Unbundling governance

John Dumbrille, @greensandbox

I’m going to show some things we’ve done on Bowen Island that serve as a proof of concept, and that may be signaling a feasible direction for more affordable, effective and inclusive governance.

I’m going to show some things we’ve done on Bowen Island that serve as a proof of concept, and that may be signaling a feasible direction for more affordable, effective and inclusive governance.

* How can we help government become more open and responsive?

It’s up to citizens to re-examine what we mean by government, or we will always be pushed and pulled – on one hand, angry with government, for not doing us right; on the other hand, angry for our selves for waiting to be taken care of.. The first step is to unpack “the word government”

It’s up to citizens to re-examine what we mean by government, or we will always be pushed and pulled – on one hand, angry with government, for not doing us right; on the other hand, angry for our selves for waiting to be taken care of.. The first step is to unpack “the word government”

 Government:The institution charged with the business of public governance. Government:The institution charged with the business of public governance.

What we’re seeing in all things – car buying, banking, insurance, computing, telecom – is unbundling on a massive scale.

Work is being unbundled and redistributed – offshore consultants, remote (home) offices, flexible hours, part time. We don’t hardcode organizations so much any more, because things can be distributed more effectively. We are learning, in the words of Clay Shirky, to organize without organizations.

What we’re seeing in all things – car buying, banking, insurance, computing, telecom – is unbundling on a massive scale.

Work is being unbundled and redistributed – offshore consultants, remote (home) offices, flexible hours, part time. We don’t hardcode organizations so much any more, because things can be distributed more effectively. We are learning, in the words of Clay Shirky, to organize without organizations.

The growth of technology means we no longer needed a highly concrete organization in order to organize. Now we see companies with a handful of actual employees and hundreds of thousands of members. I think that we will see government approach this kind of scaling down too – because of cost and because it is natural to want to participate more fully in your environment, and now it is feasible.

The Here comes Everybody phenom is impacting business, individual behavior, and government. We need government, says Shirky, because people won’t pay taxes voluntarily. Etc. We don’t want to drop the ball on services, so we are reticent about unpacking governance. But unpack it we must. We can do this well. Necessary institutions can get leaner because we can distribute functions, and get better outcomes, at a lower cost.

The growth of technology means we no longer needed a highly concrete organization in order to organize. Now we see companies with a handful of actual employees and hundreds of thousands of members. I think that we will see government approach this kind of scaling down too – because of cost and because it is natural to want to participate more fully in your environment, and now it is feasible.

The Here comes Everybody phenom is impacting business, individual behavior, and government. We need government, says Shirky, because people won’t pay taxes voluntarily. Etc. We don’t want to drop the ball on services, so we are reticent about unpacking governance. But unpack it we must. We can do this well. Necessary institutions can get leaner because we can distribute functions, and get better outcomes, at a lower cost.

In an age of organizing outcomes with leaner organizations:

How will governance be unbundled?

Who and what will instigate this unbundling?

What will government look like?

I’ll argue, people have to lead. Its hard to unbundle voluntarily. Would you suggest to your boss that he unpack your job?

And it may be a matter of seeing opportunities that are extraordinary.

For government, with higher expectations and lower budgets, there is a need to accept the new data that arises from citizen initiatives, and find a way to integrate it. They also need to open to policy inputs besides polling – too much human capital, much of it potentially free, is being wasted.

I’ll argue, people have to lead. Its hard to unbundle voluntarily. Would you suggest to your boss that he unpack your job?

And it may be a matter of seeing opportunities that are extraordinary.

For government, with higher expectations and lower budgets, there is a need to accept the new data that arises from citizen initiatives, and find a way to integrate it. They also need to open to policy inputs besides polling – too much human capital, much of it potentially free, is being wasted.

 Citizen created & controlled road status tool

  Island self governance Ning platform

‘Get people home safe’ initiative

Politics has not caught up with our ability to self organize.

December 1 last year, Peter Rawsthorne ( a Wiki Educator Council member and strategist) had the idea of tagging, web 2.0 content that related to our island – in response to polarized conflict over particular issues in our community.

December 1 last year, Peter Rawsthorne ( a Wiki Educator Council member and strategist) had the idea of tagging, web 2.0 content that related to our island – in response to polarized conflict over particular issues in our community.

What does it take to get there?

There are 2 points here: 1. The cost of publishing has gone down. This influences everything from self-made music to self made governance tools.

2. Sometimes it takes an extraordinary situation to exercise our freedom and disassociate from conventional thinking. In the cases below, unusual weather.

There are 2 points here: 1. The cost of publishing has gone down. This influences everything from self-made music to self made governance tools.

