Community Matters Open Government 2 Conf Call Notes 1.27.11

Notes from a conference call on Open Government, featuring Dustin Haisler of Spigit and the story of Manor, Texas. www.communitymatters.org

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Community Matters Open Government 2 Conf Call Notes 1.27.11

Notes from a conference call on Open Government, featuring Dustin Haisler of Spigit and the story of Manor, Texas. www.communitymatters.org

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Open Government 2

Conference Call Notes

Thursday, January 27, 2011, 4-5pm EST

We used a live version of this document to collaboratively add questions, collect

thoughts, transcribe important talking points, before, during and after the Open
Government conference call. You can access this document via this link:
http://bit.ly/fumXaX

Moderating
• Bonnie Shaw, Partner, BYO Consulting, LLC

Speaking
• Dustin Haisler, Director of Government Innovation, Spigit –
http://www.spigit.com, [email protected]
• Yasmin Fodil, Partner, BYO Consulting, LLC – http://byoconsulting.com

Agenda
• 15mins – Introduction to the case study, call protocol, etc.
• 35mins – Open for questions/discussion
• 10mins – What actions can you take?

Background Reading: http://communitymatters.posterous.com/real-challenges-real-

solutions-open-governmen

Case Study: Open Gov Implementation in Manor, Texas

Projects in Manor (Dustin):
• QR = “Quick Response” code. 2-D barcode that you can scan iwth your cell
phone, and that directs you to a website with more info. In Manor, QR codes
were placed around the community to give residents more info about those.
• Manor uses SeeClickFix, a tool out of New Haven, CT, to allow people to post
and report problems like potholes and vote for their top problems. This required
no extra infrastructure from Manor.
• Manor Labs, built by Spigit, is a way of crowdsourcing ideas from citizens and
making them actionable.

The Challenges:
• “QR Codes Are Cool – Why Isn’t Anybody Using Them?”
• “We Just Released All our Data Online – Why Are We Getting Such Bad Press?”
• “Hmm, I know we asked for your feedback, but we can’t actually do what you’re
asking us to do…”
• What other challenges are you facing in your town?

www.communitymatters.org Open Government 2 Conference Call Notes 1/27/11

Questions and Discussion occurring on the call and simultaneously in the Google doc

“Why weren’t people using the QR Codes? What should Manor have done to increase
adoption?”
• Yasmin: If I were faced with this situation where people were not using the
codes, I would probably do research and collect data to understand more about
the situation. Perhaps convene a focus group or conduct interviews with citizens
to understand what types of information they would like to see and make sure
that the QR codes align with that. We could also canvas on the sites where the
QR codes are located, and ask people more about their information needs and
whether they are interested in the information we are sharing through the QR
codes, and if not what info they’d be more interested in. -
• Dustin: Any venture does need to have a business need. Manor took a gamble
on QR codes partly because they were free and partly to see what technologies
citizens could use to better understand their government.
o What is this water tank going to do for me? what is the business value of
the infrastructure. Use QR codes to make things more interactive and fun.
o Working with the city manager and specific teachers, we used an
education campaign by going into the schools to teach kids, and it was
amazing how quickly their parents had QR codes. Most schools ban
cellphones - this was about making it FUN!
o The goal is to get students involved and excited and get them thinking
about changing the way government works. A lot of kids want to change
the world and one of the best ways to do that is through a government
agency.
o Using offline media - local paper to seed usage and track response
o trained local businesses to use the codes - became something that
everyone in the community could take ownership of
o Other community organizations are also incredibly important in making
these technologies work. In Manor, it was the Chamber of Commerce and
the Lions Club. They also did a public launch and had staff available to do
outreach and teach people how to use the technology. Outreach even
extended beyond Manor to surrounding cities and counties.

“We Just Released All our Data Online – Why Are We Getting Such Bad Press?”
• Dustin: We have a notion of putting data sets online and considering that open.
But it’s also critical that we ensure citizens can interpret the information we
provide - it’s not enough to just post the data.
o Important to make information available
o important to make sure the information is understood
o important to provide opportunities for people to ask questions
o important to educate people
• Yasmin: We ran up against fear and the notion that if we put out too much data it
might be used against us. “It’s hard to provide context in just the numbers.” “The
biggest thing is understanding that you can’t control the information.” Put it out
and understand that it’s not perfect, but we’re constantly improving and
innovating.

www.communitymatters.org Open Government 2 Conference Call Notes 1/27/11

How did Manor put plans in place for responding to citizens’ requests?
• Dustin: “Communications should be a two-way street.” There’s always a
challenge, because once you start listening you have to start responding. You
need to have plans in place up front to know how to respond to the requests and
comments that come in.
o We always thought about a business goal for each venture. If starting a
Facebook page, the goal might be allowing people to get press releases
online if they can’t come by City Hall. First, identify what it is you’re trying
to do with the technology. Second, set goals for that technology. Third,
measure and make sure you’re meeting goals.
o Need more than one person involved in the process - need outside
opinions form government, business, community, etc.

I know there is all this open data stuff out there - but how do I get started?
Are there 3 top steps that people can do to start?
Dustin:
• 1. Start small. Don’t try to use every technology. Be sure you have goals in place
and be sure you can measure what you’re doing.
• 2. Look at where the communication is already taking place. Manor originally
decided not to use social media, but then realized they were they only party not
in the conversation and needed to jump in. It may be in a coffee shop or on
Facebook or Twitter, but that’s the channel you want to tap into first.
• 3. When it comes to engaging citizens, find a way to manage the process. Once
you open the door, you have to have a way to manage it. Manor used Manor
Labs. Know what you will do if you have 1000 ideas coming in.

Comment: Important to make it useful, usable, and helpful. Not completely unique, but
we are finding positive feedback to having a GIS mapping system online; and we are
testing facebook and twitter for publicizing municipal events, challenging road conditions,
etc... both for Town and Police. Stay tuned!

David Moore: Our new web app is free & open-source, from the Participatory Politics
Foundation and the Sunlight Foundation :: http://opengovernment.org/
... and we're currently seeking non-profit funding support to roll it out to all 50 states,
major cities, and beyond, link to .pdf ::
http://ca.opengovernment.org/images/OpenGovernment_prospectus_1-18-10.pdf