Citizen participaton is needed at any level of government. It is a founding principle that helps develop and manifest our goals and practices. It is commonly expressed that citizen participation is low, there ahave been increases and the numbers rise usally when we have elections of some type, particularly presidential. Although voting is always seen as a strong component of particiaption in our government, there should be more engegment at other levels to help capture the essence of a long self standing idea, "...a government for the people, by the people.".
I believe the easiest way to engage our publc is by motivating our youth to be politically active. They eventually will be our policymakers and administrators, so it is important to reach them. This particular segment of particiants is a unique and evolving group, so it is important to stay ahead of the curve on relevant issues and use technology to distribute information and inspire change.
The most common way youth are reached is by media, in particular television, by using public service announcements. This can trend can be seen reletaviely early with the marketing of armed services recruiting. The use of public service announcements was used in the 1980's and 1990's to reach young adults, teens, and children. I remember as a youth messages of local issues, such as police and fire safety were placed in cartoon episodes. Large scale campaigns to prevent smoking/tobbacco use became regular televison segments. The trend seemed to at least be informative and did reach the target population effectively.
As we become emerged in this technological heavy society, it seems logical that the relevant issues confronting government will need to presented to our youth in a similar way as in the 1980's and 1990's. The accessibilty of computers and tech savvy devices are in the hands of most of our youth, so these different media d social networking outlets we have been exploring in our class will be the connectivity to participation. These cyberspaces are an innovative and quick use of space to reach many, so it seems that the evolution of public service announcements will be internet based. While searching for information I could integrate into this post I came across a public service announcement that addresses youth particiaption and is posted on youtube, "CNN Broadcasts PSA on Youth-Led Change" (YOUTUBE.COM CNN 2008). I believe it originally aired on CNN, BUT it is now accessible online. This type of outreach will inevitably evolve into other forms of media and networking to reach and engage citizens to partiiapte in issues and government oriented goals
The use of public service announcements in previous form and combined in the future with current technology is based in the essential citizen participation concepts. For citizens, public service announcements educate, allows for people to become active in the issue, connects them to governement ( Irvin & Stansbury 2004). For governement, it allows for education, ligitamy for decisions, connectivity to public (Irvin & Stansbury 2004). The benefits to reach the public far outweigh the distractions it can cause, because inevitably it froms the framework of the genral goals that evryone involved wants and needs. This also gives credibilty to all parties olved becasue they have a buy in and have a voice in the process. Irvin and Stansbury explain, (that public participation can)..."emphasize the particiaption process as a transformative tool for social change," (p.64 2004)
"CNN Broadcasts PSA on Youth-Led Change"
The links are not working for me---PSA on youth is on youtube.com---
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
PA and Technologies
Public Administration has properties that are founded in communication and the collection and interpretation of information. These novel technologies that explore communication virtually are important to explore in order to refine the practices of public administration. As the world becomes intrinsically attached to the internet and web worlds government practices will follow suit. The faster and more information that can be colected and used to perform services will, and seems to be increasing exponentially. One problem I would like to address is the accessibilty to technology in rural and lower income communities,and non profit interaction in these communities.
On the professionial side of providing services it is usualy not a question to have access to computers, technology and resources to perfom the jobs and duties. There are exceptions, and organizations that do not have the most up to date technology, but it would be surprising to have no access. Yet, on the other side of the table, the customers and populations being served seem less fortunate.
How can an organziation, for example, that is tryig to collect data for welfare services truly identify certain necessary data if, these population sectors cannot provide the data accurately, or at all. It seems that in order for these types of services to be provided more effectively, a better method of data collection and communication with the communities inolved is needed.
Obviously it will not be easy, but there has to be some type of effort made to create technolgy centers, and or make technology available to these lower income and rural communities. Whether that effort be made through private or governmental efforts is a question in of itself, but there must be some strive for this. This effort will allow the people who need services to more actively voice their positions, concerns, needs, and voices. In turn the public administration sector will have more reliable data and masses of data that can be correlated to provide more effective and needed services.
So, how do we address this situation? First the use of technology on the professional side should compile an effort to actively resource money to build tehnology centers in rural and lower income communities. Currently the most common ways that these communities have access to the internet and computing services is through the local library and some community centers. Effective, but not all cities offer equal services, or resourceful opportunities to all. A lot of these services are targeted at youth and schooling endeavors, which is great, but the adult sector neeeds access as well. A collaboraive effort between government and private technolgy companies should be made to build Technology centers. A place where residents and community memebers can go to use computers, the internet, and technolgy to improve their lives and the community they live in. These could be the future libraries. A building full of computers that will connect the lower income and rural sectors to the advancing world. Just as cell phones have become easily accesible to all, computers are as well, but not entirley, and not for every individual, especially adults. Children have more access because of schools and youth programs, but thier parents are the population being left out, and the people who need these government services. Government needs to build a bridge to them thorugh these technology centers, as they and the rest of the world ventures forth. Services are needed, but to be effctive in the delivery and to detail the accuracy of services needed the government departments and administartors need to hear from the people who need them. Ever increasing technology is lessing the impact, not necessarily improving it, at least for the people in need.
