city meet specific goals. The first project is a tree planting campaign.55 Kansas City, Mo., has used crowdsourcing to successfully expand a bike-sharing program and educate the residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods about the value of high-speed Internet. Multiple additional projects are in the works.56 Crowd labor. Also known as microwork, crowd labor breaks large tasks into a series of small tasks that can be completed by volunteers or in exchange for small payments. It is fairly new in the public sector, and is currently being used by a handful of federal agencies, including the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO). NARAs Citizen Archivist Dashboard provides access to photos and records that NARA doesnt have the resources to manage. Amateur archivists can transcribe documents, tag archived images to facilitate online searches and help index the 1940 census. 57
The USPTO is using crowd labor to tackle the thorny problem of overbroad patents. A recent change in patent law now allows third parties to examine patents and submit evidence or comments if a patent is overbroad, flimsy or otherwise invalid. So the patent office partnered with Stack Exchange, a question and answer forum for coders, to crowdsource patent analysis. At patents.stackexchange. com, users can submit and review patents that others have submitted. Participants discuss and debate patent application validity and ultimately submit their findings directly to the USPTO by clicking a button.58 One caveat of crowd labor: when employing non-experts and volunteers, the potential for accidental or malicious errors increases. Z
Code for America/Ryan resella
Code for America

The nonprofit organizations hackathons allow citizens to help solve problems plaguing their communities.
29
[ best practices ]
strategy for citizen engagement. Dont be intimidated by the sheer number of tools. Depending on size, budget and staffing, you may only be able to use a few. Find out where your constituents are and go there.
Dont forget about records retention.

The implications of social citizen engagement on records retention are huge. Its a complicated issue make sure you understand how your jurisdictions records retention policy applies to specific channels. Consider the following questions: Are social media postings and comments considered part of the public record? What about messages from constituents received through a social media private message service? And how do you control records retention when a third party owns the record?
Louisville, Ky., Mayor Greg Fischer
Louisville Mayors Office
Embrace a new funding model.

One of the best things about engaging citizens and building online communities? It can be very inexpensive and have a high return on investment in the form of tangible funding and improved constituent relationships.
General Guidelines for Public Engagement 2.0
eve sprinkled best practices for specific tools throughout this Special Report, but here are a few general suggestions that will help you make the most of your mobility- and social media-driven citizen and business engagement efforts:
Know your audience.

Every engagement effort has a potentially different audience. Know who yours is, and make your engagement efforts meaningful to them. For example, businesses have different concerns than the general public and different income groups have different needs. Understand audience passions and concerns and create your engagement program accordingly.
Social media is largely free, and development platforms, whether for open data or crowdsourcing, are cost effective.
The same goes for mobile apps, especially if crowdsourcing or collaboration across governments are used. Just as we dont have to reinvent the wheel, we dont have to reinvent the app. Its not like buying an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, Palo Altos Reichental reminds us in fact, its the opposite. Open data platforms are five figures, not millions of dollars, Reichental says. The costs are low. We have to dispel the myth that its expensive to do this.59 Z
Create an integrated engagement campaign.

Make sure that all of your engagement efforts whether theyre old school or high tech are integrated. The best efforts, like those of NASA, Somerville, Mass., and others, are aligned across multiple engagement channels.
Dont be overwhelmed by the tools.

Mobile and social media technologies have opened the floodgates and now there are dozens of communication channels to consider as you develop a
[ conclusion ]
Communicate, Interact and Engage

he research weve seen suggests that mobility is not going away. In fact, smartphone penetration is only expected to increase, and more and more adults will use their smartphones to go online. One forecast predicts an eight-fold increase in global mobile traffic between 2012 and 2016.60 Because the number of social media users is already high, it will increase more moderately, but there can be no doubt that social media is here to stay, too even though particular social networks and services may morph, emerge and recede.61 So it only makes sense that the public sectors use of these tools to fuel their public engagement efforts will continue to increase. Youve seen how integrated engagement campaigns can speak to the publics passions, provide multiple channels for connection and give them anytime, anywhere access to services. Advanced government Web portals rival those in the private sector for their ability to improve online service delivery and perform sophisticated transactions. Social networks and crowdsourcing tools allow citizens to interact with
each other and provide feedback and even low-cost products and services to the government. Mobile apps take away the pain of getting information from the government, reporting a problem or making a suggestion. Open data leverages an enormous amount of collected information, transparency, visualization and GIS to empower citizens to hold their governments accountable. And the potential of
all of these tools to improve 3-1-1 service and reduce call center costs is alone a compelling reason for the public sector to embrace them. The unprecedented improvements in communication, interaction and engagement between the government and its citizens and businesses now and into the future are a convincing argument for diving headfirst into the world of Citizen and Business Engagement 2.0. Z
My Neighborhood Map, Seattle.gov:

