I recently received an email from a gentleman named Rod Deacon (Public Affairs Bureau in Victoria B.C.) with some information regarding the Apps 4 Climate Action initiative. I wanted to share some of his “public” information with you to give it added visibility.

The scoop:

In addition to creating a social media component to enhance its online communications unit at its public affairs HQ, and a citizen engagement unit within something called the Future of Work initiative in the provincial public service, the BC government is partnering with a couple of green businesses and the software development and data communities to run a contest called Apps 4 Climate Action.

This 3-month contest is open to all software developers. The basic premise is that the B.C government will be sharing some of its data (compiled into an easy-to-use catalog of 500 climate change and greenhouse gas emission data sets ) with others interested in putting it to practical use. Developers are asked to submit innovative and fun web and mobile apps aimed at helping to raise awareness of climate change as a social and environment issue. This is modeled on the very successful Apps for Democracy and Apps for America initiatives in the U.S.

Cash and prizes have been put up by 8 contest sponsors. Submission deadline is July 15, 2010. You can follow contest developments here:

• Apps for Climate Action Contest Website
• Apps for Climate Action Twitter Profile
• Apps for Climate Action Twitter Hashtag
• Apps for Climate Action Facebook Page

Initiatives like this are helping to pioneer government 2.0 adoption principles in Canada. Therefore I ask you to do all you can in helping to spread the word.

I love the Olympics. Besides the excitement of the actual events, I love the sense of camaraderie, national unity and general goodwill that the games bring with them. While it’s true that Vancouver has had its series of mishaps, including a tragic death, the overall spirit of the games can be felt radiating out of the homes and workplaces of our great country.

What’s really exciting about these games is that they mark a new era of interaction and engagement during a global sporting event. I remember only having two options as a kid during past Olympics: watch a select few live events on TV (time-zone permitting) or listen to them on the radio. The rest I would pick up on during the evening news or the next morning’s paper.

Wow, have things ever changed. Here’s my daily Olympic routine for the 2010 games:

• Check the medal standings and event schedule on my CTV Vancouver 2010 iPhone App (kudos to CTV for keeping up with the times and creating this!)
• Listen to, and offer words of encouragement to actual Olympic Athletes right before they compete by following the “official” Twitter list of Olympians
• Whenever a live event is occurring, I’ll stream the video if no TV is present nearby. If I have access to a TV then I watch the event on there and follow the #olympics OR #teamcanada hashtags on my mobile.
• If I want to feel a little closer to the action than the traditional media can get me, I do a quick advanced twitter user search based on the GPS co-ordinates of the event to tap into some citizen journalism (i.e. tweets, videos, pics, and other content coming from fans at the actual event).
• Repeat the first step and send a quick encouragement tweet to any Canadian athletes competing the next day.

I do all of the above on my mobile device since I am rarely in front of a TV. Mobile means 24/7 access on my own terms, anywhere I go. Bottom line, I have less time than ever to watch these olympics, and yet I can’t help but feel a stronger sense of community and connection than ever before.

How are you experiencing these 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games?

A while back I read the book “Groundswell” by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff from Forrester Research. I was very impressed at the time, with what seemed to be the most comprehensive analysis of social media user segments available, explained very nicely in a book. I have since used many of their graphs and diagrams in my presentations, however I always wished that there was a better way to use their research. Naturally, this goldmine of data was bound to evolve into something more interactive, customizable and useful for people actually trying to apply it. Enter the Consumer Profile Tool (below), now with 2009 data, including Canadian statistics!

It’s pretty much self-explanatory. However, for specific descriptions of each segment, please refer to the following presentation:

I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll mention it again, certain government departments are full of great hidden online products/tools that few people know of. Those outside of government walls may find it hard to believe, but it’s true. Some departments have been told to keep a low-profile on their offering for political reasons, others don’t yet realize just how much value they could potentially bring to audiences beyond their existing niche. In other cases still, it’s the complete lack of a well thought out marketing strategy that is to blame.

This will soon change. It’s becoming harder and harder to remain invisible. Believe it or not, we are slowly moving into the early adopter phase of Government 2.0 here in Canada. A demand for increased transparency, collaboration across multiple stakeholders, and a wide variety of new channels for participation with Canadian citizens, are all bringing to light some of these existing little gems, and rapidly giving birth to new ones. We’re still a far cry away from U.S initiatives such as data.gov and apps.gov, however here are three great Canadian online products/tools that I’ve stumbled upon through my consulting:

Working in Canada Tool – A government mash-up tool that allows you to search for an occupation that you’re interested in and receive up-to-date, accurate information from a wide variety of integrated databases. It puts certain private sector fee-based tools to shame. It was initially developed for skilled immigrants looking to work in Canada. Once you try it out yourself you’ll realize that it’s useful for much more than that.

Termium Plus – An incredible translation tool initially only used by government departments internally. It’s now available to the public. Try typing in a word in English and see just how thorough it is.

GC Surplus Auction – If you think you can find great things to buy on e-Bay, take a look a this Canadian Federal Government auction website. I just found a 2003 Yamaha ATV with a starting bid of $100.

There are plenty more of course. And they will only get better, especially as they begin to transition into stand-alone mobile applications. What I’m curious about though is what you’ve come across lately? Whether you’re a public servant, consultant, or citizen, there’s bound to be an online government tool that impressed you.

Ok I’ll admit it. I’m excited about this because Public Safety Canada has been one of my long-standing clients (social media training, social media strategy development and social marketing) for well over 3 years. Specifically, the Emergency Preparedness Branch, which is responsible for the Get Prepared initiative.

The intent of “Get Prepared” is simple: “To ensure Canadians (during an emergency) are prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours while emergency workers focus on people in urgent need”.

There are three easy steps for Canadians to do this as illustrated in the image below and on their website. In terms of measurement, Google Analytics conversion goals have been set up to measure the successful navigation through each step. This is a great example of tying your website goals directly into your branch/organizational goals).

Here are some of the social media engagement steps they have taken that I’m excited about:

• Social Media Press Releases in both English and French
• Organic, genuine, strategic blogger relations (in this case with mommy bloggers). Have a look at an example here (note the comments).
• Lee Lefever video entitled: “Preparing a Family Emergency Kit” in both English and French (English version embedded below).

There are still many internal roadblocks that need to be overcome, however this team is definitely making strides in the right direction. Let me know your thoughts!