“Government is in danger of becoming irrelevant.”
That is one of the key conclusions of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Future of Government on which I serve. Agree or disagree, one thing is clear: Government has to change to keep pace with the 21st Century.
The digital tsunami pouring over every aspect of the global economy, society and culture has crashed around government. The lifeline that could save government from drowning in irrelevance? Openness…Open Data, Open Access, Open Dialogue, Open Government.
In the current global economic and political environment, the public is demanding transparency and accountability from government. Citizens are demanding that government engage them in open dialogue using new digital, mobile and social media communications tools. Businesses, citizens and media alike are keen to see and “touch” the mountains of information and data collected by government over the years to see what they can make of it. And in the new digital world, if users don’t get what they want or need, they will go elsewhere.
As compelling as the demand side of the “openness” equation is, the opportunities on the supply side of Open Government should alone be enough for governments of all types and sizes to open up now. Early Open Government adopters will not only stave off irrelevance, but enjoy a whole new type of relevance that will fundamentally transform government and governance in the 21st century. Complete and utter openness is the future of government.