http://web6.seattle.gov/mnm/
31
Making Connections
The Leader
For 20 years, NIC has helped the public sector modernize and streamline its operations and connect with the public using innovative online citizen services. NIC provides eGovernment solutions on an integrated platform that delivers the solutions citizens and business expect including web and mobile design, application development, mobile, customer service, payment processing, and security. With NICs transaction-based financial approach, government leaders are freed from the demands of locating funding sources and can instead focus on the core mission of engaging with citizens to serve the public good.
Solu t ion Sp o t l igh t: NIc
eGovernment solutions from NIC drive citizen-government engagement

NIC is also pioneering the effective use of social media in government. NIC helps match social media tools with government needs, focusing on the core mission of each agency and identifying the social tools best suited to help carry out that mission. Using an innovative transaction-based self-funded model, governments can reap the benefits of NICs experience regardless of fiscal climate. Most efficiency fees are applied to a select number of services to create a sustainable funding stream, which allows government to offer best-in-class eGovernment solutions without requiring tax appropriations.
The Difference
The solutions offered by NIC are as diverse as they are invaluable. NIC designs, builds, and manages online eGovernment portals for 28 states. Beyond portals, NIC has created over 7,100 specific eGovernment services for its state, local, and federal partners, giving citizens and businesses the basis for engaging with government easy access to information and the ability to work with the public sector from anywhere. NIC is leading the public sector movement to mobile readiness. NIC has already developed more than 1,000 mobile apps and optimized websites, and the company stands at the forefront of the government mobility push. Mobile services from NIC are already helping the public sector provide information, transaction services, and secure payments from any device at any time of day, which further increases citizen satisfaction.
The Future
By equipping government with innovative online and mobile eGovernment solutions while offering financial flexibility, NIC will continue leading the public sectors efforts to engage with citizens and businesses for years to come. Contact NIC today to get started.
2012 e.Republic. All rights reserved.
For more information about NIC, go to www.egov.com or call 877-234-EGOV
ADVANCE YOUR PROGRAMS WITH THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE, NETWORK AND STRATEGIC ALLIANCES.
VERIZON SOLUTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT
MONITORING & CONTROL FIELD FORCE MANAGEMENT MOBILE DEVICES & APPLICATIONS TRAFFIC SAFETY MOBILE OFFICE
Verizon technology enables solutions that help state and local governments remotely observe and manage critical assets, properties and trafc for greater operational efciency. Through innovative solutions like Monitoring and Control, Verizon enhances surveillance to help you keep your citizens safe while minimizing costs. And its all made possible with the security and reliability of Americas largest 4G LTE network. Start making a difference for your agency. Visit: verizonwireless.com/government
4G LTE is available in more than 400 markets in the U. S. Network details & coverage maps at vzw.com. 2012 Verizon Wireless.
Solu t ion Sp o t l igh t: a dobe
Making, managing, and measuring effective citizen engagement with powerful
Adobe Solutions
Just a few years ago citizens used 3 basic channels to engage with your agency: physical documents, physical location and a call center. Today, an average citizen can choose from over 13 different channels to communicate and engage with your agency: agency website, agency microsites, mobile websites, online forms, chat, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, email, traditional mail, physical documents, physical locations and call centers. In many cases, citizens will use 2 or more channels to complete a single query, so consistency and effectiveness of information is important. But managing content development across all of these channels is daunting; measuring effectiveness is even harder. Adobe can help to simplify the entire process with costeffective solutions that enable your agency to make, manage and measure the content, revenue and communication across all of your citizen-engagement channels. Here are just a few things Adobe can do: Raise citizen satisfaction. Government agencies are turning to Adobe solutions to design and deploy rich applications that shift more interactions to lower cost, self-service portals. When citizens can find the information they need through successful self-service transactions, your agency reduces the need and expense of multiple in-person interactions and telephone calls. When real-time communication is required, Adobe can
help your agency facilitate online in-person interviews and collaboration between agencies, caseworkers, and citizens. Increase automation and efficiency within your agency. Adobe can also help you manage information and processes behind the scenes that support citizen engagement. Adobe solutions can cut down on costly, time-consuming errors and quicken the pace of agency business. Online applications can be outfitted with barcodes, pre-populated fields, case numbers and automatic checks to ensure accuracy and consistency. Automated routing capabilities help ensure information gets to the correct destination quickly and easily. All this adds up to a faster turnaround time for your citizens. Ensure your engagement hits the mark. Adobe provides web analytic tools to help agencies measure their performance. Track actionable, real-time intelligence about digital strategies and outreach initiatives, including social, media, and video communications. Learn what works and pinpoint areas for improvement; then, make adjustments to create better engagement. With these benefits and many more, Adobe provides solutions to help you better engage citizens while improving behind the scenes processes allowing your agency to carry out its mission.
Colorado Dept. of Labor and Employment

