Innovation in transparency

When thinking about transparency, we often think in terms of the benefits that will come to private citizens. However, there are many direct benefits for governments and officials, including increased legitimacy, reduced duplication, better cross-pollination, and the ability tap into innovation.

The innovation is already under way as governments and private companies look to cell phone programs, known as “apps” (short for “applications”) to make transparency easier, as smart phones are expected to become the dominant platform to access the Web. DotGov, Inc. is developing a mobile program that will provide citizens with tools to interact with and benefit from all the information and services that local governments offer. The company plans to launch its app in May 2010.

One of my biggest gripes against many well-intentioned transparency projects is their lack of usability: either the platform the information is released on is confusing, or the information itself is too raw to interpret. But innovation is starting to touch this problem, too. A $30,000 prize by iStrategy Labs worked to motivate technologists to develop phone applications that help with usability issues, and the results were apps valued at $2.6 million.

It seems that expectations are changing. Now, we ask not just that the government give us information, but that it help us use it. The questions becomes one of making available information better, as opposed to making that information available.

Still, posting information remains commendable, and any government that moves to posting information online deserves praise.