ONLINE ENGAGEMENT AT ITS MOST MEANINGFUL: GOVERNMENT-TO-CITIZEN

by Scott Burns, co-founder and CEO of Structural

I met someone new online recently. Our interests overlap and we both have twin children of about the same age. He connected with me on Facebook and LinkedIn, and I did a little research (let’s call it that instead of “virtual stalking”) confirming that his education level, age, job, and family situation fit my expectations. Years ago, it might have taken me months or years to find out so much about a new acquaintance. Now, it takes minutes and I can turn to this personal network — of colleagues, parents from my kids’ school, neighbors, and more — whenever I need to. My personal social network is an asset to me.

It’s also an asset to society’s important institutions.

I founded a company called GovDelivery whose mission is to help governments communicate with their publics. It’s based on the premise that our governmental institutions must bring transparency and authenticity to their interactions. They need to explain why they do what they do, and they must follow through on their commitments with action. There’s nothing remotely like the power and reach of digital channels and our personal social networks to make this happen, and we’ve done it for more than 1,000 governments, connecting them to more than 130 million people.

For example, a county in my state of Minnesota increased the number of tips coming into the Sheriff’s office by better engaging with the public online. The State of Michigan generated far more participation in a food program by engaging a broader community to recruit participants. Several departments of Natural Resources in states across the U.S. have been able to engage more consistently with fishermen and hunters, resulting in more consistent license fees. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Governmental institutions have an especially important role to play in fostering these online connections. Real connections grew out of things like the pastimes we love, professional struggles, intense college years, foreign study programs, and community work. This is true because knowing someone is about knowing what matters to them and how the world looks through their eyes. Being online doesn’t change any of this, and that’s why governments must engage — they should be here to listen to what people are caring most passionately about.

Making government information more available and governments more accessible helps genuinely activate citizens. We’ve seen cities recruit neighborhood watch volunteers by sharing where and how crime is increasing in order to make clear that the volunteers are truly needed. We’ve also seen a state agency increase recruitment of foster parents by being more personal about the benefits and challenges of foster parenting in order to recruit potential volunteers… With transparency, we’ve seen more traction for new programs when the agencies we work with are explicit about the outcomes they are hoping for and how they plan to measure them.

Social networking platforms could certainly do a better job of supporting institutions’ efforts to be transparent and authentic online. There are at least three real challenges with the way they currently work. First, social networks by design pull us closer to the people to whom we are most similar. Platforms could be designed to allow people to see alternative views more easily when interacting with content posted from friends.

Second, social networks, unlike traditional newspapers, do not check facts in a credible way. I believe they have an obligation to address this issue in order to slow the perpetuation of lies.

Third, there is actually too much anonymity. Social networks — and other sites like online newspapers — should diminish the opportunities for people to comment and post without a verified identity. Anonymity is overrated in most cases. It encourages toxic language and creates a more combative online environment that reduces the authentic connections people can make.

I believe we are still in the early innings of the information revolution and I’m more hopeful than disappointed with how social technologies can be used by governments for transparency and engagement. I know we still have work to do. Since Ronald Reagan became president in the 1980s, governments across the U.S. have faced an uphill battle in reputation and citizen relationships because it has been popular for politicians to demonize public servants. When Reagan said government “is the problem” and that the scariest words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help,” he simply played into Americans suspicions of power and large organizations. In its current state, social media is amplifying that bias in many cases and that needs to change.

Yet, for most people, government is not an abstract concept, it is a service provider that they need to thrive or even survive. Even as people feel distant from government, technology and digital channels are allowing many people to get more value from government than previously possible. We need to continue that effort, to help people forge a deeper connection with their community beyond whatever bubble they live in. To create real opportunities for people to work together, to struggle together, and to volunteer together on issues they care about.

When we are successful using digital connections to promote authentic connections that scale, we use the exposure that digital technology allows as a pipeline for individuals to forge broader and deeper experiences and connections, than we could have imagined in the past. This powerful upside justifies the sometimes uncomfortable commitment to transparency and authenticity.

Scott Burns is co-founder and CEO of Structural; and the founder and former CEO of GovDelivery, a pioneer in helping governments communicate digitally with the public. The company recently merged with Granicus, a cloud solutions provider for government. Burns serves as an advisor to the combined company.