GovScape is a new type of public-purpose knowledge start-up. The GovScape social knowledge initiative is being built in alliance with successful programs like Gov20 Radio and GovCamp together with …

In a special live recording at the GovInnovate Gov 2.0 Conference in Australia’s capital city Canberra, facilitator John Wells leads an interactive discussion with a panel tackling the big questions about Gov 2.0, open government and the role of citizens in more connected government.

The Open Government Partnership is a 60-nation network and growing. After some two years, Australia’s Federal Government has just committed to joining the OGP. We talk with John McMillan, the Australian Government’s Information Commissioner, about what the OGP might mean for a nation well-known for its early adoption of Gov 2.0 and other forms of connected government.

As the deadline for submissions approaches for the News Challenge on Open Government, John Bracken, the Knight Foundation’s Director of Media Innovation shares his observations on the journey so far and provides some insights for making project submissions, as well as how everyone can contribute to this timely Challenge to accelerate better ways that government and citizens can interact.

Ahead of taking formal applications, an “inspiration phase” has been launched for the 2013 Knight News Challenge. Some $5 million of Knight Foundation funding will be announced in June for innovative projects around Open Government.

Nigel Shadbolt discusses the realities of harnessing the potential of open data for governments, businesses and citizens. With Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Professor Shadbolt is the joint head of the newly formed Open Data Institute in London which he summarises as “… building the supply side; building capability and empowerment; developing a demand side”.

The electronic government landscape is increasingly pointing towards a diffusion of power, and an increased role and voice for citizens in public decision-making. Tomasz Janowski from the UNU-IIST Center for Electronic Governance discusses some of the global trends that he is observing: participatory democracy, the increased regulation of new service delivery channels and the need for leadership in ICT services, challenging the notion of what “whole of government” really means in practice.

David Ferriero is the 10th Archivist of the United States and Head of the National Archives and Record Administration, including the Presidential Libraries. We explore the linkages between open government and record-keeping public data as well as how social media is challenging the notions of what defines a ‘record’.

Theresa Pardo is well known for her work leading the Center for Technology in Government (CTG). This discussion looks at public value and taking a portfolio approach to open government, as articulated through the CTG’s Public Value Assessment Tool.

The 54 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations represents more than 2 billion people across every region of the world and a vast diversity in development and capacity.

Professor Tim Unwin, well-known as UNESCO Chair in ICT4D, now heads up the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO). In this wide-ranging and provocative discussion, he explores the impact of ICT across diverse economies, the value of technology for governance and also provides an overview of the CTO’s work.