Like all states, Colorado has been dealing with higher than normal unemployment for the past several years. Thanks to solutions from Adobe, however, job-seekers in Colorado are able to search for work more quickly and conveniently than ever. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) uses Adobe solutions to help power its online job and learning resources portal, e-Colorado.org. Now, Coloradoans looking for work can use e-Colorado.org to access career planning tools, get help drafting resumes and portfolios, learn about emerging fields and trends in the job market, research employment laws and regulations, search for open positions and more. In 2011, more than 1,000 job-seekers were able to take part in a virtual job fair thanks to the Adobe solutions powering e-Colorado.org. The solutions also help CDLE professionals provide the best service possible to the citizens of Colorado.
For more information, visit www.adobe.com/government or follow us on Twitter: @Adobegov.
Solu t ion Sp o t l igh t: Or a cl e
Oracle Constituent Experience

EMPOWERING PEOPLE. POWERING GOVERNMENT.
THE COMPLETE CONSTITUENT EXPERIENCE
Governments traditional siloed structure poses difficulties for constituents and civil servants alike. The public finds it difficult to find the information and obtain the services it needs, and government agencies run up against internal barriers that hamper productivity and effectiveness. Both sides can get lost in the impersonal bureaucratic maze, with predictably frustrating results.
It doesnt have to be this way. The process of working with, and within, the public sector can in fact be a straightforward and engaging experience. What it takes are constituent experience solutions that break down the silo walls and bring knowledge and data together to deliver consistent, connected, relevant and personalized experiences across the constituent lifecycle. Oracle can help make it happen. Using strategic tools and applications, Oracles comprehensive constituent experience (CX) offering bridges the constituent-government divide like never before. From service solutions supporting personalized, consistent constituent interactions spanning assisted service, self-service, chat, social and contact center to mobile-ready apps for incident reporting, business intelligence analytics, improved online service delivery and more, Oracle equips the public sector to serve its constituents better than ever. Constituents are more satisfied, knowing that their government is responsive and has their best interests in mind and civil servants save time, money and energy while serving the public interest. With the tools and expertise to power a more satisfying constituent experience, Oracles public sector solutions can help any government entity better engage with constituents and serve the greater good. Oracles Complete Constituent Experience (CX) Suite includes several features that help government and constituents connect and work better together, improving life for all parties. Oracle CX allows government agencies to: Serve the anytime, anywhere constituent in a seamless, personal way across all channels: the web, in an office, over the phone, via mobile device, through social media. Empower todays governments providing strategic tools and applications that enable personalized interactions with constituents. Accelerate delivery of services to constituents, maximize government employee time, and improve operational efficiencies and results.
Contact an Oracle representative to get started today by calling 1.800.ORACLE1 or visiting http://www.oracle.com/us/ industries/public-sector/overview/ index.html
Greater Efciency. Better Service.

Citizen Benet Processing and Case Management from Kofax
Government agencies are under increasing pressure to streamline operations, increase efciency and cut costs. And citizens are demanding an increased sense of responsibility and better service from their government. The Internet and the proliferation of mobile devices have raised expectations of how the public sector should operate. Solutions from Kofax can help government perform at the level citizens expect, despite the challenges of the current scal climate and a vast amount of information that is growing by 50 percent each year. Kofax provides agencies with the capability to securely automate the capture, processing and archiving of information from a wide variety of sources for: Greater Efciency. Information, both paper and electronic, can be automatically captured and routed to the correct people, applications, processes or repositories. The improved workows help the public sector respond to citizen requests and process information more quickly. Lower Costs. Thanks to automation and resulting increases in efciency, agencies spend signicantly less money on processing costs for manual data entry, document searching, paper and shipping. Better Service. Agencies can provide citizens with faster, more efcient service than ever before. For example, the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services uses secure automated capture to process up to 450,000 documents per month for disability, food, healthcare and other programs. Visit http://go.kofax.com/CitizenBenets to learn more.
Solu t ion Sp o t l igh t: A ccel a
Are You Reaching Your Citizens Effectively?

