Obama's Top Five Tech Tools

I just came across an interesting article on CIO.com about all of the ways that the Obama administration may use technology to reach out to citizens to more actively participate in their government and thought you might all be interested. The article was originally posted in PC World.

BIMO and the deep blue sea

Sitting here in my office, snacking on a bit of Bimo chocolate that I got in Algiers, and looking out the window. It's a sunny day with a clear blue sky, and the (mostly) white government buildings are gleaming. Reminds me of the view in Algiers, except for one small detail - there's no Mediterranean Sea in the distance.

Government 2.0

At the NCSL Legislative Summit in New Orleans in July, Ric Cantrell participated in a session titled "A New Life for Online Government."
[Video of the session is available at: http://www.ncsl.org/podcasts/NewOrleans2008/OnlineGov.wmv.]

Ric used the term "Government 2.0" to refer to using Web 2.0 techniques such as text messaging and blogging, which he demonstrated (this blog even made an appearance!). He also demonstrated several features of SenateSite.com that incorporate these functions.

While discussing and demonstrating various tools, Ric's point was that Web 2.0 (and thus Government 2.0) is about interaction based on the core value that the public is an integral part of governing in a democratic republic. We need to have faith in the both the process and the public, and to demonstrate that faith with our use of technology. In addition, he pointed out that in using blogs and other tools, "authenticity beats polish," or stated another way, being real is better than being artificial.

Short and to the point is also better than being long. So, enough from me. Go watch the video!

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe the last posting on this blog was May 2. I think about my Algerian friends and experiences almost every day and yet I seem to have trouble finding the time to post, even though I have so many ideas that I could quickly jot down. That's both the beauty and challenge of this medium. You have to keep posting to keep the venture alive and that takes some time. But, I need to remember that blogging doesn't need to be very formal or take very long ... just a quick way to stay in touch.

One of the Algerian blogs that was born as a result of of our trip was Karima B's Lamerose. Karima has embraced blogging and truly understands this medium and has been posting faithfully on her blog since April. She has been doing a wonderful job of capturing the richness and complexity of her world in Lamerose. I read this blog and its associated comments often (using the Google Translate tool makes language barriers melt away) and applaud Karima for creating a dialogue. So, I am going to take Karima's lead and try to post more observations about technology in this space and use this little part of the online world to stay in touch with Algerian friends.

Moving Toward Citizen Engagement in a Virtual Age

The May 2008 issue of State Legislatures magazine (published by NCSL) has an article on blogging by legislators (our own Kristen Amundson is a featured contributor). The article is available online at http://www.ncsl.org/magazine/articles/2008/08slMay08_Blogging.htm. It discusses why legislators should consider blogging along with advice on getting started and dealing with challenges. There is also a useful sidebar with tips for blogging. Much of the content will be familiar to those who attended the Algiers workshop.

A key source for the article is a report from IBM's Center for the Business of Government titled The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0, authored by David Wyld. It also is available online, at http://www.businessofgovernment.org/pdfs/WyldReportBlog.pdf. I have not read it in its entirety yet, but it is a more in-depth look at the use of blogging in the public sector as well as blogging as a social phenomenon. It also contains a glossary of terminology from blogging and Web 2.0 along with an extensive list of references.

This quote from the first paragraph of the introduction, under the heading "Moving Toward Citizen Engagement in a Virtual Age", sets the stage:

Today, unlike at any time in the advance of history, people simply no longer need to leave their houses to participate in a revolution.

The Senate President's Web Cam

A few years ago we bought a camera, and put it in the Senate President's Office.

Check it out.

You'll need to log in with Username: life
And Password: elevated

Watch the top bar of your screen. You might have to do a quick download of an Active X control to view it and move the camera around. It's harmless, and worth it.

If anyone wants technical details for doing something similar, let me know.

We're hoping the camera takes a small step toward demystifying the halls of power. Maybe a high school student somewhere in Utah is catching a glimpse of their future office. Citizens own the government – why not give them an extra window?

Several dozen people can look through the camera at the same time. People sometimes ask what happens when one person tries to move one way and someone else tries to move in another direction? I just say, welcome to the legislative process. Someone wants to go right, another person wants to go left so they fight it out and end up somewhere in between.

Rose Colored

Another excellent blog site has been born: larmerose.blogspot.com.

This one was created by Karima B, an active and integral participant in the technology workshop last week. The site has only existed for a few days but already includes posts about about climate change, the 28th anniversary of Berber Spring, football (soccer) in Algeria, and Martin Luther King's dream & the future of Algeria.

And I love the name. Check it out.

