eGovernment at W3C
Better Government Through Better Use of the Web.

The eGovernment Interest Group has published a Group Note of Improving Access to Government through Better Use of the Web. This document is an attempt to describe, but not yet solve, the variety of issues and challenges faced by governments in their efforts to apply 21st century capabilities to eGovernment initiatives. It provides examples of existing, applicable open Web standards. Where government needs in the development of eGovernment services are not currently met by existing standards, those gaps are noted.

The W3C’s eGovernment Interest Group has published a Meeting Summary from its 12-13 March eGovernment stakeholder meeting in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the meeting was to obtain feedback on the First Public Working Draft of the group’s Improving Access to Government through Better Use of the Web, published on 1 March 2009. Featured speakers at the meeting included Beth Noveck, US Office of Science and Technology Policy, Ellen Miller, Sunlight Foundation, and Steve Ressler, GovLoop, as well as meeting co-chairs Kevin Novak, American Institute of Architects, John Sheridan, UK National Archives, and W3C Team contact Jose Alonso. Key subject areas addressed by participants were: Openness and Transparency in Government; Social Networking; Data Interoperability and Semantic Web in Government; and Multi-Channel Deliver and Information Access via Mobile Platforms. The term “eGovernment” refers to the use of the Web or other information technologies by governing bodies (local, state, federal, multi-national) to interact with the citizenry, other stakeholders, and between governments themselves. Learn more about the W3C’s eGovernment Activity. (Permalink)

On 12-13 March, W3C’s eGovernment Interest Group will hold a special stakeholder meeting in Washington, DC
to address a number of issues of high interest to government policy makers, elected officials, and managers of government information technology. Participants will document progressive solutions for electronic government and develop a road map for developing Web standards related to topics such as participation and citizen engagement, open government data, identification and authentication, and long-term data management. The meeting is open to the public, but advance registration for the W3C eGov open meeting is required and seating is limited.
W3C thanks the American Institute of Architects for hosting this meeting. Read the media advisory.

The eGovernment Interest Group will hold its second face-to-face meeting at The American Institute of Architects in Washington, DC( USA) on 12-13 March 2009. The meeting agenda is being currently drafted and sessions will include discussion about Open Government Data, Participation and Citizen Engagement and Use of Social Media in Governments among others. Please, see the meeting page to learn more about the meeting and how to participate.

The main outcome of the eGoverment Interest Group first face to face meeting was the characterization of the topic areas in which the Group is conducting its work. In order to identify the most common issues associated with those areas, the Group is compiling use cases that will serve as basis for the first draft of the Group Note and to draft requirements. Although compilation of use cases will be an ongoing task for the Group, use cases to be considered for the first draft should be sent no later than 20 December 2008. This call is fully open to the public, so even if you are not an official participant of the Group, you are welcome to post your use case to the Group’s public mailing list (archives) following the template.

The eGovernment Interest Group will hold its first face-to-face meeting at the W3C Technical Plenary Week on 23-24 October 2008, Mandelieu, France. The meeting agenda is being currently drafted.

The eGovernment Interest Group kick-off teleconference is scheduled for 25 June 2008. If you are still considering participation in this Group, this is a good opportunity to decide in order to join the work from the very beginning. Please see the separate page on participation and the FAQ if you have questions. More information and practicalities were posted to the public list. If you just want to stay informed, you can subscribe to the list and the syndication feed.

W3C launches today a new forum for governments, citizens, researchers, and other stakeholders to investigate how best to use Web technology for good governance and citizen participation. “Open Standards, and in particular Semantic Web Standards, can help lower the cost of government, make it easier for independent agencies to work together, and increase flexibility in the face of change,” said Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director. W3C invites participation in the new eGovernment Interest Group, which
is open to the public. The group will identify best practices and guidelines in this area, document where current technology does not adequately address stakeholder needs, and suggest improvements via the standards process. Read the W3C eGovernment FAQ and press release, and learn more about the W3C eGovernment Activity.

W3C Advisory Committee Representatives have just received a Proposal to create a new eGovernment Activity. This proposal includes a draft charter for the eGovernment Interest Group.
As part of ensuring that the community is aware of proposed work at W3C, this draft charter is public during the Advisory Committee review period. W3C invites public comments through 19 May 2008 on the proposed charter. Please send comments to [email protected], which has a public archive.
Other than comments sent in formal responses by W3C Advisory Committee Representatives, W3C cannot guarantee a response to comments. If you work for a W3C Member, please coordinate your comments with your Advisory Committee Representative. For example, you may wish to make public comments via that list and have your Advisory Committee Representative refer to it from his or her formal review comments.
If you should have any questions or need further information, you can also contact me directly.

W3C invites WWW2008 conference attendees to discuss pressing Web issues at the W3C Track in Beijing, China, on 23-24 April. W3C track will present nearly 25 topics, including current eGovernment efforts at W3C at the Integrating the Web in Society session on 24 April. More details are available on the W3C Track page.