What people are saying

GovCampNSW is getting talked about around the NSW public service, amongst social innovators, advocates and gov-tech providers. You’ve probably seen messages of support from:

• Deirdre O’Donnell, NSW Information Commissioner
• Chris Eccles, Director General, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
• Dr Peter Shergold, Chair, NSW Public Service Commission Advisory Board

Stay tuned as we post messages to GovCampNSW from various organisers and participants from around the GovCamp world.

New opportunities to collaborate, fueled by the latest developments in technology, are effectively transforming the world around us.  Before our eyes we’re seeing a disruptive democratization of knowledge that has the potential to transform not only government, but the world we live in.  Each second, information is increasingly sorted, sifted, and combined in new and creative ways, by communities of innovators from all corners of the world. Citizens are more than ever a source of critical knowledge as well as sustainable competitive advantage.  The risk for government is that we underestimate the power of this revolution and fail to tap into the intelligence of public innovators.

Open Government is a proactive acknowledgement of this shifting environment and an opportunity to leverage the many possibilities created in a networked, digital world.  By engaging the public directly in the decision-making of government, we can truly start to improve government, accelerate technology development and overcome the our most critical challenges. GovCamp is a positive step in this direction and serves as a platform to mobilize a global community of public innovators to help change the world.

Nicholas Skytland, Program Manager
NASA Open Government Initiative

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The best part of government is we are all on the same team.  Events like GovCamp are awesome because they bring people across the spectrum of public service (across municipal, federal, non-profit, gov, consultants) all together to share ideas to improve government.

“The best part of GovCamps are the passion and energy.  It reminds you that there are so many people that care about the same issue and working hard to improve government.

“My recommendation to Sydney participants is: Be open – the best part is the random conversations and meeting new unique people.  Don’t just hang with your two friends all day.  Don’t just go to sessions tied to your day job.  Explore and learn about new topics and meet new people.

“My other recommendation is GovCamps are just the beginning of the relationship.  I’ve continued relationships with people I’ve known from camps through email, Twitter, GovLoop and they help me out day to day.”

Steve Ressler, Founder,
GovLoop (Washington DC) – international social network for government

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GovCamps help connect people face-to-face and whilst online connections are powerful, there is still nothing better than being in a room full of amazing people and feeling motivated and inspired to keep pushing forward.  Some key things I’ve had from attending such events:

• reassurance – you are not alone in your thinking and can be supported through new connections and networks
• inspiration – listening to other people and learning from them
• challenge – to be challenged by your peers in a constructive way is refreshing and also exactly what we need to deliver innovative solutions
• new connections – through the UKGovCamp and LocalGovCamp events.

After some previous UKGovCamps I’d feel down after hearing about all the amazing things that other people were doing.  Recently, there were more people sharing great stuff and it makes me smile that there are people working to make services better in the context of severe budget cuts.

So after GovCamp stay connected – you are doing amazing stuff and people are desperate to learn from you. Keep plugging away and stay positive.

Carl Haggerty, Digital Communications Manager (Strategic Lead)
Devon County Council (UK)
Carl Haggerty’s blog

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