Web 2.0 report: Agencies not going far enough
Most federal agencies are using Web 2.0 tools on the periphery and not as part of their core mission, says author Mark Forman.
To fully take advantage of Web 2.0 technologies, government agencies must rethink their traditional attitudes about owning information and allow for sharing, interaction and collaboration with the public, according to a new report from KPMG’s Government Advisory Practice.
The worldwide Gov 2.0 movement involves the use of technologies such as blogs, wikis and social media that allow people to interact and engage with policy makers. But fully using those new applications requires a reengineering of existing systems, according to Mark Forman, service practice leader, government IT advisory with KPMG in the United States, and an author of the report.
To date, many agencies are using the new tools, but few are taking full advantage of the capabilities available in Web 2.0, Forman said in an interview.
“We have seen a lot of activity that is informal and not core to the mission,” Forman said.
In a few cases, agencies have reengineered their systems, processes and workflow to fully allow for information sharing and collaboration. The most striking examples are NASA’s Nebula and the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Rapid Access Computing Environment program, he said.
The KPMG report, entitled “Dynamic Technologies for Smarter Government,” gives a road map to help government officials adapt Web 2.0 technologies to their needs.
The plan includes creating a collaborative operating model, rationalizing existing applications, arranging infrastructure to support Web 2.0 systems and leveraging and adapting culture for openness and empowerment.