Accelas Apps Extend Your Reach to the Mobile Devices Citizens Use Every Day
Go where the people are.

Key to driving civic engagement in our communities is providing government services on the mobile devices that citizens already use. The Citizen-as-Consumer has spoken loud and clear. They are buying smartphones and tablets of all shapes, sizes, and mobile platforms for both work and play, and they are ready to do more with them. Government wants to respond, but developing and supporting apps for all devices poses challenges for resource-strapped agencies. Apps for Increased Civic Engagement Our Commitment to Apps on Leading Platforms means we support apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone on both smartphones and tablets. Service Request Apps such as Accela 311 let citizens submit service requests in a snap from their smartphones and tablets. All they do is choose the request type, add a quick comment, take a photo, and theyre done! The Mobile SDK and APIs help developers build an infinite variety of apps on top of Accelas open architecture. The software development kit (SDK) enables fast and easy app creation. Apps built using the Mobile SDK can be shared by multiple agencies.
Accela helps you rapidly execute your app strategy.

The convergence of mobile devices, app stores, and cloud computing enables the deployment of a suite of apps to your community faster and more cost-effectively than ever before. Accela is leading the way with a track record of innovations for citizen and business engagement: A Cloud Infrastructure that Supports App Deployment Accela Automation is an enterprise software solution that improves government processes in land and asset management, permitting, licensing, code enforcement and more. Our powerful workflow engine integrates seamlessly with apps, allowing agencies to push content out to apps and manage inbound requests, transactions, and other information. The Accela App Server syncs data, improves performance, increases scalability, and provides tools to manage your app deployments. Subscription Pricing lets agencies of all sizes get up and running quickly with the exact number of licenses they need. Mobility Products for Greater Government Productivity Accela Mobile Office extends processing capabilities to the field for inspections, work orders, service requests and more on PCs and tablets. Role-based apps provide the tools needed for a variety of duties. They include Accela Inspector, Accela Code Officer, Accela Work Crew, and Accela Analytics.
Why Accela?
Most Gov 2.0 apps are based on transparency of public information. Accelas apps go further. They enable the processing of financial and regulatory transactions, which ultimately spur economic development and impact your agencys bottom line. Accelas suite of apps for government workers and citizens continues to grow. Our open data structure and Developer Program will allow your agency to build innovative apps to serve your unique needs.
Accela provides workflow automation solutions for government land and asset management, permitting, licensing, code enforcement, and more. We provide innovative software solutions that help government workers become more productive and increase civic engagement.
For more information, visit www.accela.com/innovativeapps
Accela, Inc. Global Headquarters: 2633 Camino Ramon, Suite 120 San Ramon, CA 94583 (888) 7-ACCELA
Follow us: @accelasoftware facebook.com/accelasoftware
Solu t ion Sp o t l igh t: HP E x s t re a m
Extremely Easy Interaction

Communicating with constituents often isnt as simple as it should be. Sometimes technological shortcomings non-integrated systems, content sources and databases scattered throughout different locations, and disparate information delivery channels impede the process. Other times, the sheer diversity and complexity of administrative and information delivery systems can cause communications headaches. Agencies have several different platforms and methods for finding and relaying data, making it tough for constituents to find what they need (and its just as tough for government to provide what is needed). Why not organize and consolidate all of your agencys communications technologies and capabilities with one easy-to-use tool? Thats the advantage of HP Exstream. HP Exstreams Constituent Communication Management Solution is a single platform for designing and delivering any kind of document or data. Public sector officials dont have to build and maintain multiple communications systems or deal with unconsolidated data and disconnected information silos. And constituents can search for, locate, and retrieve the documents and data they need, quickly and painlessly. No matter which kind of interaction a constituent prefers text, online, in-person, even snail mail HP Exstream can efficiently facilitate it. As a result, Exstream helps make government-constituent communication a more personalized
HP Exstream simplifies and supercharges government-citizen communications

