Robert Atkinson of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation offers this summary of the $39.2 billion for technology in the Obama stimulus plan: $7.2 for broadband internet, $19 for health IT, and $13 for smart power grid work. He says this will create 1 million U.S. jobs, of which 60% will be in small business. Here's the article.

I haven't seen analytics that could support these estimates. Have you? When and how might government projects benefit from and/or align with the above?

In tough times, we know that protecting budgets and staff and mission are critical priorities for all. But we also know that past tough times have also given birth to major moves that became enormously influential: financial regulation after the Great Depression, women entering the workforce during and after WWII, etc. "Don't waste a crisis!"

But what are the major moves to take shape in today's tough times? And will the $39.2 billion provide any of the resources needed? What are YOU working on?

That's what I'd like to know.

All the best,

Jerry

 P.S. For those interested in our next event to explore technology and innovation in government, see HERE.

I've long been fascinated with the differences between what government managers and the public see as important.

For managers, productivity stands first and foremost. The budget process tries to hold managers accountable for efficiently turning resources into outputs and outcomes. I was a budget director once and rather like this focus.

For the public, however, transparency typically stands first and foremost. In general, the public doesn't believe government will EVER be productive. To get government under control, the public wants to see what's going on and wants to make it harder for the bureaucracy to simply hide what it's doing (and who it's doing it for).

Transparency and visibility have thus long been politically potent. Visibility was a key reason why "online, not in line" has been such a valuable phrase and goal. It gave the politicians supporting e-government a visible deliverable in return for the modest investments required to make it happen.

At this point it looks like the next wave of technology will extend civic service to civic engagement -- from citizens as recipients to citizens as overseers, advisers, and co-producers. Success won't be efficient transactions alone so much as a pattern of transactions that shapes a sustained relationship and, hopefully, a relationship with higher levels of trust than we've been able to generate for the past 40 years and more.

Exciting and early work in the civic engagement direction was clearly part of the Obama campaign. It continues with the moves Vivek Kundra has made to "set my data free" in the District of Columbia.

I suspect that making huge quantities of government data MUCH more easily analyzed will be truly important for the next wave of IT in government. I also suspect there will be major bumps and conflicts in getting from here to there.

What's your take on transparency? Here's a recent article in FCW with some related issues.

All the best,

Jerry

P.S. For those interested in our next event to explore technology and innovation in government, see HERE.