Rock Creek Roundup (October 2 Edition)

Posted by: Meagen Ryan, Director of Strategy Oct 02, 2009 0 Comments

This week’s roundup includes exciting news from GovLoop, two new agency website launches, and a promising Gov 2.0 offering from the City of San Francisco. Let’s get on to the news:

• Twitter and GovLoop were all abuzz this week with the announcement that GovDelivery and GovLoop will team up. The initial reaction from the DC Gov 2.0 community has been positive, with many excited for what this could mean for the continued evolution of Gov 2.0. This is a big change for GovLoop founder, Steve Ressler, in particular, who will be leaving his job with the Department of Homeland Security to focus on GovLoop full time. Best of luck, Steve!
• This week also saw the launch of the new Recovery.gov. Prominent on the homepage is a zip code search that displays contracts, grants, and loans on an interactive map. If you want to see the raw data and visualize it yourself, visit the Download Center. Right now you can download recovery reports from all federal agencies receiving Recovery Act funds. In October, you will be able to download data from recipients of contract awards, grants, and loans. All this transparency is laudable, but how does it impact the average American? At the moment, not at all. Focus groups conducted during the redesign indicate that few people outside of Washington know what Recovery.gov is.
• October 1st saw the launch of the new Justice.gov. In addition to a sleek new design, the site highlight’s DOJ’s participation in a number of social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and MySpace. As you might expect from a department full of lawyers, disclaimers abound when visiting these sites, but the content is good so far. Check out the videos posted on YouTube and Facebook. My favorite quote comes from Attorney General Holder in the “Department of Justice” video: “Our only responsibility is to do the right thing.”
• Federal agencies aren’t the only ones embracing Gov 2.0; agencies on a state and local level are as well. For example, the City of San Francisco just launched DataSF Apps Showcase, a website that highlights citizen-created web applications that make use of city and county data. The website currently features 10 applications including Crimespotting, an interactive crime map; Dadnab, an application that allows you to plan trips; and MomMaps, an application that highlights kid-friendly parks, attractions, and playgrounds within the city. It’s always exciting to see what creative things citizens are able to do when they’re given access to the raw data.

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Meagen Ryan

Director of Strategy

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