and positive experience. Constituents get the right information at the right time, in their preferred format. In return, government cuts down on its internal system complexity while providing higher-quality communications to its citizenry. Furthermore, HP Exstream provides the public sector with additional benefits: Lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for communications systems Decreased risk, thanks to automated regulatory compliance, approval processes, and workflows Reduced dependence on IT while improving IT productivity Leveraging the power and convenience of a single platform allows HP Exstream to make constituent-government interaction simpler than ever. Contact HP Exstream today to see what its Constituent Communication Management Solution can do for your agency.
For more information about HP Exstream, contact us at exstream.info@hp.com
Sponsors:
Endnotes
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. www.mobiledia.com/news/156778.html http://mashable.com/2012/02/16/army-uses-pinterest/ http://gigaom.com/2012/09/19/palo-altothe-city-as-open-digital-platform/ http://seeclickfix.com/new-haven http://mars.ideascale.com/ http://pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2012/ Smartphone%20ownership%202012.pdf http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Cell-InternetUse-2012/Main-Findings/Cell-Internet-Use.aspx www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Smartphones.aspx www.itworld.com/mobile-wireless/282781/rising-mobileinternet-use-could-create-new-digital-divide www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/08/07/digital_divide_ minorities_more_likely_than_whites_to_own_smartphones.html http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/11/time-spent-on-facebook-mobile/ www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/10/04/ facebook-tops-1-billion-users/1612613/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/30/analyst-twitter-passed-500m-usersin-june-2012-140m-of-them-in-us-jakarta-biggest-tweeting-city/ http://pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2012/ Smartphone%20ownership%202012.pdf www.foreseeresults.com/research-white-papers/_downloads/foreseecongressional-testimony-social-security-administration-5-2012.pdf Center for Digital Government interview with Tim Robyn, Oct. 9, 2012 http://solutionpartners.adobe.com/content/dam/collateral/ APEXAssets_Public/Ensemble_CDLE_Solution.pdf Center for Digital Government interview with Bob Sievert, Sept. 14, 2012 eGovernment Grows Up: The public sector embraces technology to improve service delivery and reduce costs, Government Technology case study, November 2012 www.govtech.com/e-government/What-Makesthe-Best-Government-Website.html www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120322151450.htm www.govtech.com/e-government/Cities-andCounties-Try-Facebook-for-Government.html www.nascio.org/publications/documents/nascio-socialmedia.pdf www.facebook.com/marines?fref=ts www.facebook.com/NASA www.facebook.com/USarmy?fref=ts www.govtech.com/e-government/WashingtonVoter-Registration-Facebook.html http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/space-shuttleendeavour-flyovers-generate-social-media-buzz.html www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120322151450.htm www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/seattlepolice-use-twitter-find-stolen-cars-126048 Center for Digital Government interview with Erin Devoto, Oct. 5, 2012 http://venturebeat.com/2012/04/05/pinterestthird-most-popular-social-network/ http://fedscoop.com/u-s-military-leadsgovernment-adoption-of-pinterest/ http://pinterest.com/martinomalley/marylandpinterest-business-pitch-contest/ Center for Digital Government interview with Jonathan Reichental, Oct. 18, 2012 Center for Digital Government interview with Sameer Sidh, Oct. 12, 2012 Center for Digital Government interview with Erin Devoto, Oct. 5, 2012 www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/egov/ digital-government/digital-government.html http://apps.usa.gov/ www.utah.gov/connect/mobile.html eGovernment Grows Up: The public sector embraces technology to improve service delivery and reduce costs, Government Technology case study, November 2012 www.seattle.gov/tech/brainstorm/ Center for Digital Government interview with Erin Devoto, Oct. 5, 2012 www.govtech.com/budget-finance/Cities-Aim-to-Slash311-Phone-Bills-Without-Affecting-311-Services.html http://searchcio.techtarget.com/video/Bostons-CitizensConnect-app-bridges-gap-between-city-residents www.govtech.com/e-government/Cities-andCounties-Try-Facebook-for-Government.html www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/ entry/city_launches_tree-trimming_2.0/ www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/07/20/treet-bump-appdetects-potholes-alerts-boston-city-officials/ http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/16/street-bumpapp-detects-potholes-tells-city-officials/?hpt=hp_bn6 http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/07/app-outreach-and-sustainabilit.html http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/07/ideascale-powers24-crowdsourcing-sites-for-the-u-s-government/ http://broadband.ideascale.com/ http://oakgov.ideascale.com/ http://opengov.ideascale.com/ www.govtech.com/budget-finance/PhiladelphiaExperiments-with-Crowdfunding-Platform.html http://neighbor.ly/ www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/ www.uspto.gov/news/pr/2012/12-60.jsp Center for Digital Government interview with Jonathan Reichental, Oct. 18, 2012 www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns341/ns525/ ns537/ns705/ns827/white_paper_c11-520862.html www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=2092217
Acknowledgements:
John Miri, Editor-in-Chief, Center for Digital Government After a successful career as a private sector software executive, Miri was appointed by the Texas Governor to the top regulatory board overseeing statewide electronic government. He went on to lead transformational projects for two successive Texas State Chief Technology Officers and has become an advisor and close confidant to leading state and local government CIOs around the nation. As the former Director of E-Government and Web Services for the State of Texas, Miri led the state to breakthrough results of 829 online services, 83 million citizen financial transactions, and $5 billion in online revenue. He helped found three web-based technology companies that leveraged Web 2.0 and cloud computing to achieve dramatic results for clients in the commercial markets. Miri has been a passionate advocate of next generation Internet technologies for more than a decade and is a nationally recognized speaker and author on government technology. Caroline Brown is a writer and researcher specializing in communications for technology, government, education and science organizations. She has worked for several years in both corporate and non-profit communications. Her educational background includes an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Caroline currently resides in California.
The Center for Digital Government, a division of e.Republic, is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government.Through its diverse and dynamic programs and services, the Center providespublic and private sector leaders with decision support, knowledge and opportunities to help them effectively incorporate new technologies in the 21st century. www.centerdigitalgov.com Public CIO, a division of e.Republic, is an award-winning platform dedicated to technology thought leadership in federal, state and local government. Through print, online and a portfolio of events, Public CIO provides CIOs and key enterprise leaders with career critical insights on leading and navigating the innovative trends creating efficiencies, driving collaboration and impacting government services. www.public-cio.com
45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61.
39
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Office of Gov. John Kasich
Gov. John Kasich