There could be a more collaborative assemblage of people tRying to improve lives. At this assemblage the populations in need would have an active and particIpatory voice. The technologies such as reputations systems, recommender systems, distributed moderation would be more relevant and useful. Particpants could communicate online and work thorugh a series of joint efforts to make impactful and important decisions. Virtual construction of positive outcomes would result in these technologies being great resources for all. There would be a more personal connection bvetween the adminstartion and customer,although virtually, and the decisons made would become valuable. In of itself tHis interacion could be a type of distributed moderation where ideas and thoughts are collectively shared and manipualted to produce information and choices that are needed. Recommeder sytems could be used to identify specific needs and to target possible outcomes desired. These tools would become effective in filtering ideas and information to reach goals and outcomes in these comunities.
On the professionial side of providing services it is usualy not a question to have access to computers, technology and resources to perfom the jobs and duties. There are exceptions, and organizations that do not have the most up to date technology, but it would be surprising to have no access. Yet, on the other side of the table, the customers and populations being served seem less fortunate.
How can an organziation, for example, that is tryig to collect data for welfare services truly identify certain necessary data if, these population sectors cannot provide the data accurately, or at all. It seems that in order for these types of services to be provided more effectively, a better method of data collection and communication with the communities inolved is needed.
Obviously it will not be easy, but there has to be some type of effort made to create technolgy centers, and or make technology available to these lower income and rural communities. Whether that effort be made through private or governmental efforts is a question in of itself, but there must be some strive for this. This effort will allow the people who need services to more actively voice their positions, concerns, needs, and voices. In turn the public administration sector will have more reliable data and masses of data that can be correlated to provide more effective and needed services.
So, how do we address this situation? First the use of technology on the professional side should compile an effort to actively resource money to build tehnology centers in rural and lower income communities. Currently the most common ways that these communities have access to the internet and computing services is through the local library and some community centers. Effective, but not all cities offer equal services, or resourceful opportunities to all. A lot of these services are targeted at youth and schooling endeavors, which is great, but the adult sector neeeds access as well. A collaboraive effort between government and private technolgy companies should be made to build Technology centers. A place where residents and community memebers can go to use computers, the internet, and technolgy to improve their lives and the community they live in. These could be the future libraries. A building full of computers that will connect the lower income and rural sectors to the advancing world. Just as cell phones have become easily accesible to all, computers are as well, but not entirley, and not for every individual, especially adults. Children have more access because of schools and youth programs, but thier parents are the population being left out, and the people who need these government services. Government needs to build a bridge to them thorugh these technology centers, as they and the rest of the world ventures forth. Services are needed, but to be effctive in the delivery and to detail the accuracy of services needed the government departments and administartors need to hear from the people who need them. Ever increasing technology is lessing the impact, not necessarily improving it, at least for the people in need.
There could be a more collaborative assemblage of people tRying to improve lives. At this assemblage the populations in need would have an active and particIpatory voice. The technologies such as reputations systems, recommender systems, distributed moderation would be more relevant and useful. Particpants could communicate online and work thorugh a series of joint efforts to make impactful and important decisions. Virtual construction of positive outcomes would result in these technologies being great resources for all. There would be a more personal connection bvetween the adminstartion and customer,although virtually, and the decisons made would become valuable. In of itself tHis interacion could be a type of distributed moderation where ideas and thoughts are collectively shared and manipualted to produce information and choices that are needed. Recommeder sytems could be used to identify specific needs and to target possible outcomes desired. These tools would become effective in filtering ideas and information to reach goals and outcomes in these comunities.
virtual worlds
In the news article, from slashdot.com, "NASA Uses AI Customer Service Robot in Second Life" we find the advancing phenomeneon of living in a secondary world. The article descibes the use of "CYBERTWINS", or a clone of yourself that lives in a virtual world for you and acts and artificially functions as you. The interesting fact in the article is that NASA is using this technology. They feel that these cybertwins can help improve their cutomer service responses when interacting in virtual worlds. It can be noted that this trend of existing simultaneously in a virtual world will inevitably lead to forms of regualtion from the government, especially if it deals with the term clonig and having multiple lives, so to speak. This trend seems to forecast at potential problems with identity, integrity, and dual lives. In the future, as this way of existing increases, how can we maintain solid environments that do not cause problems in peoples lives socially, economically, and even at a moral level. These question will inevitably arise, but onl;y the future particpants can explore and, hopefully, create rules and regulations that help these virtual world exist positively and succesfully.
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