Voice of the People

Deputy Filali Ghouini of the Algerian Parliament is in the process of constructing a new blog site: The People's Free Voice.

Check out his site so far and give him your insight.

Here's the Hon. Filali Ghouini speaking at the workshop.

The State of IT at the APN

A colleague who had been to Algiers in 2006 as part of an assessment visit told me that I would be impressed by the information technology (IT) already in use in Algeria. He was correct; I was and am impressed. Whatever prejudice there may have been about what I would find in a so-called "third-world" country was immediately dispelled. The APN IT staff are intelligent, capable, hard-working individuals who have accomplished a great deal. They have modern equipment, and they are using modern techniques and technologies. They take pride in what they do, and rightfully so. They are also eager to learn and to accomplish even more.

The issues facing the APN IT staff are the same ones IT staff for US state legislatures face:

• providing all the solutions that users want in a timely manner with limited resources
• effectively training and supporting users
• maintaining system integrity and security while allowing access to data and functions
• coping with rapidly changing technologies - hardware, software, and techniques
• keeping up with today's demands while planning for tomorrow
• navigating sensitive social and political environments

I have no doubt that the APN IT staff is not only up to these challenges, they welcome them. Again, like their American counterparts, they want to be the best for their users and an example to others. They are an inspiration to me, and I look forward to learning from them as our interactions continue.

Merci!

Everyone on our team knows that it took a lot of work to prepare for, execute, and support the recent workshop and our visit. Mr. Tatah offered thanks in his closing remarks at the workshop, and many of us were able to express our gratitude as well. I want to take one more opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of many IFEL and APN staff without whom our efforts would have been substantially diminshed. This includes:

• the translators who worked diligently to enable effective communications
• the technicians who kept everything working
• the administrative staff who handled the details and the preparation and made it all work
• the IT staff who helped us get everything working for presentations and demonstrations
• the dining staff who prepared and served delicious meals
• the staff who prepared the breaks and provided coffee and tea for us
• the staff who printed and copied materials for the workshop
• the housekeeping and maintenance staff who set things up and cleaned up after us
• the security staff who watched over us
• the protocol staff who escorted and transported and took very good care of us

If I've overlooked anyone, it is unintentional, and I hope others on the team will point it out.

I am sure I speak for all of us when I express our sincere gratitude for everything that each of you did to make the workshop a success and our visit most pleasant. Merci beaucoups!

So How Do You Find the Time to Blog?

It's the question people ask me most often. (Well, possibly after, "Do you think anyone actually reads the things bloggers write?"
The answer is: it isn't easy. Nearly every blogger I know has very little "extra" time.
But we keep up our blogs because we think it's important. We find time during the day (I often scan a blog or two when I'm waiting on hold on the telephone.) We squeeze in a few minutes of blogging at the beginning or the end of our day.
But we keep at it. I won't speak for anyone else, but I find as an elected official that blogging gives me two critical things. First, I get a chance to share my thoughts. Even more important, voters can share their thoughts with me.
Now with this new blog, it's even more important to keep those lines of communication open. So although it's late at night, I'm here posting--and I'll be here reading whenever I can.

Algiers 2008: Photo Album

We created a Picasa Web Album for some of our workshop pics - an idea we gratefully pirated from Georgette Deemer's Hawaii House of Representatives blog. It's a good way of sharing a plethora of pictures in a single blog post. These are a mixture of pics from Corina's camera, Ann's camera, and mine, downloaded at the airport on the way home.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Every month, I attend a lunch meeting with colleagues in southeast Wyoming who are in the communications profession to share communications tactics and camaraderie.

Today, Governor Dave Freudenthal’s Press Secretary, Cara Eastwood, hosted our meeting. Cara is a former newspaper photographer and uses her well-trained eye to creatively document the Governor at work. She shared some useful tips on taking photographs that truly capture the moment.

Cara took the photograph above during a bill signing ceremony for legislation sponsored by Representative Rosie Berger (lower left) to increase the penalties for animal cruelty in Wyoming. (Some of you may remember Representative Berger; she visited Algeria in 2006 for the constituent outreach workshop.)

This photograph is a great example of using technology to bring government closer to the people. Well-done, Cara!

A Few Thoughts on Algeria and Algerians

I am just starting to process everything that happened on this trip ... we were gone for only a week and yet I feel like I have taken away a lifetime of experiences.

At one of our first meetings this past week, we were asked what we knew about Algeria. I have to admit, I knew almost nothing. I did not know that Algiers was such a beautiful city. I did not know that the stunning Roman ruins of Tipaza existed. I did not know that the Algerian people were so warm and exuberant. I did not know that Algeria has so much potential to use technology to reach out to her citizens. I now know that we have more in common than I would have ever realized.

