Open Government Consultations Still Open

Jan 28 2014

The Open Government Engagement Team was in Kitchener on January 17th collecting ideas and suggestions from the people in Waterloo Region. "It starts with a government that freely shares information, unlocks the power of data in a digital age and partners with people to spark a new generation of ideas through easier access to informatiom". Many reasonable suggestions are to be found in the highlights from the Kitchener discussion. Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo joins the discussion and puts the Local Framework on Successful Poverty Reduction Outcomes into practice in its submission to the Engagement Team.

"An open government has to recognize social, educational and economic barriers to participation which are not easily resolved through the use of technology or consulting firms. Best results from our experience are achieved when government leaders collaborate with non- government local players, such as the Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo."

Read the full submission of the Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo.

Discussion Summary: Kitchener City Hall (January 17, 2014)

*People need opportunities to engage and contribute when it’s convenient, not necessarily at a specific time and location.
*It’s important to have connectivity among levels of government.
*Providing options for engagement, multiple channels for communications and timely responses can help people connect with government in meaningful ways.
*When it comes to data, governments need to work together to make data sets useful, compatible and accessible.
*Enabling members of the community to help curate data could help the process.
*Government can improve public trust with stronger transparency and accountability.
*Political leadership is essential as open government initiatives roll out.

AttachmentSize
Open_Government_Consultaitons_SPCKW_Jan28.pdf597.28 KB