It sounds like utopia: a society where citizens collaborate freely and overcome the limitations of monolithic bureaucracy and top-down government.<\/p>\n
This connected republic view of the world, is however now close to becoming a reality in many parts of the world thanks to new technologies – according to a White Paper published by Cisco\u2019s Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), the company\u2019s global strategic consulting arm.<\/p>\n
According to this document, the possibilities of the connected republic go beyond e-government\u2019s original goal of improved service delivery and could even herald an age of democratic renewal where people, not bureaucracies, call the shots.<\/p>\n
The Connected Republic 2.0 shows how network technology is already persuading governments and their departments to become more responsive, flexible and accountable. The technology that brought us Wikipedia and Skype can also provide citizen empowerment.<\/p>\n
Putting citizens in the driving seat <\/strong><\/p>\n There are a number of examples where modern communication technology is enabling those normally outside the official hierarchies to take control of, and contribute to, issues that affect their lives.<\/p>\n In the Philippines, for example, the country\u2019s 16-million cellphone users are now able to report smoke-belching public buses and other vehicles via SMS. These citizens are also able to send text messages to seek emergency assistance and report wrongdoing by police officers. In Hawaii, the city of Honolulu is using unified communications solutions to enable citizens to report potholes \u2013 176,000 of which have been repaired since 2005.<\/p>\n And in the UK, a Fix My Street service allows residents to report graffiti, littering, defective street lighting and other urban ills to their local council. Residents are furthermore able to track the progress of the problem and the performance of the responsible agency.<\/p>\n These are but a few examples that show how mobile telephony, the internet and social networking sites can have a positive impact on society. In South Africa, we are taking steps in the right direction to enable similar services, which are being driven out of need more than anything else. One such example is the \u2018crime line\u2019, which allows citizens to report crime \u2013 or intended crime \u2013 via SMS and the internet.<\/p>\n A new generation of citizens <\/strong><\/p>\n The connected republic is a model that invites citizens and the public sector to change the way people think about technology, society and government. It replaces a rigid, top-down, uni-directional model of communication between the centres of power and the public with a multitude of two-way conversations.<\/p>\n In the same way that the highly interactive Web 2.0 model is replacing broadcast media as the paradigm of choice, a new generation of technologically savvy citizens is refusing to be passive, isolated consumers of media. Instead, they are active participants.<\/p>\n This \u2018Power of Us\u2019 poses a great challenge to the public sector. Put simply, the institutions whose role is to serve society will need to play catch-up if they are to remain relevant.<\/p>\n To do so, public sector organisations will need to follow three principles:<\/p>\n \u2022They should take a platform approach and maximise the number of people and organisations that can collaborate to create public value. Overcoming challenges <\/strong><\/p>\n This may seem a tall order for some organisations and apart from the technical issues; there are several potential pitfalls along the path toward the connected republic.<\/p>\n Ensuring people\u2019s privacy is obviously a central issue. Creating effective identity management systems is another, as is securing the vast amounts of data moving across the network.<\/p>\n From a political perspective, protecting the freedom of people to make choices for themselves and their families are all issues that need to be high on the policy agenda. So, too, is the concern about closing gaps in education, resources and skills that, left unattended, will result in disconnected communities and a loss of social cohesion, as the technological \u2018haves\u2019 participate in and shape a society \u2013 to the exclusion of the digital \u2018have nots\u2019.<\/p>\n Despite these obstacles, the connected republic seems full of promise. The network will take centre stage to become the platform for productivity, social inclusion and community.<\/p>\n Profound transformation and system change must take place. It will take time, careful investment and sustained leadership, but it is essential if institutions are to maximise the public value they deliver to citizens and create the connected republic.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022They should \u2018empower the edge\u2019 so that frontline organisations and workers have the freedom they need to deliver locally appropriate solutions.
\n\u2022They should tap into this social revolution by harnessing the power of citizenry \u2013 \u2018us\u2019 \u2013 to create knowledge, solve problems and deliver better services.
\nThe emergence of the shift from hierarchy and centralised control to a self-organising community is imminent and is best summarised by the principle of \u2018small pieces, loosely connected.\u2019<\/p>\n