During the past week, many of my Algerian friends said to me, "Go home and tell Americans what Algeria is like" and I intend to share all of the wonderful insights I have gained about this country. Other insights about Algeria?

Missing Algeria

As I made coffee this morning in my Denver kitchen, I realized I was really craving the hot mint tea we drank everyday (twice a day) in Algeria. I also realized it was the first morning I would not be greeted by our protocol team and I will not have a police escort when I head out to the grocery store later today. I am missing the good old days in Algeria, anyone else?

Au Revoir Algeria

Well, I am just about to close up my laptop computer to get ready to head to the airport … back to the Good Ol’ USA. After an amazing day of playing tourist at the Casbah in Algiers and the Roman ruins at Tipaza (both are UNESCO World Heritage sites), I find myself falling even more in love with this country.

We wrapped up the workshop yesterday with closing thoughts and I am already missing the Algerian faces of the members and colleagues with whom we have been sharing experiences this week. Although I cannot wait to get home and see my hubby and little girl, I am still feeling a little bit melancholy about leaving this place. It is raining outside my window in the beautiful Algiers night and it is hard to believe that this trip is already coming to an end.

Algeria is so much more than I expected and has so much potential that I cannot forget about this country once I am in the air.

That is the beauty of this blog … I look forward to continuing this conversation on the other side of the pond.

Espoir & Liberte

Workshop photo from the Espoirs & Liberte site:

(Click to embigger.)

Algeria, Land of Shoes

Since I arrived in Algeria...I have found myself staring at the ground when we are with a group of people. Not because I want to, but because I am captivated and jealous of the shoes Algerians wear! No matter what they are wearing on top, they pair it with the best in footwear any country has to offer.
And I am ashamed. Ashamed, because when I travel to any country or state, I tend to bring my B-list shoes. These are the shoes I wouldn't lose sleep over if they were lost, damaged or stolen. The A-list shoes stay at home, tucked away, completely unaware of what they are missing in Algeria!
So I feel an apology is in order to my new Algerian friends, for not bringing my love of footwear to your country. I had no idea it was a love we both shared. I apologize to everyone (men and women) and to my A-list shoes at home in Denver. All 30 pairs would have loved to make the trip to Algeria and they would have been in great company!

Now I Get It

I have to admit that I have never really understood the allure of blogging. What's the big deal? It's just like typing an e-mail. Why is that revolutionary?

This trip has made a convert out of me. What a dynamic and organic way to communicate. I find myself sneaking peeks at the blog to see what's new, who's posting, who's commenting, and who's talking about us ... well, today our little site got a shout out on the National Association of Government Communicators blog. Aha, this is what it's all about. Buzz. Relevance. Timeliness.

I can't tell if it's this new blogging addiction that has me up in the wee hours of the morning on the northern coast of Africa or if it's the fact that my body still thinks it's only dinner time in Wyoming. What a day, but more about that tomorrow (or I guess I should make that today.)

Podcasting Workshop

We talked about podcasting today.

I use Gcast.com because it allows us to upload digital recordings (like this one) from a computer but it ALSO allows us to grab the nearest telephone and record a voice-mail podcast on-the-fly, like we demonstrated in the workshop today.

It’s powerful when constituents can hear their elected official explain things in his or her own voice. Even more powerful when citizens can view the source material while listening to the explanation - which is what our senate budget chair did here. To me, it’s a colorful combination of innovation and tedium . . .

Maybe the real revolutions are exactly that.



Can anyone out there recommend other good podcasting programs?

Deputy Elaid's new site

Some new blog sites have been born over the past few days. One is the new site for Elaid Karial, Deputy. We're looking forward to good things there.

The Algerian Electronic Empire is expanding!

My To-Do List

Grandma may not blog, have an iPod, or text, but I’ll bet her grandkids do and there is evidence that Algerian grandkids are using these tools, as well.

This doesn’t mean that Grandma should be left out of the dialogue, but that it is important to use the appropriate tools for your audience. This was the subject of a good portion of the session yesterday morning when we tackled the subject of communications planning. We have provided communications plan templates to our hosts in both French and Arabic form and we have also created an electronic template in English.

Sometimes all of the tools that are available can be overwhelming and so it is incredibly important to prioritize our work (this is coming from the hypocrite who has 2,000 + tasks on my PDA!) I am going to try to practice what I preach this year, keeping the following communications planning strategies in mind that we discussed yesterday:

• SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
• Audience Identification
• Goals and Objectives
• Communications Tools and Strategies
• Key Messages
• Branding and Identity
• Crisis Communications
• Plan Measurement and Timeline

YouTube Channel

Tomorrow we'll be talking more about creating video content for YouTube. Here's the NCSL Algeria YouTube Channel. We'll add more video as the week progresses.

