social media for government
DESCRIPTION
This presentation was created for Chris Hani District in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to explore possible uses of social media in the pursuit of the Local Government Turn Around Strategy.TRANSCRIPT
Examples of Using Media for Advocacy
Tanzania February 2010
Social Media for Government
Chris Hani DistrictEastern Cape
March 2010
Samantha [email protected]
1. What is Social Media?
2. What are opportunities and challenges for government to use social media?
3. Effective Communication - Why mobile?
4. How does social media fit with the LGTAS?
What is Social Media?
Definition:
“Social media are online communications in which individuals shift fluidly and flexibly between the role of audience and author.
To do this, they use social software that enables anyone (no technical skills needed) to post, comment on, share content and to form communities around shared interests.”
Source: http://propr.ca
Characteristics of Social Media
Participation - encourages contributions/feedback; blurs lines between author/audience
Openness - open to feedback/participation; encourages comments (no passwords)
Conversation - traditional media=“broadcast” – social media = “conversation”
Community - allows communities to form and communicate quickly
Connectedness – connects to other sites, resources and people
Source: www.icrossing.co.uk
Why should government be using social media?
Because of these characteristics, social media are good tools for government communications because they:
•Increase accountability •Promote transparency•Encourage participation
Using social media is to use online communications to inform people, and form communities around specific interests.
Why use more than one social media platform?
•Social media is “viral” which means that it allows information to move like a virus, through networks.
•So the more places you share your information, themore freely available it becomes – especially when otherscan share it with their friends using whatever platform they likee.g. you put information on your blog, they share it via SMS.
•Social media uses a “content-centric” approach – more awareness in more people results in a stronger democracy.
•It is important to understand which target group uses which platform - in this way you can reach your intended audience.
What are opportunities and challenges for government to use social media?
1. Newspapers
2. Printed newsletters, books, pamphlets
3. Community Radio
4. website/blog
5. Email / online newsletter
6. Wiki / googledocs
7. Social networks
8. Microblogging e.g. twitter
9. Maps – googlemaps, ushahidi
10. Video – youtube and others
11. Pictures – flickr, picasa
12. Phone, sms
newspapers, print products (newsletters, pamphlets, books)
Type of content: Text, PicturesGood for: reaching the readers – national newspapers have wide readershipChallenges: can only reach literate readers; expensive to print; can be difficult to get opinion pieces into newspapers; distribution expensive and difficult to reach rural areas
Community radio – integrates with online strategy
Type of content: AudioGood for: reaching wide listenership; especially those who won’t read about your issue elsewhere; combined in strategy with phones, can create good discussionsChallenges: need equipment and broadcast capability; altho can use mobile and integrate into website
Website / blog
Type of content: Text, Pictures, Audio, VideoGood for: blog is a cheap, quick way to establish a web presence, encourage feedback and discussion, promote accountability (see below – allows citizens to track spending)Challenges: does not reach people who aren’t online, although many people access internet on their phones
online newsletters
Type of content: Text, with links to Pictures, Audio, VideoGood for: Quick and cheap to keep people informed, bring them back to your blog or websiteChallenges: people overloaded with information may not read your newsletter until they are convinced of value
Collaborating on Googledocs
Type of content: Text, Good for: collaborating with different peopleChallenges: need to be online or mobile online
Collaborating on a wiki
Social networking - facebook
Type of content: Text, Pictures, Audio, VideoGood for: building constituency, sharing information, light engagementChallenges: does not reach people who aren’t online, although also available on mobile
Social networking – Governments using NING
Microblogging - twitter
Type of content: Short textGood for: sharing bite-sized information; raising awareness about an issue quicklyChallenges: only reaches people on twitter
Mapping – Haiti disaster relief
Type of content: mapsGood for: visual representation of an issue; uses embedded technology that lots of people have access to; allows anyone, anywhere to contribute to tracking using phonesChallenges: data needs to be verified
Mapping – Kenya, post elections 2008
Idasa’s Mapping
Using Pictures - Flickr and Picasa
Type of content: picturesGood for: “a picture is worth 1000 words” – pictures have big impact and can tell your story for youChallenges: need internet access and digital camera or cellphone
Using Videos - Youtube and othersType of content: videosGood for: big impact with short videos saying much more than text documents; people can tell their stories which provide a very powerful messageChallenges: need bandwidth to share them; need to be comfortable with cellphone or video equipment to make and edit clips
Integrating Phones and video – the power of mobile to tell a story
Type of content: text, pictures, audio, videoGood for: easiest way to reach the most number of people – many people have access to a phone Challenges: sending anything more than text (SMS) can be expensive; managing databases of mobile numbers
