Changes

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'''<span style="color:#545454; font-size:125%">Hi everyone, inspired by my time with Dan Barrett and the Weeknotes Meetup in London</span>''', I am going to try doing my own Weeknotes.

'''<span style="color:#545454; font-size:125%">Hi everyone, inspired by my time with Dan Barrett and the Weeknotes Meetup in London</span>''', I am going to try doing my own Weeknotes.

 

What are Weeknotes? A written summary of your weeks’ work and publishing externally so others can see, learn and engage. Lindsey Green wrote [https://medium.com/frankly-green-webb/why-bother-to-share-a-weekly-update-e532cf6c0b25 a great blog] about it — give it a read.<br>I want to quickly note that this is my own personal thoughts and reflections on this trip and not an official communication of the Government of Canada.

What are Weeknotes? A written summary of your weeks’ work and publishing externally so others can see, learn and engage. Lindsey Green wrote [https://medium.com/frankly-green-webb/why-bother-to-share-a-weekly-update-e532cf6c0b25 a great blog] about it — give it a read.

 

<br>I want to quickly note that this is my own personal thoughts and reflections on this trip and not an official communication of the Government of Canada.

Ok, here it goes…

Ok, here it goes…

 

During the first week of June, I had the opportunity to do an exploratory trip to France and the UK to learn more about their work around digital government and civic tech. The goals of the trip were:

During the first week of June, I had the opportunity to do an exploratory trip to France and the UK to learn more about their work around digital government and civic tech. The goals of the trip were:

Over the course of the trip, I had the chance to meet with over 40 people including researchers, public servants, entrepreneurs, community organizers and activists both inside and outside government. Each is doing amazing work to bring our governments into the 21st century and ultimately, change the way our democracy works. This blog is a summary of what I heard, you can find my complete notes [https://docs.google.com/document/d/132Yx3D9SYlW_G6ZPDgJN1aTH7s-jvjjXuFhXPpNG0Rc/edit HERE]. I also experiment with vlogging (video blogging) during the trip. You can see a collection of these videos in my notes and on my twitter feed (@DerekAlton).

Over the course of the trip, I had the chance to meet with over 40 people including researchers, public servants, entrepreneurs, community organizers and activists both inside and outside government. Each is doing amazing work to bring our governments into the 21st century and ultimately, change the way our democracy works. This blog is a summary of what I heard, you can find my complete notes [https://docs.google.com/document/d/132Yx3D9SYlW_G6ZPDgJN1aTH7s-jvjjXuFhXPpNG0Rc/edit HERE]. I also experiment with vlogging (video blogging) during the trip. You can see a collection of these videos in my notes and on my twitter feed (@DerekAlton).

 

==== Finding 1: There are many projects happening to make government more digital ====

==== Finding 1: There are many projects happening to make government more digital ====

It should come as no surprise that lots of people are trying to figure out how to leverage digital technology to help governments work more effectively. With this has come an incredible amount of innovation and experiments leading to an amazing sea of projects and platforms being created both inside and outside government.

It should come as no surprise that lots of people are trying to figure out how to leverage digital technology to help governments work more effectively. With this has come an incredible amount of innovation and experiments leading to an amazing sea of projects and platforms being created both inside and outside government.

* ''Encourage people and groups to develop with sharing and interoperability in mind''

* ''Encourage people and groups to develop with sharing and interoperability in mind''

 

==== Finding 2: There is a deep desire to work together ====

==== Finding 2: There is a deep desire to work together ====

The core idea our team is exploring is the question: what would it look like if the world could work together to create a network of open source platforms that allowed us to do government digitally (or what we have been calling) creating an international open and accessible digital workspace. In essence this forms a digital public square that allows people to come together to co-create policies, programs and the many other functions of government.

The core idea our team is exploring is the question: what would it look like if the world could work together to create a network of open source platforms that allowed us to do government digitally (or what we have been calling) creating an international open and accessible digital workspace. In essence this forms a digital public square that allows people to come together to co-create policies, programs and the many other functions of government.

* ''Create a forum that allows us to easily share and learn from each other''

* ''Create a forum that allows us to easily share and learn from each other''

* ''Develop financial models that allow for non-government actors to contribute their work in an open source manner and be fairly compensated''

* ''Develop financial models that allow for non-government actors to contribute their work in an open source manner and be fairly compensated''

 

==== Finding 3: There are big challenging questions ahead ====

==== Finding 3: There are big challenging questions ahead ====

As we transform government, evolving it into the digital age, the shifting landscape opens big questions around power and access. I left this trip overwhelmed by the immensity of some of the questions we face.

As we transform government, evolving it into the digital age, the shifting landscape opens big questions around power and access. I left this trip overwhelmed by the immensity of some of the questions we face.