Mobile Text Messaging

Not everyone can afford a laptop.

Or find an internet connection. In Algeria, 1.9 million people use the internet regularly. However, nearly everyone has a mobile phone. To be exact, Algeria has 28 million mobile subscribers and that is projected to increase to 36 million subscribers over the next two years. Wireless penetration level in Algeria will increase from 82.5% to 104.3% by 2010.

Tomorrow we'll discuss how the Utah Senate has experimented with mobile text messaging to communicate.

With the right utilization, this tool could be incredibly effective here.

I talked to the visionaries at Vox Parters about this presentation and they were very positive. In fact, they believe Algeria is in a prime position to pioneer mobile information potential. Here is a Power Point Presentation they sent along of some ideas you might consider.

See you tomorrow.

Am I Hearing Voices?

I can't seem to get the voices out of my head during the past few days ... the voices of our incredible translators, Mr. Nacer Daoud and his very competent staff! Although no substitute for Mr. Daoud and company, I found Babel Fish to be a helpful tool to translate a comment to an earlier blog posting from one of our colleagues on the APN staff. We have added the link to the Babel Fish translation service on the upper-left side of the blog. Try it out. What a great way to communicate if you don't have Mr. Daoud at your disposal.

Text Message Examples

Here are some actual text messages we sent to people who had signed up for updates during our last legislative session.

Update: Sen. Pres. Valentine & Min. Ldr Dmitrich host an informal Q&A after AM floor time, Prez's Office, approx 11:45. Questions? Call Ric at 801.673.1603

SENATEnews: Press Avail RIGHT NOW in the Sen. Prez's office. Live Video stream @ www.senatesite.com Call Ric w/?'s: 801-673-1603

SenateNews: The Gov agrees to consult with Senate & House before signing interstate agreements. PDF @ www.senatesite.com

SenateNews: Legislature passes funding for first stage I-15 expansion in Utah County. www.senatesite.com

SenateNews: Post floor time press avail in Prez.'s office. immed. after adjournment. Live stream @ www.senatesite.com Call Ric w/?'s: 801-673-1603

SenateMobile: Press Conf @ 2PM today RE: 2007's flawed town incorp law. Impacted citizens & officials to speak. Live stream @ www.senatesite.com

SenateMOBILE: We're Number 1! Utah is the best managed state in the nation. PDF and podcast W/ Sen Prez, Spkr and Guv. @ www.senatesite.com

SENATEmobile:Check out the cool stuff we are doing to get the Senate News out to YOU on KSL News at 4PM & other KSL newscasts t-night. Senatesite.com

SenateNews: Presser in Senate Lounge @ 11:15AM. Hillyard and Bigelow will discuss the state budget. Join us or watch live @ www.senatesite.com

Senate NEWS-SB297- First Time Felony for Animal Torture (cert. cond) passes on to the House www.senatesite.com Call w/?'s: 801-673-1603

SenateMOBILE: SB297-the First Time Felony for Animal Torture (cert. conditions) passes out of the Senate on to the House. www.senatesite.com

SenateMobile: The Utah Senate just began debate on the immigration bill. Listen live on-line: www.le.utah.gov

SenateMOBILE:SB81 (immigration) will prob. pass or fail btween 2 & 3PM. A press conf. will be live-streamed from the Sen. Lounge on www.senatesite.com

SenateNews: New Budget #'s are in. ExecApprops Chairs to brief media @ 11:00 in House Majority Caucus Room. Call w/?'s: 801-673-1603

SenateMobile: Utah senators passed an anti-gang bill today. New video on the Senate YouTube Channel. Link to it from the SenateSite.com

SENATEMOBILE: President Valentine and other Senate Leaders remember Gordon B. Hinckley on You Tube. Click the You Tube link @ SenateSite.com

SenateMobile: We paid your bills today. $11B worth. That's BILLION. $ pays for state gov with extra for students & teachers. SenateSite.com

And, the day after the legislative session ended . . .

SenateMobile: Senate = a ghost town today as citizen legislators return to home, family & work. Good session. THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING. SenateSite.com

Parallel Universe?

What struck me the most after the first two days of our workshop is that we all speak the same language.

I am sure that our capable and patient interpreters who translated our presentations and exchanges in French, Arabic, and English would disagree, but at the end of the day our American delegation and our Algerian hosts share the lexicons of democracy and technology.

