reboot britain - steph gray
DESCRIPTION
Presentation about rethinking the policymaking process through digital tools, at Reboot Britain event on 6-July-09TRANSCRIPT
And then magic happens:why we need better online discussions about policy
Steph Gray
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
Reboot Britain
London, 6 July 2009
How policy is made*
* not really
Identification: Minister wants problem solved!
Analysis: Civil servants come up with clever solution
Consultation: Sensible people agree
Delivery: Problem solved
Anyway, the internet changes things
• Anyone can suggest problems to fix
• Policymakers can find people to help
• Together, we can refine the options
• Everyone looks for snags and refinements
• Lots of people do their bit to make it happen
• We can all validate whether it works
Who chooses the solution?
Where do ideas come from?
How do we make change happen?
Three questions
Enlightened policy discussion online
BlogsCommenting Video
But
• The numbers involved are still tiny
• People are cynical about online gimmicks
• Not all contributions equally helpful
• Gov isn’t geared up for mass dialogue
• The incentives on both sides are still wrong
Better ideas
A wider range of contributors
Conversations which go somewhere
Three goals for policy discussion online
Policy deliberation in the future?
Different strokes for different folks
Policy deliberation in the future?
Ideas from customers & the frontline
Policy deliberation in the future?
Make the debate more accessible