Investing in open government: applying lessons from research and practice

The 2009 White House Open Government Directive set off a wave of planning and new initiative development among federal agencies designed to achieve the goals of this mandate, and has stimulated significant interest among state and local governments and open government advocates in their efforts. Federal initiatives have been directed at increasing transparency, citizen engagement and participation, as well as cultivating collaboration with the public and other government agencies. Using new technologies, especially social media technologies, to fulfill the mandate of this directive provides an opportunity for governments to engage citizens in new ways and create innovative collaboration models. However, it also increases levels of risk and uncertainty due to the complexity of implementing technologies that are not yet well understood in substantially new government contexts. These opportunities and risks make current "Government 2.0" efforts an interesting and valuable digital government research area. This panel will help promote such research by providing an opportunity for government officials and researchers to identify and discuss significant research issues and goals related to open government at the federal agency level.