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Earlier this week, the Australian Government 2.0 Taskforce issued a very interesting report on opening up government to increase transparency and deepen democratic participation. They found Australia is a bit behind the US and UK but I think we all have a ways to go. From a column in Financial Review:

The expression Web 2.0 connotes the internet as a platform for collaboration of all kinds. It also connotes openness. Open standards permit interoperability allowing people to build on each others’ work. This makes the net the world’s first truly serendipitous network. It regularly bombards us with wonderful surprises – like blogs, Wikpedia, Flikr and Facebook. The potential of Web 2.0 to transform the ‘open government’ agenda – now itself identified by the term ‘Government 2.0’ – has been evident for some time. Obama made open government a centrepiece of his administration.

Australian government agencies have produced some wonderful Government 2.0 initiatives. But in the draft report we’ve just released, the Government 2.0 Taskforce found that Australia had yet to give the Government 2.0 co-ordinated, whole of government attention as the US, UK and New Zealand governments have done. And public agencies continue to act like owners rather than custodians of public data and information. Thus, although the Australian Government went to great lengths to get the word out about its last Budget, its inside asserts that “no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission”.

The report gives an impressive roadmap for getting to Government 2.0. Among the more interesting suggestions is to make an official Declaration on Open Government:

Public sector information is a national resource, and that releasing as much of it on as permissive terms as possible will maximize its economic and social value and reinforce a healthy democracy;

Using technology to increase collaboration in making policy and providing services will help achieve a more consultative, participatory and transparent government;

Online engagement by public servants should be enabled and encouraged. Robust professional discussion benefits their agencies, their professional development, and the Australian public; and

Open engagement at all levels of government is integral to promoting an informed, connected and democratic community, to public sector reform, innovation and best use of the national investment in broadband.

I’m honored to be a part of Australia’s International Reference Group on this initiative, and will continue to work to leverage technology to deepen our democratic institutions. I have little doubt the progress Australia makes can and will be quickly adopted by other governments that go for Government 2.0.