BasicGov / BLOG

The Gov 2.0 Summit presentations are available on bliptv and worth listening to.  Fascinating comments and discussions about government at all levels changing,  adopting innovative technologies and re-using / sharing information.

Here are a few highlights:

• Tim O’Reilly’s opening about government participating in Web 2.0, killer apps, Software as a service, “harnessing collective intelligence” … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFXxEXH23CE
• Jen Palka with TechWeb to announce a new exciting initiative “Code for America” which is about sharing  some of the best “experiments going on locally” and “propagate best local Gov 2.0″ ; based on the notion “What if, instead of reinventing the wheel every time, cities shared technology resources?”
• Andrew McLaughlin, Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the Obama administration, talking about “speeding up government” in the decisions, data it makes available, real time capabilities to data.gov and apps.gov

What do you think about Code for America?

 The key to success for your SaaS implementation is to start from your desired outcome.  What is it that you want the system to do for you?  Are you clear about what you currently do, and when or how you do it now?  The clearer you are about your current and desired process the better outcome you’ll achieve.

Where to start? Concisely, thoroughly describe and document your current workflow. Understand that your processes may change slightly in order to take full advantage of the solution you’ve chosen. Be open to your vendor’s advice on how to streamline the process and accept that there may be gaps in what can be provided.  Expect a 80-20 solution: the system should automate the tasks that take up 80% of your time.  Focus on these tasks and understand that if you want 100% automation – you’ll likely have to pay for significant customization.  

 Once you’re through the “Business Analysis” portion of the installation, the real advantages of SaaS come into play. Saas is easier to configure.  No software installation and no IT headaches.  Time to rollout is reduced.  Users are up and running faster – and in a familiar “browser” environment.