Using “chat” on mobile phones to get young people talking - MXIT
Type of content: textGood for: reaching young people where they are atChallenges: marketing can be expensive
Media Good for … Challenges
Newspapers, print newsletters, books, pamphlets
reaching the readers – national newspapers have wide readership
only reach literate readers; expensive to print; difficult to get space for opinion pieces; distribution expensive and difficult to reach rural areas
Community Radio reaches wide listenership; especially those who won’t hear about your issue elsewhere; combined in strategy with phones, can create good discussions
need equipment and broadcast capability; altho can use mobile and integrate into website
website/blog blog is a cheap, quick way to establish a web presence, encourage feedback and discussion
does not reach people who aren’t online, although mobile wordpress now making blogs available on mobile phones
Email Quick and cheap to keep people informed, bring them back to your blog or website
people overloaded with info, may not read your newsletter until they are convinced of value
Wiki / googledocs Good for collaboration in groups need to be online or mobile online
Social networks building constituency, sharing information, light engagement
does not reach people who aren’t online, although also available on mobile ; facebook can be heavy to download
Microblogging e.g. twitter sharing bite-sized information; raising awareness about an issue quickly, good if your donors on twitter
only reaches people on twitter; not available via SMS anymore
Maps visual representation of an issue; uses embedded technology that lots of people have access to; allows citizens to contribute to tracking using phones
data needs to be verified
Video BIG impact with short videos more hard-hitting than text documents; people can tell their stories which provide a very powerful message
need bandwidth to share them; need to be comfortable with cellphone or video equipment to make and edit clips
Pictures “a picture is worth 1000 words” – pictures have big impact and can tell your story for you
need internet access and digital camera or cellphone
Phone, sms easiest way to reach the most number of people – many people have access to a phone
sending anything more than text (SMS) can be expensive; managing databases of mobile numbers
Recap of Types of Media
Effective Communication - Why Mobile?
Effective government communication requires us to work with two groups of people:
•The media – who can broadcast our message
•Our constituency – the people whom we represent
Ask yourself the following questions:
1.How do we get information that matters to those who need it the most?
and
2. How do we engage citizens/organisations in two-way conversations about democracy?
Why Mobile …
“The people who need information the most live on the margins of society without access to the internet, email, and other sexy new innovations …It’s time to get real… the use of mobile phones in marginalised communities is high.”
•South African cellphone penetration is at 100% - most people either have their own phone, or access to a phone.
•Cellphones/ mobile phones are the easiest, quickest, cheapest way to communicate with our target market.
•We need to make the most of it.
Source: http://www.kubatana.net/html/ff/ff_cont.asp
Examples of Mobile - Seeclickfix
Seeclickfix allows communities to report issues in the community such as broken street lights, potholes, water issues.
How does it work?
• Citizen or government official sends SMS or email to a specific number. These are automatically stored in a database and sent to relevant person to monitor and fix.
Another example of Mobile – fixmystreet.org
Fixmystreet.org works in the same way – report by SMS or email, and the issue will be followed up – by government, citizen groups, and media
Mobile project in Chris Hani District
An example of using mobiles is a project to test water in Chris Hani District. 11 Environmental Health Professionals (EHPs) conduct water tests, send results and receive information about water quality.
cellphone tools for data management &
reporting
a low-cost field test for drinking water
quality
+
How does it work?H2S test positive at site:
Centane - borehole. Please respondThe test is positive, but
I have no chlorine
AREA WATER MANAGER
I will send someone withchlorine. For now, advise People to boil their water
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL
How does social media fit with LGTAS?
In December 2009, Cabinet approved the Local Government Turnaround Strategy (LGTAS)
How does social media fit with LGTAS?
The motto of LGTAS is:
“Local Government is Everyone’s Business”
“LGTAS presents the entire country and all communities withan opportunity to work together with their municipalities in improving and accelerating service delivery.”
The main objectives of the Local Turn Around Strategy are to: •ensure that municipalities meet the basic needs of communities;•build clean, effective, efficient, effective responsive and accountable local government;•improve performance and professionalism in municipalities;•improve national and provincial policy, oversight and support;•strengthen partnerships between communities, civil society and local government.
•Social media fits with the purpose of LGTAS by -providing opportunities for citizens and communities to be involved-Improving transparency and accountability-Improving oversight and support-Strengthening partnerships
Social media is the ideal way to keep people informed and involved.Most people either have a cellphone in their pocket – or access to a cellphone through a family member or friend.
Let’s use that connectivity to create better governance and better societies.
