A new study by the IBM Center for the Business of Government is asking federal agencies to engage the citizens in formulating public policies, GovExec reported Tuesday.Charles Clark writes the IBM study sought to identify how digital resources have changed the potential role of citizens from being passive beneficiaries to active partners in public service.
Satish Nambisan and Priya Nambisan, study authors and professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, say government agencies must incorporate the private-sector’s ideas and communications methods amid budget cuts, policy problems and the growing digital technology, according to GovExec
Citizens could function as problem explorers, solution ideators, implementation designers and innovation diffusers, the report says.
The IBM report also features ideas on how to manage citizen expectations, connect agencies with external partners and integrate citizen engagement into an agency’s goals, GovExec reports.
