Obama is coming...but are we ready?

Posting written by msweeks over 3 years ago. No comments yet.

I was struck by this piece about the looming collision of the Obama world of connected campaigning and the often rather less connected government machinery he will be inheriting...

"President-elect Barack Obama has offered up a compelling vision for how he’d like information technology to transform government.
Citizens would be able to view agency policy and regulatory meetings via Webcast. They could chime in with their concerns about a pending bill awaiting his signature. They could see online which companies have active lobbying efforts and how much federal business they have.
But he has some hurdles in his way, experts warn. He’ll need to marshal a competent IT work force, ensure agencies take sufficient security measures, and overcome a lot of bureaucratic inertia to see his vision through.
“I think the president-elect will be in for a bit of a surprise,” said Jonathan Breul, executive director of the IBM Center for the Business of Government. “The work force, and the tools it is using, are not up to the challenge.”
Read more - http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3821849