DATA TO INSIGHTS, INSIGHTS TO IMPACT

IN: GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 29(4), 2012 (TOP 10 ARTICLE)

This article examines the evolution of citizen coproduction in the age of social media. Finding a plethora of competing labels and models, the paper proposes a unified typology to support systematic analysis based on the overarching categories of “Citizen Sourcing,” “Government as a Platform,” and “Do-It-Yourself Government.” It concludes with a discussion of the potential implications for public administration, the remaining limitations and rising social concerns, and the possible emergence of a new social contract that empowers the public to play a far more active role in the functioning of their government.

IN: 2011 DGO DIGITAL GOVERNMENT RESEARCH CONFERENCE (WITH SUSAN WILSON)

In response to President Obama's Open Government Directive, federal agencies developed plans to instill the principles of transparency, collaboration, and participation into their engagement with the public. Against the question, "what is open government?," the authors reviewed the prevailing literature and the agency plans to identify a set of discrete lenses and objectives that align with the Directive's principles. The lenses and objectives are then assessed for their policy implications, intended outcomes, and implementation challenges. This analysis is synthesized into a framework that will support future fieldwork to identify and construct best-practice tools and guidance that help agencies go beyond baseline compliance and apply the Directive as a tool for mission success. We conclude with a discussion on the factors and conditions for the sustainment of the Open Government movement.