I really enjoyed this article in the Guardian Government 2.0 is a rubbish name for a good initiative

Government 2.0 is a daft term. Its first airing, as the title of one of those management-consultant books on "how the digital revolution is transforming government and politics" was at least fresh. But that was in 2005. That said, government 2.0 is a useful code - purely temporary, and in the absence of anything better - for a fascinating revolution happening in British public life. This is a new and nearly ubiquitous enthusiasm for the power of information, including but not exclusively web 2.0 innovations, to improve public services. Look at this week's draft constitution for the NHS, with its talk of professionals being steered by the output of "digital dashboards". Watch for the forthcoming policing green paper, the white paper on local government "empowerment" and the cross-government strategy on digital equality. All will be stuffed with ideas about giving citizens the information they need.

The Cabinet Office published today the following

The Prime Minister today outlines a bold vision for transforming England's public services. In a Cabinet Office report “ Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services ” published today, he argues that although public services have improved dramatically over the past decade they are not yet world-class and a new stage of reform is required.

The objectives

1). Empowering citizens who use public services: extending choice and complementing it with more direct forms of individual control, such as personal budgets, opportunities for people to do more themselves, stronger local accountability, and providing greater transparency over service performance. 2). Fostering a new professionalism in the public service workforce, which combines increased responsiveness to users, consistent quality in day-to-day practices, higher levels of autonomy from central government wherever those at the front line show the ambition and capacity to excel and greater investment in workforce skills. 3). Strong strategic leadership from central government to ensure that direct intervention is more sharply concentrated on underperforming organisations, while the conditions are created for the majority to thrive more autonomously.

The Guardian writes

This is exciting stuff. Twelve years after John Major's enfeebled administration first suggested computerising citizens' dealings with officialdom, e-government is evolving to a new concept of administration.

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Alan Moore co-founded SMLXL and has consulted for a wide range of global brands as a creative usiness and brand strategist. He has worked on innovative projects for; Nokia, Telia Sonera, Red Bull, The Coca Cola Company, Hennes & Mauritz, Saab, NorthOne Television, TV2 Norway and TV2 Finland and Sony BMG. He is the co-author of the book Communities Dominate Brands.

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