Manifesto Paper and Relation to ePA Challenges

Informed and Interconnected: A Manifesto for Smarter Cities

Given the present economic crisis, municipalities are required to consider the feasibility of implementing certain services that influence citizen participation. The high initial costs of integrating new technology within city services is a notable deterrent, leaving citizens with little opportunities to participate in making transactions more efficient. The paper “Informed and Interconnected: A Manifesto for Smarter Cities” by Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Stanley S. Litow discusses the need for community transformation to better communicate with citizens through information-rich communities (p. 1). By creating smaller, interconnected communities, citizens can participate in needed services, thus overcoming significant ePA challenges and issues.

The idea of municipality websites as virtual all-inclusive transactional portals requires coordination among both cities and citizens, each with unique responsibilities. Technology inclusion alone will not suffice in meeting the demands of a diverse populace. Kanter and Litow theorize, “…attention is paid to the connections and not just to the parts. Civic improvement stems from improved interfaces and integration” (p. 3). The implementation of innovative technology features to a city website is a beginning to connecting those features to easily accessible portals. Allowing citizens the convenience of paying utility bills, accessing information, or contacting elected officials requires significant IT investment. However, the ultimate goal should be continued interaction through a virtual interface.

Involving citizens through technology improvement helps bridge the socio-economic gaps present in municipalities. The authors describe the smarter community as one “composed of not only a more integrated, collaborative, and inclusive ‘whole’ but also of multiple neighborhoods and communities of interest and of kind” (p. 4). One significant issue related to e-public administration is the unification of various thoughts for consideration by a governing body. The individuality of neighborhoods and units contributes to the needed diversity of the municipality, strengthened by cooperative technology. As such, internal development is just as crucial for cities faced with resource utilization challenges related to slow economic growth.

As smarter communities utilize technology to connect a diverse myriad of demographics, those communities need to develop internal controls that connect each department to the respective organization mission. This is particularly difficult in larger cities where they “have developed a range of departments and agencies that have become isolated from one another, operating in their own silos with less coordination of information than desirable for integrated planning and goal achievement” (p. 8). Although website modifications are not a noticeable priority during economic crises, municipalities should consider a cost-benefit analysis of the positive ramifications of increasing communication between departments. If departments are not connected, disjointed messages to citizens will result in a decrease in transparency, a common complaint of local government. This is especially important from a contractor standpoint, as “these contractors must meet government procurement requirements that might differ across departments, with few or no mechanisms to transfer information and a resulting waste of time and resources” (p. 8). As economic development is a primary government activity, municipalities must overcome communication challenges to ensure businesses continue to collaborate and offer services.

The overall purpose of IT development centers on making service delivery more efficient and effective. By updating information availability, departments are more connected, and citizens are informed as to government activity. The authors cite the ramifications of better service delivery as lessening the need for comprehensive budget cuts (p. 9). As such, the initial investment needed to update transactional capabilities and online communication is unavoidable for resource-sensitive municipalities.

Communication to involved shareholders is an ever-present issue for public administrators. The paper “Informed and Interconnected: A Manifesto for Smarter Cities” describes the emergence smart communities that strive to improve service delivery through integrated communication. Such ambition requires organizational uniformity and citizen approval, often at the expense of traditional services. The results, however, center of efficiency and effectiveness, using resources to create organized communities that adhere to ethical and professional management models.

References

Kanter, R.M., and Litow S. S. (2009). Informed and interconnected: a manifesto for smarter cities. Harvard Business School, pp. 1-28.