showcases the advantages to the increased bandwidth of Ohios broadband network at an Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet) event.
Dont miss any of the Center for Digital Governments Special Reports in Conjunction with Public CIO
Past Issues:
2011 Issue 1
Coming next year:

2013 Issue 1
A Guide to Mobility in Government

2011 Issue 2
Big Data
Cloud Computing
2013 Issue 2
Enterprise Mobility
2013 Issue 3
2012 Issue 1
The Government Dashboard

2012 Issue 2
Cybersecurity
2013 Issue 4
Enterprise IT Services
2012 Issue 3
Infrastructure, Restructured
Next-Generation Networks
Download them at www.govtech.com/pcio/special_reports/

Gov Tech - Citizen Engagement Special

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Citizen & Business Engagement Special Report

A Research Report from the center for digital government

a supplement to public cio

[ from the Executive Director ]

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

Citizen and Business Engagement 2.0

Mobility + Social Media: The New Foundation of Public Engagement

Static is out, dynamic is in.

The Ever-Evolving Portal

Open Data: Not Just a Trend

Adjust Your APP-titude

Jonathan Reichental, CIO for the city of Palo Alto, Calif.

The Power of Many

General Guidelines for Public Engagement 2.0

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

Citizen and Business Engagement 2.0

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

percent of respondents said

56% of government agencies surveyed

Mobility + Social Media:

Make Mine Mobile, Please

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

Social Media: Are You Listening?

in many cases because they lack high-speed Internet at home

Source: Pew Research Center March 2012 Survey14

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

The EverEvolving Portal

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

Citizen Passions Fuel the Best Websites

Engage Businesses with Business-Friendly Websites

10 PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

What Makes a Good Government Website?

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

2012 Digital Government Achievement Awards

Featured Best of the Web Award Winners

Arvada, Colo. - Second place, city portal category. Arvadas website

New Jersey - Government-to-business award. The Garden State makes it easy

Orange County, Fla. - First place, county portal category. Orange

Utah - Government-to-business award. Utah's OneStop Business

Featured Digital Government Achievement Award Winners

Change by Us Philly leverages the power of crowdsourcing.

14 PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

Friends, Fans d Followers

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

engage the public

used Facebook to engage the public

used Facebook to engage the public

useD YouTube TO engage the public

useD YouTube TO engage the public

useD twitter to engage the public

useD twitter to engage the public

Source: University of Illinois Chicago study, as reported by ScienceDaily

Tools in the Social Media Toolbox

16 PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

What Makes a Good Social Media Presence?

The Marines have almost 2.5 million Facebook likes.

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

18 PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

Who Should Represent the Government?

Flickr. Flickr is for sharing original

PUBLIC CIO SPECIAL REPORT

Not Just a Trend