2. Sometimes it takes an extraordinary situation to exercise our freedom and disassociate from conventional thinking. In the cases below, unusual weather.

What do they have in common

I was working in the UK, operating a printing press like the one in the picture in the last slide. I worked with Francis. Francis was a normal looking guy, with lots of energy. He had been involved jn punk rock in 1976-78.

He told me that what people don’t’ often realize that in London in 1976, not only was there “no future” for youth: no money and no prospects. It was also a very very hot summer, and in parts of London it was almost unbearable. Young people “went off.”

I was working in the UK, operating a printing press like the one in the picture in the last slide. I worked with Francis. Francis was a normal looking guy, with lots of energy. He had been involved jn punk rock in 1976-78.

He told me that what people don’t’ often realize that in London in 1976, not only was there “no future” for youth: no money and no prospects. It was also a very very hot summer, and in parts of London it was almost unbearable. Young people “went off.”

Something extraordinary came out of it.Something extraordinary came out of it.

 

A more mundane event: the snowfall of December 2008 hit Bowen Island and disrupted everything.

At first, it was quite beautiful. Splendid. .

A more mundane event: the snowfall of December 2008 hit Bowen Island and disrupted everything.

At first, it was quite beautiful. Splendid. .

Volunteers

Well, the spendour became less splendid.Well, the spendour became less splendid.

Braddo: @jamesglave P King took 400 phone calls yesterday; he had that 100-yard stare. 28-Dec-2008

De facto road condition tool for years: Call a friend or call one of the bus drivers. De facto processes sometimes meet their breaking point.

De facto road condition tool for years: Call a friend or call one of the bus drivers. De facto processes sometimes meet their breaking point.

New blogs dedicated to road conditions and school bus routes sprung up.

New blogs dedicated to road conditions and school bus routes sprung up.

There was a rush of collaboration, and it all resulted in Stu Cole and Mark Groen developing the work, creating a road conditions Google Maps mashup ...

With toad geoencoding – using the Google Maps API

There was a rush of collaboration, and it all resulted in Stu Cole and Mark Groen developing the work, creating a road conditions Google Maps mashup ...

With toad geoencoding – using the Google Maps API

4 weeks from conception to use. Try hammering that kind of turnaround through a government procurement process.The tool is useful, performs a public services, cost nothing to the state, and there is no public liability. Like Wikipedia, use at your own risk, but like many things crowd-sourced. it is uncommonly reliable.

4 weeks from conception to use. Try hammering that kind of turnaround through a government procurement process.The tool is useful, performs a public services, cost nothing to the state, and there is no public liability. Like Wikipedia, use at your own risk, but like many things crowd-sourced. it is uncommonly reliable.

I see the work as part of a tradition of ‘constructive renegades’ on the Rock. The island’s only baseball diamond was built, and is maintained and funded by volunteers. It was built on a GVRD owned field, without permission. They built it, and they came (and the GVRD, thankfully, forgave)

I see the work as part of a tradition of ‘constructive renegades’ on the Rock. The island’s only baseball diamond was built, and is maintained and funded by volunteers. It was built on a GVRD owned field, without permission. They built it, and they came (and the GVRD, thankfully, forgave)

Islander Bruce McLeod built gadget this as a way to recycle cans. There is a tradition here, like most communities, that we have to revive. We have to recover social capital that may have been lost as we have become more sophisticated as a society.I think to get these outcomes, we have to recover an entrepreneurial community spirit. It reminds me of the punk movement in some ways, but it isn’t anarchy – no necessary antipathy to govt.

Islander Bruce McLeod built gadget this as a way to recycle cans. There is a tradition here, like most communities, that we have to revive. We have to recover social capital that may have been lost as we have become more sophisticated as a society.I think to get these outcomes, we have to recover an entrepreneurial community spirit. It reminds me of the punk movement in some ways, but it isn’t anarchy – no necessary antipathy to govt.

•

“Online discussion participants remain anonymous and thus lose individual identity, instead developing a strong group identity.” “In-group identity causes stereotyping of out-group members.” 

