Government 2.0: Let's get on with it!

Government 2.0.

What a promise, what an opportunity.

Using social networking, modern tools, more effective delivery capabilities in order to....to do what?

To better deliver Government 1.0?

So, basically to remain the philosophy of the government as a centralized "we know best" organization?

Or should we look to what a customer-centric approach would mean for governments?

Can we learn from technology that distributed intelligence is much more powerful than centralized mainframes?

There we learned that curiosity, combined with disciplined execution makes more progress with less efforts.

Davos is engaging , also in the discussions of next generation government.

In my view, we need to combine the social and the economic agenda and see technology from that perspective.

Simply using a smart phone to do the same is a waste.

Thus: a new ambition , a new definition of aspiration. We called it the new realities. Not just on the macro level of new balance of power, but also and profoundly in what governments should deliver to a demanding, well informed and connected population.

Generation Y is very critical about what governments can do and deliver.

Rather than trying to stop the inevitable, perhaps it is a great opportunity to enter a dialogue with the younger people.

Power and authority are eroding currencies. If we don't pay close attention to transparency and openness, we may not be able to transform in way that is helpful to all. Government 2.0 is not an idea for next year, it is upon is right now.

Ben Verwaayen is CEO of Alcatel-Lucent and Member of the WEF Foundation Board.

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