Videos: Web 2.0 – Transforming Government
I’ve been speaking to several local councils recently and noticed that alot of local council websites are still not Web 2.0. Although many were already on their way to apply Web 2.0 to their websites, I fear to think of those who haven’t even considered it.
“Change the world or the world will change you”
I’ve been speaking to several local councils recently and noticed that a lot of local council websites are still not Web 2.0. Although many were already on their way to apply Web 2.0 to their websites, I fear to think of those who haven’t even considered it.
The fact is, your constituents are already online and using Web 2.0 tools to communicate and collaborate with each other. So if you’re a leader of a local council and your website is still not Web 2.0… shouldn’t you be?
Here’s a clipping from ComputerWorld on Federal websites in the United States getting a Web 2.0 makeover.
“Using these Web 2.0 tools is a huge opportunity for government to be transparent and save valuable tax dollars,” said Beverly Godwin, director of USA.gov, in a statement. “Tools such as RSS feeds and gadgets allow the public to directly access content from the original source, no matter which Web site they’re on. It reduces duplication across government, because an agency creates content once and makes it available for reuse by others.”
Take a look at some Web 2.0 local council websites.
- Cheltenham BC
- Lichfield DC
- Devon County Council – just got a new facelift. Really nice!
- Redbridge Council
My favourite quotes from the second video:
“Change the world or the world will change you”
“How do we make so when someone steps into government, they feel not empowered but they feel like they’ve entered a kingdom, where everything becomes possible.”
Web 2.0 “Once u get religion, it seems people keep finding more and more ways of doing this. To tap new audiences and go around traditional structures and become as agile as the threat or the opportunities. And bring leadership that top of the pyramid together with the bottom. Hopefully we’ll move faster and faster as a government towards bending that frame and getting towards transformational change and closing that gap.”
Have a look at the videos below if you want to know more about the Web 2.0 Government.
As technology deepens and it’s day-to-day impact is increasingly relied upon by citizens, governments at all levels are facing pressure to embrace the information age and do more with less.
Deloitte Video – Great Quotes!

Liz Azyan is interested in the ways new kinds of social data and technology introduce challenges and opportunities to society. Get involved with Liz’s latest project here.
Comments
[…] worth watching is Web 2.0 – Transforming Government by […]
Great collection of resources Liz! There’s a good article in Federal Computer Week containing a small selection of case studies of Web2.0 in action in the US Government http://fcw.com/articles/2009/03/09/web-2.0-in-action.aspx. I think it’s through the use of such case studies and examples that we can foster greater use of web2.0 tools throughout central and local Government.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for the lovely comment and the article, it was really useful and I agree with you!
Liz
[…] council to “Get with the Web 2.0/RSS program!” I also strongly recommend you watch these videos if your local council website is still not web2.0. Make sure you watch the second video! Its just […]