Connecting state and local government leaders
Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are the most commonly used Gov 2.0 tools for government agencies, according to a new survey.
Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are the most commonly used Gov 2.0 tools for government agencies, according to a new survey from Hewlett-Packard.
HP surveyed 103 executives and contractors from federal, state and local government agencies about their Gov. 2.0 efforts, which are generally described as government applications of Web 2.0 technologies.
Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they used social networking tools, making them the most popular Gov 2.0 applications. The next most popular were blogs, used by 48 percent; video, 44 percent; government-specific networks, 37 percent; podcasts, 37 percent; wikis, 36 percent; syndicated feeds, 30 percent; virtual worlds, 27 percent; and none, 11 percent.
More than three-quarters of the respondents — 76 percent — said they understood what Gov 2.0 entails and described it as a movement toward greater collaboration, transparency and technological innovation.
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Respondents reported that the main benefits of a Gov 2.0 initiative are improved services to the public, citizen participation in government and collaboration between agencies.
Other findings of the survey include:
- 30 percent of respondents anticipate their agency implementing a social media strategy within six months; 32 percent, from six months to a year; and 18 percent, from a year to two years.
- 40 percent said the greatest barriers to Gov 2.0 were security concerns; 21 percent said budget constraints; and 14 percent said limited technical expertise.
- The greatest benefits from Gov 2.0 implementations were improved service to the public, cited by 33 percent; increased citizen participation, cited by 20 percent; increased collaboration with other agencies, cited by 20 percent; government transparency, cited by 18 percent; and innovation, cited by 5 percent.
- 34 percent agreed that their agencies had embraced Gov 2.0; and 18 percent strongly agreed.
- 38 percent agreed that Gov 2.0 would improve their agencies; and 18 percent strongly agreed.
HP commissioned StrategyOne Research to do the survey, a copy of which was obtained by Federal Computer Week. Twenty-three percent of the respondents were from federal agencies, along with 43 percent from state agencies and 34 percent from local agencies.
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