"Online vs. Face-to-Face Deliberation: Effects on Civic Engagement"Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication:

* Innovation is inhibited in tight organizations

“Social identity/deindividuation (SIDE) theory proposes that online opinion tends to polarize easily due to in-group out-group discrimination.  According to the theory, online discussion participants remain anonymous and thus lose individual identity, instead developing a strong group identity.  SIDE theory would probably be the most powerful critic of the value of online discussion, and a number of empirical research projects support the premise that in-group identity causes stereotyping of out-group members.   Supporting SIDE theory, Sunstein (2001) also argues that there is an enhanced polarization of attitudes among online discussants who have been reminded of a group identity. ” Seong-Jae Min (Ohio State University)

“Social identity/deindividuation (SIDE) theory proposes that online opinion tends to polarize easily due to in-group out-group discrimination.  According to the theory, online discussion participants remain anonymous and thus lose individual identity, instead developing a strong group identity.  SIDE theory would probably be the most powerful critic of the value of online discussion, and a number of empirical research projects support the premise that in-group identity causes stereotyping of out-group members.   Supporting SIDE theory, Sunstein (2001) also argues that there is an enhanced polarization of attitudes among online discussants who have been reminded of a group identity. ” Seong-Jae Min (Ohio State University)

Don Tapscott: Governments, in a transparent world “had better be buff.”

If governance is unbundled, then why should city officials and politicians be the only ones that play by the rules of transparency?

If governance is distributed widely, rules apply widely. Including, transparency.

The  Ning platform is not open source. We had a policy to provide headshots – everyone must use one. To curb loose talk.The platform is not open source, does house some open capital.  

The  Ning platform is not open source. We had a policy to provide headshots – everyone must use one. To curb loose talk.The platform is not open source, does house some open capital.  

Policies• User Profiles • Contribution• Dispute resolution• Copyright• Policy Enforcement• Policy Discussion

Creative commons licensed material - because other communities should be able to leverage our work. Peter Rawsthorne, my partner in this project, has a background on the Council of Wiki Educator; he created the policy drafts and lead threaded discussions on the topic.

Creative commons licensed material - because other communities should be able to leverage our work. Peter Rawsthorne, my partner in this project, has a background on the Council of Wiki Educator; he created the policy drafts and lead threaded discussions on the topic.

Intended to ‘prove’ value, an ROI if you like.Intended to ‘prove’ value, an ROI if you like.

Change is not easy, and not all councils or administrations “get” open government right away.

We are still seeking an RSS feed from the muni’s site to keep up on news about Proposed changes to the official community plan, so that an up-to-date discussion can take place on our pages.

Change is not easy, and not all councils or administrations “get” open government right away.

We are still seeking an RSS feed from the muni’s site to keep up on news about Proposed changes to the official community plan, so that an up-to-date discussion can take place on our pages.

June 2009: Tragedy on Bowen. Two alcohol and vehicle related deaths.

June 2009: Tragedy on Bowen. Two alcohol and vehicle related deaths.

This week I was delighted to see this. There is a pattern here – a dormant site; crisis; movement. No matter, much of our lives seem to be like this.

This week I was delighted to see this. There is a pattern here – a dormant site; crisis; movement. No matter, much of our lives seem to be like this.

Who and what will instigate this unbundling?

• Often triggered by crisis• Facilitated by political will• Driven by character: “constructive renegades”

Government agencies & politicians

Integrate citizen input on policy development as it happens

Integrate with tools and data that is citizen generated

Change role to less representative, more facilitator of participative process

To realize unbundling and reconstituting governance, a spirit of openness will need to prevail

Citizens

Create tools and content

Relate to data that is institutionally generated; push for open standards and a gov’t as facilitator

Become constructive renegades; take responsibility to embody governance

Governance is basic

If governance is going to be important to ‘me’.

1. It has to be very basically connected to me; it has to do with very basic drives

2. Engagement has to be very achievable at the local level, from the moment I walk out my door and realize my neighbour is there too.

If governance is going to be important to ‘me’.

1. It has to be very basically connected to me; it has to do with very basic drives

2. Engagement has to be very achievable at the local level, from the moment I walk out my door and realize my neighbour is there too.

…it could be good

John Dumbrille, @greensandbox

17th and 18th century political thought – Hobbes, Locke, Hegel, Kant et al, - had a lot of resonance, IMO.The past 250 years have been a period of often inpenetrable government institutions and the rise of mass marketing and propaganda. And “empirical politics.” We are now witnessing, at the same time, the un-bundling of government and citizen access to media and control of media.

If we take responsibility for our own experience, and make the most of these tools, we may find we can pick up these very resonant 17th and 18th century models of governance and meaningful engagement and take them into the 21st century. This could be good.

17th and 18th century political thought – Hobbes, Locke, Hegel, Kant et al, - had a lot of resonance, IMO.The past 250 years have been a period of often inpenetrable government institutions and the rise of mass marketing and propaganda. And “empirical politics.” We are now witnessing, at the same time, the un-bundling of government and citizen access to media and control of media.

If we take responsibility for our own experience, and make the most of these tools, we may find we can pick up these very resonant 17th and 18th century models of governance and meaningful engagement and take them into the 21st century. This could be good.