WTF is civic tech and why are we here?
Code for Australia is a civic tech company working to empower individuals to create social change. Here’s what that means.
First things first.
WTF is civic tech?
If you’ve heard the term before and were somewhat puzzled, you might have done this and found a myriad of definitions.
- Technologies that are deployed to enhance the relationship between people and government → (source)
- Technology projects involving intentional collaboration between technologists, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs and nonprofit employees to engage the public or solve civic problems → (source)
- Civic tech is the bridge between government’s mission and modern technology’s potential → (source)
Civic tech, to me, encompasses all of those things, but it’s also more than that: it’s technology that is created to improve social good, whether it falls within the realm of government or not.
The civic tech world has been growing on the sly from the early 2000s, when sixteen early civic tech organisations were founded. In 2012, that number had grown to almost 200 with an industry growth rate of 23% per year.
Fast forward to 2017, the landscape of civic tech is as varied in its focus as it is in definition. Here are a couple of things that fall under the civic tech umbrella:
→ Peer-to-peer sharing and community organising
→ Resident feedback and neighbourhood forums
→ Data access and transparency
→ Data visualisation and mapping
→ Crowdfunding and crowdsourcing
→ Voting and public decision making
Check out this spreadsheet for examples of each.
Many, but not all, operate as not for profits, with funding coming in the form of both grants and investments. From the likes of investors (like Omidyar Network), foundations (like Knight), corporates (like Google) and individuals (like Ashton Kutcher bizarrely enough), over $430 million has been invested into the world of civic tech*.
According to many, it’s a space that’s going to just keep growing too.
*and that’s only up until 2013.
But, how did we get here?
You might be asking yourself, why is this needed? Is civic tech taking over the role of government?
I’ll attempt to provide a brief history, but keep in mind this is just a single story of how we got to where we did.
In the not too distant past, services used to be like this…
You’d stand in a line, talk to someone and they’d hopefully help you get something done.
But then the internet came along and created a new standard of services that were accessible, on-demand and easy to use.
Like this.
While we’re now reaching peak internet of things — where wifi juicers and this flourish — it’s undeniable that the internet has enabled services to be faster, more secure and more widely accessible.
Unfortunately, there’s a key part of society that hasn’t been able to keep up with the rapid adoption and transformation of technology: government.
Approaching anything new and transformational can be scary. Without knowing where to begin or what you’re going to look like coming out the other side — there’s a lot of risk and uncertainty.
For many governments around the world, technology was (and still is) terrifying.
There is no user manual for creating a digital experience or service that can cater to an entire population, nor has there traditionally been a failure-friendly environment.
With…
→ the weight of a nation and a news-hungry press on their shoulders
→ few of the skills needed to build human-centered technology
→ a rate of change that didn’t fit within the bureaucracy
…many governments turned to the safe option. Outsourcing their tech projects via traditional procurement methods and awarding companies with big pockets and big reputations.
While these organisations didn’t necessarily have ill intentions at heart, there are fundamental issues when for-people technology is created by for-profit companies. Throw in a public service that doesn’t confidently understand the nuances of designing, creating or deploying technology, as well as large chunks of budget and well… this happens.
Oh, hang on, wait. That’s from 2013 — we’ve come a long way since then.
Whoops! Still, that’s a few years back, surely we’ve lear-
Okay — we have a problem.
Where we’re at now.
So just how bad is it? And are there any signs of improvement?
In a relatively recent report by Standards Australia, it was found that…
“65 to 85 percent of IT projects fail to meet their objectives, run significantly late or cost far more than planned.”
Best case scenario, that looks like this…
Worst case, it’s looks more like this.
That’s a lot of unhappy browsers and a lot of wasted taxpayer dollars.
One of the biggest problems is the lack of understanding within government to build technology that is driven by citizen’s needs — as opposed to budgets, admin process, media or political agendas. Part of this could be the result of Australia’s aging public service — in 2016 less than 11 per cent of Australian federal public servants were under 30. Part of this could also come down to the fact that few technically talented people are willing to trade in the excitement, freedom and creativity of the private sector for bureaucracy.
The more important issue is that our governments operate primarily as closed systems, in which few are enabled or welcomed to participate. We’re encouraged to vote and that’s about it.
So, we know what the problem is — why can’t we fix it?
If you’re finally ready for some good news — we are.
It’s currently happening. Across the world, and throughout Australia — there are good people working collaboratively to create impact in this space. Folks like Portable, OurSay, Open Australia Foundation and Open Knowledge are working to fix the system — trying to build capability within the public sector, trying to bring in new ideas and skills while also opening up the system to allow government to become more of a platform than a silo.
Why are we here?
Code for Australia exists because it believes there’s a better way to build civic technology. One that doesn’t involve outsourcing the skills needed to make useful technology from the public sector, and one that simultaneously includes everyday people in the creation process.
Basically, we exist to make government services simple, effective, and easy to use.
And one of the most important ways we do that by embedding teams of technologists within government to redesign systems and services, while lifting their capability — amongst other things.
We believe that government alone cannot solve the biggest challenges that we as a society are facing.
We believe that collaboration and openness are key to designing, developing and deploying solutions that actually meet everyone’s needs. But to make that happen, we need a few things…
→ We need ordinary people need to step up to the plate and acknowledge their ability to create change
→ We need government to open the doors to the outside world, to break down their silos and create an environment open to trying new things
→ We also need the right mindset from all sides — one that embraces uncertainty, empathy and transparency
Are we alone?
Nope — definitely not.
In case you missed it above, there are a crazy amount of organisations (for profit and not) that work to create civic tech. Code for Australia is just one.
One thing that makes us a little bit different to others is that we’re part of a larger global network of civic tech organisations called Code for All.
Code for All partners all operate slightly differently but ultimately we reach for the same goal — to make governments more responsive, collaborative and transparent and to make sure technology serves the needs of our most vulnerable community members.
Brace yourself, here’s the deep bit — where do we all come in?
In some of my favourites words by Jennifer Pahlka: no one is coming, it is up to us.
The Code for Australia vision of civic tech in Australia is where everyone feels empowered to both raise and offer their hands. From the people making technology, to the people mentoring and coaching them, to the community of supporters sharing good news stories, and the communities of people testing and providing feedback to the tools created and the creative process — every single citizen has a part to play.
In the words of someone much wiser and eloquent than my own: If you want to go somewhere fast, you go alone. If you want to go somewhere far, you go together.
(I promise that’s the last quote).
We want every Australian to take responsibility of their democracy — to give not only their votes but their hands and minds too.
When we support those who have chosen the public service, when we acknowledge that failure is an important step on the path to success, and offer to help instead of criticise alone, that’s when we can be proud of our democracy.
We’re working hard to make sure there’s space for everyone to participate in civic tech.
Join us → codeforaustralia.org
