Enhancing Public Works Services Using Social Media

transcript

Enhancing Public Works Services

Using Social Media

Pam Broviak, P.E.City Engineer/Assistant Director of Public Works,

Geneva, IL

Enhancing Public Works Services Using Social Media

Public Works

What percentage of your time is spent with the public? With carrying out work?

Have we received any training in:

• Public Engagement?

• Public Collaboration?

• Public Interaction?

• Public Communication?

For many of us, not since grade

school

So how have we handled our customers?

Face-to-face Phone

Letters

E-mail

But even if you are a communication God, you can still have unhappy customers.

Lack of education about government

so people are raised with unrealistic expectations

& don’t realize citizens have responsibilities too

So along comes social media waving the public involvement flag

And the first reaction among many seems to be:•Uncertainty•Hesitation•Denial• Fear

“Local Terrorists”

“Electronic Crap”

“Bloggers kicking your

butt”

“Daily tearing up my

department”

Reactions to Social Media I have overheard from other agencies

Yet we see some blazing a different path

Blog by: Gary Holm, P.E. Director of Public Works, City of Batavia, IL

CULTURE SHIFT

Let us get together to do things ourselves.

“Particularly in government … it is nothing less than an obligation on our part to embrace every possible means to serve the public better, faster, and cheaper than anyone has ever thought possible.” - Dannielle Blumenthal, GovLoop

“There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them.”

- French politician Alexandre Ledru-Rollin(Thanks to Adriel Hampton for sharing that quote!)

Agency BLOGS•Promote and explain projects•Notifications for emergencies & unplanned work•Explanation of historical community decisions•Public hearing notifications•Summarize reports•Educate & remind residents about regulations•Notifications about permit work or work by other agencies

Public BLOGS•Understand they are not going away & can influence•Decide on level of participation•Develop simple social media policy•Practice commenting

twitter

•Road closures•Emergency work

•Emergency notifications•Construction information•Links to blog posts

Use Slideshare to inform & educate

Upload presentations about:

•Projects•Regulations•Plans•Reports•Concepts/ideas

http://www.slideshare.net

http://www.flickr.com

Use Flickr & You Tube to inform & educate

Upload photos/videos about:

•Projects•Regulations•Plans

http://www.youtube.com

•Reports•Concepts/ideas

Again, Washington State

DOT is a great agency to emulate

Using social media internally – for the “works” portion of your job

You can also use photo and video sites for in-

house training or documentation

A blog format can be used to create a digital

project diary

Wikis for Information Organization

Wikis can be set up and used to

document and organize institutional

knowledge

•Preliminary Plat Submitted 1-4-2009

•Final Plans submitted 3-15-2009•Final Plans approved 4-30-2009•As-built plans submitted 8-3-2009

•Final Plat Submitted 9-5-2009

•Related Local Agency Agreements•Related Annexation Agreements•Letter of Credit

City of Example

Demo Subdivision

Virtual Worlds

•There are currently hundreds of virtual worlds

•Most are targeted at the under 20 crowd

•But adults are using several for training and design

DESIGN

OPERATIONS

RESOURCES

http://www.publicworksgroup.com/node/12

Free e-book for those just getting started in the use

of social media

Contact Information:

Pam Broviak, PECity of Geneva630-232-1539pbroviak@geneva.il.us

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pbroviakSecond Life: Pam Renoir, CivilE Writer, Pam OckSkype: pam.renoirBlog: http://www.publicworksgroup.com/blogLinkedIn & other networks: Pam BroviakSlides at: http://www.slideshare.net/publicworksgroup

TRADITIONAL

NEW MEDIA

Enhancing Public Works Services Using Social Media

Technology