On Wednesday, March 26th, our D.C. chapter hosted an expert panel discussion on the "Intersection of Government and Technology" at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in the District’s lively Chinatown neighborhood. As Washington D.C. is the epicenter of government, passionate representatives from both the private and the public sector delved deep into the impact of technology on government agencies, touching on everything from social media and open data to budgeting and red tape issues.
Colby Hochmuth, a Tech reporter from FedScoop, moderated the event flawlessly as she asked the panelists intriguing questions about what the Government is doing to be innovative among its employees and to connect with citizens. Early on, Goldy Kamali, CEO of FedScoop, started off the discussion on a strong note.
“We’re scratching the surface with what technologies can do for government agencies,” said Kamali.
Jessica Milcetich, Social Media and Digital Strategist for the United States General Services Administration, (GSA), touched on the topic of how government agencies are using social media, such as Twitter, to engage with citizens. Social media has created a new pathway of connectivity between citizens and the government, where individuals are able reach out through social media platforms to members of the government, rather than searching for a phone number or sifting through a content heavy website.
During the discussion, Gadi Ben-Yehuda, Director of Innovation and Social Media at IBM Center for the Business of Government, referenced his blog post in which he mentions how the Government can improve the Healthcare industry, using the example of open data being a “game changer.” Open data in healthcare (i.e. wearables) allows for more data to be readily available during moments when we make decisions, which in turn, will result in more informed health decisions. Fitbit, anyone?
Each of our panelists shared some great insight when asked what challenges both the government and its employees face when trying to be innovative. Our panelists agreed across the board that agencies are given small budgets yet expected to get more done using the mantra of “do more with less” as a guideline. Some solutions they provided were cloud computing, open data and outsourcing to citizens.
Milcetich deftly tackled this topic, having personally worked around the government’s red tape at the GSA.
“For us working in government, there is some red tape and we have to make sure the tools we want to use are federally friendly," Micetich weighed in. "To strike that balance it goes back to what your agency’s mission is… if you tie whatever innovation you’re trying to accomplish to your mission, then I think that’s a good way not to run afoul.”
When it comes to the private sector, Nate Nash, CEO of GovTribe, is a bit of an authority on the matter. When asked about the private sector’s role in government innovation, he remarked that a lot of the innovation in government stems from the private sector. In particular, the adoption of open data allows for a lot of intra- or inter-agency sharing which is not only good for government but also effective for the way it works.
The discussion came to a close with the question “What future technology trends can we expect to see in the government?” presented to each panelist.
“I see the continuation of two trends," Ben-Yehuda succinctly replied, "More seamless government interaction and a more porous boundary and border between government and citizenry.”
Thank you to everyone who attended and hope to see you at Tech in Motion D.C.'s next event! Join the group to stay up to date on our next meetup.