Over the past couple of years, the concept of Gov 2.0 has grown beyond being an emerging trend to becoming a defining strategy that makes government more open, transparent and more effective.   This was further underscored by the White House’s push for “Transparency and Open Government” memo that aims to enhance collaboration, participation and innovation in government.

So, then what exactly is Gov 2.0? Mark Drapeau, Gov 2.0 advocate and thought leader, recently defined Gov 2.0 in a blog post leading into the inaugural Gov 2.0 Expo. Here is what he said:

Gov 2.0 is about changing the status quo of government in various ways. What are those ways? They include but are not necessarily limited to: innovation by government, transparency of its processes, collaboration among its members, and participation of citizens.

As you can imagine, the idea of improving government via innovation and transparency of processes caught the attention of the BetterGov editorial team.

Along those lines, Craig Newmark, creator of Craigslist.org, has been speaking lately about government transparency initiatives needing to be raised up in the mainstream media – beyond the Beltway.  We agree that there needs to be more awareness around the administration’s transparency initiatives, and new innovations could help better bring these efforts out of the shadows.

What is really happening now is that Business Process Management (BPM) is not only giving Gov 2.0 the processes and discipline it needs to make it more efficient, effective and transparent, but also making government more effective overall.  This innovation allows government agencies to better meet new transparency standards – making Gov 2.0 actionable and real – and thus creating a bigger story to capture the mainstream media’s attention.

The combination of administrative directives for more openness with the rise of Gov 2.0, and an enabling technology such as BPM, has created a platform for a more innovative government that can better serve citizens.

Gov 2.0 comes to life through BPM!

Tags: , Appian, Business Process Management, Open Government

While the BetterGov blog has mainly focused on how Business Process Management (BPM) is making government more effective, we did not want to lose sight of what a more effective government can actually do:  allows citizens to be more productive and prosperous.

One of the most famous phrases from the Declaration of Independence is that U.S. citizens should be afforded “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”   And a government that is too complex and cumbersome will have a difficult time achieving this core mission.

The beauty of BPM is that it allows for the automation of complex processes and the provision of real-time access to critical information and applications in order to drive significant, measurable improvements in productivity and work quality.  Technology serves the mission, rather than being an end unto itself. Once government achieves measurable improvements (i.e., becomes more effective), it can open the door for all citizens to enhance their prosperity.

While the ability to be prosperous is mainly in the hands of citizens, shouldn’t government open the door to all when it comes to achieving the American dream?  A slow-moving, bureaucratic government creates barriers that stifle innovation.

As such, we are challenging all government agencies to embrace the “effectiveness revolution,” which will not only help agencies perform better, but also allow citizens to pursue happiness and prosperity.

Tags: , Business Process Management, Government 2.0

Six Sigma IQ has a great article from John Jarrett, director of BPM at AGF Trust talking about implementing enterprise-wide BPM. AGF Trust is an Appian customer using our platform across six product lines and multiple departments. Their BPM Program touches numerous functional areas within the investment management firm, including Client Services, Finance, Funding Teams, Ongoing Administration, and Underwriting.

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Tags: , Appian, BPM, BPM for Financial Services, Business Process Management, Center of Excellence