As the Algerian technology staff members presented information about their Intranet and Internet sites, I found myself nodding in a Zen-like state of comprehension. The challenge of implementing technology to communicate the practice of representative democracy is universal.

In these exotic surroundings, much is familiar inside the walls of Algeria’s Parliament. Whenever problems come up with our laptops before presentations, guess who is there to fix them? That’s right, the information technology staff from the APN.

And it’s not just staff who seemed familiar to me. The members of the Algerian Parliament have been seeking out the insights of the elected officials from our delegation, former Illinois Senator Steve Rauschenberger and Virginia Delegate Kristen Amundson, because they speak the same language. Honestly. Just ask our interpreters.

The Whiteboard

I use a whiteboard to keep my head wrapped around what we need to communicate and the tools we can use. Here's a photograph - you can click it to enlarge.


We'll discuss the checklist on the right-hand side today in "Using Technology in Media Relations."

It's A Small World After All

This morning, I was playing with my 10-month-old daughter in Wyoming. Tonight, I am sitting by the sapphire Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by a cascade of white-washed buildings with charming blue shutters. I have arrived in Algiers and I am captivated by this city already.

After I arrived, I talked to my family using Skype, an Internet calling service. I heard my daughter giggle in delight thousands of miles away from here.

The world is indeed becoming a smaller place, thanks to the technology in our lives … the subject that brought me to Algeria.

A few hours before talking to my family, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Boualem Tatah, the Director of the Institute for Training and Legislative Studies (IFEL) and his assistant, Ms. Hakima Saadi.

From this first introduction, I know that I will learn a great deal from our gracious hosts, and my fellow presenters, and look forward to sharing ideas about how to harness technology.

Yet, I am struck by the fact that sometimes nothing beats a smile and a “hello” in a new land to really reach out.

Workshop Itinerary

Here is the . . .

Workshop schedule in English

Workshop schedule in Arabic

Workshop schedule in French

And the press release.

The NCSL delegation is now complete. The final four members arrived a few hours ago, tired but good-humored, bright-eyed and ready for the work ahead.

We visited the IFEL Building and held a pleasant, informative discussion with Dr. Boualem Tatah, the Director general of IFEL (Algerian legislative staff organization), and his capable assistant Hakima Saadi, in preparation for tomorrow's workshop.

On the terse drive back to sleeping quarters we could see ships outside the harbor and the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. Beautiful.

Need to get some sleep before the morning call to prayer.

Simple Live Streaming

I'm streaming live from the beautiful city of Algiers using . . .

1. A cheap video camera,

2. My laptop computer, and

3. An internet connection.

You can see the trees and hear the traffic outside my window. You can also hear me typing. I plugged the camera into the laptop, opened a website at NowLive.com, click a few buttons and we're live.

Easy as pie.

This is a useful highly-portable tool for broadcasting events like press conferences to a larger or distant audience.

Eagle(s) have landed

Ann, Corina and I arrived in the middle of the night. O'dark-thirty. The city is enchanting and our hosts have treated us with respect and hospitality.

As the motorcade cruised from the airport to the capitol the lead vehicle flashed his lights at a small car in front. The young guy moved over and tried to see what was going on as we passed. The look on his face was memorable. No anger or frustration yet. His face said something like "Hey. . . what's going on there . . . ?"

Government action impacted him; he was clearly interested but didn't have an information channel to learn what happened or why. I think that could be emblematic. As I prepare for this week's discussions I'll do it with that guy's face in mind.

Why I Love Technology

An article in today's Washington Postdescribes the way the Internet is changing Presidential politics.

What's true at the national level is even more true at the local and state level.

Example Number One: me.

I'm not supposed to be in office. In the 2001 redistricting, my district was carefully drawn to make sure I couldn't win it. And it almost worked. But because I communicated so regularly with voters, even a few who told me they "never voted for anyone else in your party" pulled the voting lever for me.

We didn't have access to many of the tools that are available today. There was email, but not all my colleagues knew how to use it. (Actually, some still don't. One older veteran still asks me to "Send me an Internet on that.")

Today, I use email, a web site, an electronic newsletter, online surveys, and a blog.

It hasn't replaced all my other communication. I still mail a lot. I go to community meetings and school events. I knock on doors.

But technology has made it easier for me to reach more people.

Now I'm looking forward to talking with colleagues in Algeria about the many ways to use technology.

Welcome

Welcome to the unofficial blog site for the APN/NCSL technology workshop in Algiers.

We're setting it up so anyone on the delegation can post to their heart's delight.

This could be a useful on-line repository for . . .

• Meeting Notes
• Observations
  
• Helpful links
  
• Technology demonstrations
• Photographs
  
• Etc.