http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62054304,00.htm?scid=rss_z_nw
ZDNet Asia, 22 May 2009, Eileen Yu
S'pore govt needs holistic Web approach
The Singapore government will need to adopt a whole new mindset and holistic strategy, in its efforts to engage its citizens via the Internet and other new media platforms, say industry watchers.
The local government has in recent months indicated a desire to engage Singaporeans on a new level, in cyber space, to be in sync with an increasingly tech-savvy population.
Raphael Phang, vice president of IDC's Government Insights Asia-Pacific, said Web 2.0 and other new media tools are at the forefront of the transformation of how governments interact with their people.
Citing U.S. President Barack Obama's use of new media during last year's U.S. presidential elections and YouTube videos showing G20 meetings in the United Kingdom, Phang said such forms of engagement are already evident across the globe. The IDC analyst added that politicians in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, have also started blogs.
More recently, the U.S. White House held an online town hall meeting and accepted questions submitted via the Web. The Obama administration received over 104,000 questions sent by 90,000 people.
Phang said in an e-mail interview: "One key lesson that can be learnt from these examples is that the Internet and new media can, and is having, a significant impact on the way citizens view their government--whether the government participates, or does not participate in its usage."
The general population is already embracing new media, regardless of whether governments do likewise, he said. Given the adoption and impact of such platforms, he noted that it is important that governments become proactive users as well.
During his National Day address in August 2008, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, spoke at length about new media and its impact on the island-state. Over 80 percent of households in the country have broadband, and there are some 6 million mobile phones in a population of 4.5 million.
"The young people are totally immersed in this [new] medium," Lee said in his speech. "People are writing their own content, sharing it with others, organizing interest groups... All this has changed the way the government works." He added that his administration is communicating and engaging with Singaporeans online.
And at the forefront of such efforts is Reach, he said, referring to the government portal set up in October 2006, as a platform for citizens to submit feedback and discuss government policies online.
Holistic approach, new skills needed
Steve Hodgkinson, research director for public sector at Ovum, said in an e-mail: "Use of the Internet as a one- and two-way communications channel is now pretty much expected of democratic governments, so Singapore is playing catch-up on this one. The government will need to be mindful of the fact that new media is more about participation than it is about managing or controlling."
As such, ministers and senior government officials will need to acquire new skills, as well as adopt a new culture and mindset, Hodgkinson said. Participating in new media using "old media skills" will not produce the results the Singapore government seeks. For instance, putting a ban on online content will only serve to attract attention to it, he said.
The challenge is that it takes time and experience to learn these new skills, and participate effectively in the new media environment, he noted. On top of that, mistakes are very public, he added.
"The government will need to work out ways to proceed in a measured manner while it gains these skills to avoid embarrassing mistakes that could lead to a reversal of enthusiasms for more open communication," Hodgkinson said. "It would be wise to engage some advisors who are very experienced in the use of social media in the public sector context."
The Singapore government needs to recognize that the younger generation is very different from previous generations, said Ang Peng Hwa, a professor at Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University.
The tone and method of communication that worked during the era of the country's former prime minister and founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, is unlikely to work today, Ang told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail. "This generation wants to engage with government and politics on their own terms--on issues they care about," he said. And in terms of the quality of inputs and diversity of views, he noted that the results of this engagement may also not be what government officials want.
There are also costs involved in managing Web 2.0 communications if the government intends to be responsive, he added. Users expect a 24-hour turnaround and these new communication platforms need to be attended by two people, on a work shift, even during holidays, he said.
Regardless, Ang said these forms of engagement are necessary and governments will need to deploy whichever new channels of communication the populace is moving toward. These include SMS, Twitter and instant messaging, he said.
Phang explained: "Unlike traditional media, blogs and other Web 2.0 technologies represent a more accessible medium that citizens can use to interact with the government, and with other citizens.
"It is also important to remember that because new generations of citizens are educated in the Internet-enabled age, they will expect to operate in a similar environment that they have been used to when they enter the workforce. The same can be said for those joining the civil service as government officials," he noted.
Governments then need to understand each media platform and the objectives of using that channel of communication, he said. They should approach this in the same way they do with traditional media such as newspapers, television and radio.
Online media, Hodgkinson said, are typically more relaxed and "uncontrolled" with regard to the types of topics discussed and views expressed. He added that it is up to any democratically-elected government to decide what it deems appropriate, and not appropriate, especially in dealing with sensitive issues such as religion and race, which can be socially divisive.
While the Internet is intrinsically more open and participative, enabling greater freedom of expression and transparency, governments can still decide how much freedom and transparency they to allow, he said.
"The hope is, over time, the transparency of the Internet will become a force for more open and transparent government generally. But, of course, this is a pretty simple and naïve view given the complexities of politics."
