The Leaders of California’s Most Tech-Friendly Cities Say Governments Need to Do These Three Things

It takes more than just technology to join the government 2.0 movement that’s swept the country over the past few years. Beyond big data, it takes vision and leadership to create governmental strategies that will better serve communities through a multitude of tech-driven solutions.
Discussing those tools and policies at the California Leadership Forum last week were a panel of some of the state’s public-sector innovation leaders. Highlighting some of their discussion, here are three strategies to keep in mind as more municipalities take on the task of creating a more transparent and efficient government:
Foster a cultural change in the workplace.
Encouraging employees to experiment with new ideas while at work is essential in shifting government out of antiquated practices, according to Lea Deesing, chief innovation officer of Riverside, Calif. That task is a job belonging to the new mainstay in local governments: chief innovation officers.

Jeremy Goldberg, deputy chief of staff for San Jose, Calif. Mayor Chuck Reed and head of the city’s civic innovation efforts, agrees, adding that recognizing “internal champions” who can coordinate projects with third parties in short periods of time also helps.

Engage citizens to help spur ideas.
Rather than simply highlighting success stories, officials need to focus on what changes need to happen to continue fostering a more innovative environment, according to Robert White, chief innovation officer of Davis, Calif.

“I would love to see at the state level, some kind of recognition or awarding of folks who in their daily jobs, are just changing the way we think about delivering government services,” he says. “That would be a very meaningful way to get others to be engaged and see these best practices and opportunities.”

Emphasizing an open environment and inviting residents to share ideas on a technical level is another strategy to generate more local participation, Deesing adds. One example? Riverside’s transparency portal, Engage Riverside, links to the community share tool MindMixer, which prompted a program for free computer training for low-income families.
Keep a focus on cybersecurity. 
With more transparency and big data comes the concern about privacy. As governments continue to utilize data and develop online community tools, protecting it is paramount.

“It’s fun to talk about all the great things we’re about to do with technology, but if we’re not protecting our current assets, our department of justice data, our police data, our fire data, if we’re not doing that, I think we’re doing a disservice,” Deesing says.

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These Awesome Students Want To Brighten Your Day Just ‘Cause

Sometimes when we’re bogged down by work, responsibilities and other hardships, we forget how beautiful life can be. That’s why nearly 100 students and staff from the Arlington Regional Learning Center in Riverside, Calif., recently stood outside their school for hours just to spread some positivity. As Good News Network reports, the group wore bright yellow shirts and waved signs like “You rock,” “It’s going to be okay” and “Free hugs” to cars, trucks and pedestrians going trough the intersection of Adams Street and Arlington Avenue. A passerby told the site, “I never come this way, but I’m glad I did today. This is really cool—I really needed it.”
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The group was part of the Happiness Sprinkling Project, created by Laura Lavigne in 2012 because she wanted to, yes, “sprinkle” happiness in cities all over the country with these uplifting messages. Joelle Hood, the principal at the Arlington Regional Learning Center told Good News Network that it’s just as as important to teach kindness as it is to prevent bullying. “I want to give our students as many opportunities as possible to know how good it feels to give to someone else,” she said, “to do acts of kindness, and feel part of something bigger than them, making this world a better place—and that they do have the power to make a positive difference.” Just reading about it makes us feel good.