Submitted by scottcolfer on Wed, 2012-05-16 17:51

Do public services need to be 'delivered'?
Or can social media empower the public to create their own services?

I run YoungDads.TV (a project to support young fathers in the UK) on behalf of Media for Development.

We use Facebook & Google Docs to help groups of young dads to form their own groups. We fund their travel costs (the biggest barrier to their engagement with activities) and help them to establish a presence online (including films that they make themselves).

Fathers then organise meetings in the 'real-world' through Facebook and contact details that they store in a Spreadsheet on Google Docs. They interface with 'official' services whenever they need them.

Importantly, the fathers learn important skills and offer peer support to one another.

What do you think about this approach? Are you doing something similar? We'd like to connect with (and learn from) others within Europe.

To see an example group, look at Lambeth Dads:
http://www.facebook.com/lambethdads

The main YoungDads.TV project page is here:
http://www.YoungDads.TV

Media for Development can be found here:
http://www.MediaforDevelopment.org.uk

Group audience:

Social Media

Comments

You cannot empower in

Submitted by Engberg on Thu, 2012-05-17 11:49

You cannot empower in Facebook or Google. Control is always transferred and getting abused by these commercial entities whose business models are based on systemic abuse of personal data. They are dis-empowering by design.

There are empowering elements which you could organise otherwise, i.e. the application is one thing, the choise of means/tools makes all the difference.

Good point and interesting

Submitted by AxelS on Fri, 2012-05-18 03:52

Good point and interesting perspective, Scott.

I agree, the public is actually already empowered to do a lot themselves. And the growing complexity of our society almost requires a range of models such as collaborative efforts between public service and the population, services the public sector will still need to 'deliver' I.e. infrastructure services, certain legal services... and then there maybe things the population just initiates themselves. And what you shared is a great example.

Right now we are developing that Pan European Social Media concept - just as engaged independent people.

@GovUK tweeted about a great post: "New guidance for civil servants use of #socialmedia published." Blog post by @emercoleman here: http://t.co/TwMAbvhD

Hi Axel - a range of models

Submitted by scottcolfer on Fri, 2012-05-18 10:23

Hi Axel - a range of models is absolutely necessary. Although the young dads set up their own groups, they are initially recruited through the excellent public services already on offer; and the young dads rely on the support (through funding, use of buildings, etc) of the public services in order to keep going. And in 'extreme' situations (like legal situations, as you've highlighted), access to legal services is essential. We always acknowledge that, without public services, YoungDads.TV could not exist.

Collaboration is definitely key!

Thanks for the link, I'll check that now.

@scottcolfer I absolutely

Submitted by dirk_s on Thu, 2012-06-07 14:09

@scottcolfer I absolutely agree with your "don't deliver, empower". As a consultant 2 years ago I also developed a concept, how cities can enable the development of public services.

The best ideas come from citizens, companies... groups. Its impossible to anticipate the services needed based on a internal think tank. But if a city would enable access to data, create something like a city API... I bet there would be smart people developing services nobody would have thought of.

@engberg I need to disagree - if citizens make a choice and think facebook and google are currently the right tools to connect and engage (with all the pro & cons arguments), then this decision needs to be accepted.

what counts is that youngdads.tv exist and is appreciated and used. thats great! of course they can always choose a different platform - if they still reach their members and its a handy solution. I realized, that if you try to force people using tools they don't use in daily life anyway - they tend to get less active.

yes - there is a thing that needs to be critizised: walled gardens. social networks are more or less selfcentered. thats a big different to the regulated telecommunications networks where everyone can reach everyone - no matter which provider they chose. technically possible also for social networks - but no interest by the provider (more effort, less control).

I wrote about it in my blog (German) http://j.mp/giqRE0
(English - Google translated) http://j.mp/L5daDM