Continue on next page....
ZDNet Asia, 22 May 2009, Eileen Yu
S'pore govt needs holistic Web approach
The Singapore government will need to adopt a whole new mindset and holistic strategy, in its efforts to engage its citizens via the Internet and other new media platforms, say industry watchers.
The local government has in recent months indicated a desire to engage Singaporeans on a new level, in cyber space, to be in sync with an increasingly tech-savvy population.
Raphael Phang, vice president of IDC's Government Insights Asia-Pacific, said Web 2.0 and other new media tools are at the forefront of the transformation of how governments interact with their people.
Citing U.S. President Barack Obama's use of new media during last year's U.S. presidential elections and YouTube videos showing G20 meetings in the United Kingdom, Phang said such forms of engagement are already evident across the globe. The IDC analyst added that politicians in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, have also started blogs.
More recently, the U.S. White House held an online town hall meeting and accepted questions submitted via the Web. The Obama administration received over 104,000 questions sent by 90,000 people.
Phang said in an e-mail interview: "One key lesson that can be learnt from these examples is that the Internet and new media can, and is having, a significant impact on the way citizens view their government--whether the government participates, or does not participate in its usage."
The general population is already embracing new media, regardless of whether governments do likewise, he said. Given the adoption and impact of such platforms, he noted that it is important that governments become proactive users as well.
During his National Day address in August 2008, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, spoke at length about new media and its impact on the island-state. Over 80 percent of households in the country have broadband, and there are some 6 million mobile phones in a population of 4.5 million.
"The young people are totally immersed in this [new] medium," Lee said in his speech. "People are writing their own content, sharing it with others, organizing interest groups... All this has changed the way the government works." He added that his administration is communicating and engaging with Singaporeans online.
And at the forefront of such efforts is Reach, he said, referring to the government portal set up in October 2006, as a platform for citizens to submit feedback and discuss government policies online.
Holistic approach, new skills needed
Steve Hodgkinson, research director for public sector at Ovum, said in an e-mail: "Use of the Internet as a one- and two-way communications channel is now pretty much expected of democratic governments, so Singapore is playing catch-up on this one. The government will need to be mindful of the fact that new media is more about participation than it is about managing or controlling."
As such, ministers and senior government officials will need to acquire new skills, as well as adopt a new culture and mindset, Hodgkinson said. Participating in new media using "old media skills" will not produce the results the Singapore government seeks. For instance, putting a ban on online content will only serve to attract attention to it, he said.
The challenge is that it takes time and experience to learn these new skills, and participate effectively in the new media environment, he noted. On top of that, mistakes are very public, he added.
"The government will need to work out ways to proceed in a measured manner while it gains these skills to avoid embarrassing mistakes that could lead to a reversal of enthusiasms for more open communication," Hodgkinson said. "It would be wise to engage some advisors who are very experienced in the use of social media in the public sector context."
The Singapore government needs to recognize that the younger generation is very different from previous generations, said Ang Peng Hwa, a professor at Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University.
The tone and method of communication that worked during the era of the country's former prime minister and founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, is unlikely to work today, Ang told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail. "This generation wants to engage with government and politics on their own terms--on issues they care about," he said. And in terms of the quality of inputs and diversity of views, he noted that the results of this engagement may also not be what government officials want.
There are also costs involved in managing Web 2.0 communications if the government intends to be responsive, he added. Users expect a 24-hour turnaround and these new communication platforms need to be attended by two people, on a work shift, even during holidays, he said.
Regardless, Ang said these forms of engagement are necessary and governments will need to deploy whichever new channels of communication the populace is moving toward. These include SMS, Twitter and instant messaging, he said.
Phang explained: "Unlike traditional media, blogs and other Web 2.0 technologies represent a more accessible medium that citizens can use to interact with the government, and with other citizens.
"It is also important to remember that because new generations of citizens are educated in the Internet-enabled age, they will expect to operate in a similar environment that they have been used to when they enter the workforce. The same can be said for those joining the civil service as government officials," he noted.
Governments then need to understand each media platform and the objectives of using that channel of communication, he said. They should approach this in the same way they do with traditional media such as newspapers, television and radio.
Online media, Hodgkinson said, are typically more relaxed and "uncontrolled" with regard to the types of topics discussed and views expressed. He added that it is up to any democratically-elected government to decide what it deems appropriate, and not appropriate, especially in dealing with sensitive issues such as religion and race, which can be socially divisive.
While the Internet is intrinsically more open and participative, enabling greater freedom of expression and transparency, governments can still decide how much freedom and transparency they to allow, he said.
"The hope is, over time, the transparency of the Internet will become a force for more open and transparent government generally. But, of course, this is a pretty simple and naïve view given the complexities of politics."
Continue on next page....