Innovating on the cheap for better democracy

When it comes to technology start-ups there’s a nine out of ten chance that the idea will fail. Far from being considered a problem it’s recognised that doing something different is a risky strategy. But it is also one that can lead to enormous rewards if you get it right.

True failure only happens when the lessons learned aren’t carried forward into future projects.

Although itself notoriously risk averse, central government is starting to heed the message. Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell told the civil service to become innovators because,  “we have no choice but to innovate.”

So what of local government? The barriers are high; accountability and the use of public money stifle an innovation culture but, countering this, innovating online with new social media tools is fast and, above all, cheap. Working with the tools that citizens are already comfortable with makes sense too.

From 'Worstword Ho' by Samuel Beckett

Good eDemocracy is inherently innovative and requires a culture of innovation to work. To put it bluntly, good eDemocracy changes things: It transforms processes, makes people more accountable and it throws the doors and windows of government wide-open, allowing for greater public scrutiny.

That’s risky. Which is why most public sector eDemocracy projects  have been narrow in focus and tightly managed so as not to expose too much of the soft-underbelly of government. Shame.

It’s time to feed the ideas with a courageous shift towards entrepreneurial thinking. This isn’t enough though, those in charge must ensure that new ideas are fully and firmly embraced because innovation withers within systems that are not responsive to change.

Innovation fails when the people with the ideas aren’t matched by the ones with the skills and power to make those ideas happen. End-to-end innovation – and, therefore, eDemocracy – takes in the whole of the organisation.

Not every eDemocracy project is going to be a roaring success but that’s not the problem. Not trying in the first place is the problem.