Government Technology - September 2007 - (Page DC36)

Viewpoint BY TODD SANDER | DIRECTOR, DIGITAL COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR DIGITAL GOVERNMENT Community Governing Wizards Engaging the communities is much like traveling down the yellow brick road. “The Great Oz has spoken. Pay no atten- issuing edicts to all who seek help. governing. They’ve found ways to not tion to that man behind the curtain Their message is painfully simple: only deliver more efﬁcient services, “Government has spoken. Bring me a but also to invite those they serve into the Great er Oz has spoken.” magic broomstick, and I will recon- the process. Portland, Ore.’s eVolvement project o goes the line from the 1939 sider your request.” It’s a method and process that didn’t emerged from a desire to connect resiMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer classic American musical ﬁlm. The line work well in a land of make-believe, dents at a regional level with local appears near the end of the ﬁlm after and it certainly doesn’t meet the needs government and neighbors. The resulting Web site, PortlandOnline.com, lets Dorothy and her friends, the Scarecrow, of modern communities. But just as Dorothy and her friends residents post questions for city staff or Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, made their way down the yellow brick road discovered, good government doesn’t their neighbors and share information completing an arduous journey so that depend on the benevolence of the about local events, public safety and the Great Wizard of Oz could fulﬁll omnipotent and omniscient. It comes other neighborhood issues. City staff use from the involvement and engagement the forum to inform residents of budget their fervent wishes. After ﬁ nally arriving in the Land of of a whole community. Today’s most hearings, construction schedules in the Oz, with much persistence, they were successful communities use informa- area, crime alerts and other community granted an audience with the Wizard, tion and communication technology issues. The site’s Back Fence forum lets only to discover, much to their disap- tools to engage those seeking assistance residents and staff discuss topics from pointment, that a single visit wasn’t in the process of helping themselves. neighborhood drug houses to local ressufﬁcient. During their initial meeting, taurant recommendations. Portland the Wizard, hidden behind his curtain, Applying Lessons Learned presented the supplicants with a seemA previous Digital Communities Information and Referral staff reads ingly impossible task — they must defeat column explored the lessons learned the forum posts daily and notiﬁes the army of ﬂying monkeys and capture in many jurisdictions through years of departments of postings that need city the Wicked Witch’s magic broomstick community policing programs and the responses. In one recent example, a res— before he’d consider granting their opportunities for similar engagement ident posed a question about a problem requests. It was only after they were now available to other government she was experiencing with a neighbor. successful in their assignment and service departments. By getting out Within 24 hours, several fellow commuDorothy’s dog, Toto, stripped away the of their patrol cars and becoming nity members replied with suggestions curtain that shielded the Wizard from more engaged with and recognized by and experiences that worked for them, full view, that they could see the “Great their communities, law enforcement and city Information and Referral staff Oz” for who he really was — an aver- personnel engaged business and civic provided information on speciﬁc actions age man with an imposing facade. But communities as partners and reduced she could take. The resident posted a follow-up: “Thanks for the responses don’t fool yourself into thinking it all crime rates. ends there. Some communities have embraced I have learned a lot and don’t feel so Such “wizards” are alive and well digital engagement and applied their alone in my area.” Another example of building better today in most every community. Look huge IT investments not as screens to in any ofﬁce or cubicle near you and separate themselves from those they community service on a digital founyou’ll ﬁ nd them sitting behind the serve, but instead as windows and door- dation is taking place in New York City. modern curtain of a computer screen ways into the process of community The city’s ﬁ re department (FDNY) S 36 DIGITAL COMMUNITIES SEPTEMBER 07

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - September 2007

Contents Point of View Big Picture ESRI Insert The Last Mile GT Spectrum Profile Nuclear Revival Way Back Machine Intel Insert Tale of TIERS Joining Forces Saving Seniors Site Seeing Quarter Miles Two Cents Products Signal: Noise Digital Communities Contents Our Road Ahead Course of Action Shared Interests Special Report: Foundation for the Future Using Wireless to Save Lives Smart Grids for Energy Conservation Community Governing and Wizards

Government Technology - September 2007

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