The direction of government 2.0 — strategic or operational?

The networking opportunities this week at Web Directions Government 08 were an interesting way to listen to what some government departments are thinking about when it comes to the ever-changing online environment. As usual, these events in Canberra are attended by mid-level public service managers and their staff, rather than those who are responsible for the strategic direction of our government organisations.

Stephen Collins of Acidlabs made the observation that there were “no people there who were capable of returning to their organisations with big plans and the capability to get buy-in from senior management”.

And there’s something to this thought. About 10 years ago we saw our websites as able to deliver enhanced communications and best-practice knowledge management [1]. Today, unfortunately, most senior managers see them as little more than information repositories — electronic filing cabinets — rather than vehicles for realising strategic direction.

Recently, the Intranet Benchmarking Forum (IBF) surveyed 70 large organisations and reported that “Senior leaders struggle to see why they should be involved … and this leads to little or no obvious senior level support … the major perception is that these are information tools, only somewhat a collaboration tool and practically not at all a tool that brings business value to the organization”.

And we see this perception in Australian Federal Government a lot of the time. To most, the web only a way of supporting operational communication — it’s a modern fridge magnet and show-bag in our one-way communications to stakeholders, and another way to it after the fact.

“Senior management doesn’t have much respect for communications, so if it is seen as being run by communications, then its role is diminished.” [2].

So what’s the solution?

Jason Ryan is the Communications Manager at the State Services Commission — the New Zealand Government’s lead advisor on the country’s public management system, working with government agencies to support the delivery of quality services to New Zealanders. Jason suggests switching from an operational to a strategic approach to communications with a particular emphasis on change management.

“… we won’t be able to effectively adapt to the changing external environment without articulating a sound business case to senior managers – in a language that they relate to and respect. The second consideration has been the desire to promote the communications function as a strategic, rather than tactical or reactive, one.”

If more of us begin to think this way, then perhaps AGIMO will also start listen and learn from our brothers across the ditch.

M
- – - -

1. Melcrum Intranet Survey (2001)
2. McGoven, G (2007). Intranets: getting senior management’s attention. New Thinking. Online at: http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2007/nt-2007-08-27-intranet-productivity.htm, accessed on 22 May 2008.