#CivicTech Primer: What is civic tech? by Lawrence Grodeska CivicMakers

The purpose of civic tech initiatives are to educate the population to use technology as a democratization tool and to access public information. We saw a real turning point in civic tech last year when Andreessen Horowitz led a $15 million investment in OpenGov, a cloud-based software that helps governments Civic technology visualize and track budgets. Cities like New Haven, Minneapolis and Sausalito are using the platform to identify overspending and show where the cities need to spend more money.

A background explainer and snapshot of the Access to Information community at this moment in time, Summer 2024. In the U.S., we compared the novelty, relevance, and usefulness of online feedback using MindMixer (now mySidewalk) to more traditional feedback received in a town-hall meeting. In short, we found that while online feedback was more novel or new, in-person feedback was more relevant. The Brookings Institution is committed to quality, independence, and impact.We are supported by a diverse array of funders. In line with our values and policies, each Brookings publication represents the sole views of its author(s).

This can all result in an important database for politics and civil society to help spur demand for effective measures. Civic technology projects are increasingly doing more than just building an app with open data, but having a real influence on the implementation of services. As a product, Largelots.org was more than just a web app but rather a example of a policy change augmented by user friendly technology.

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Companies like them don’t refer to themselves as civic technologists either — they’re management consultant companies. 18F and USDS, the federal government’s civic technology teams, are also getting the advantage of being very deliberate with their projects. While they still have to deal with decades old legacy systems, they’re clearly in the driver’s seat. And that’s important because while this is feels like new branch of the technology center — it’s not.

As Mike Bracken states, “The Strategy is Delivery.” As civic technology progresses as a field, the field will require more people who are comfortable with both discussing code and policy in the same breath. In our rapidly evolving digital age, civic technology, often referred to as Civic Tech, has emerged as a transformative force, revolutionizing the way citizens interact with their governments and engage in civic processes. Read on as we delve into the potential of this exciting area of technology, exploring its definition, applications, and the remarkable impact it has on fostering civic engagement, transparent governance, and participatory democracy. These will further civic engagement within the political spectrum for the sake of greater direct representation and a more democratic political system. Civic technology, or civic tech, enhances the relationship between the people and government with software for communications, decision-making, service delivery, and political process.

• Read on as we delve into the potential of this exciting area of technology, exploring its definition, applications, and the remarkable impact it has on fostering civic engagement, transparent governance, and participatory democracy.
• “Vertical is appealing because if you have the knowledge in that space better than anyone else you create a very sticky kind of recurring revenue,” says Blackman.
• The purpose of civic tech initiatives are to educate the population to use technology as a democratization tool and to access public information.
• Some quick snapshots below from the studies, which are now being written up for publication.
• The story of Mass Tech’s Innovation Institute suggests that the divide between “government” and “civil society” is smaller than some expect.

Why Civic Tech Is The Next Big Thing

(Even though it was) It works because community organizers got everyone together, worked out a game plan, got everyone to agree on the plan, and then got the funding to hire a civic app shop that he knew could do it. How useful do governments find feedback provided through civic technologies compared to traditional feedback channels? In high capacity contexts (U.S.), online forums in our case studies attracted different populations and feedback from in-person meetings, demonstrating that both online and in-person are necessary. In low capacity contexts (Guatemala and Liberia), the capacity and technical ‘know-how ’of government and citizens are limiting factors in tech uptake and effectiveness.

With a focus on oil spills, natural gas fracking and illegal fishing networks, SkyTruth’s work empowers NGOs and members of the public to become environmental watchdogs with a bird’s eye view. Whether its counting penguins, deciphering historical records or listening to the stars, Zooniverse harnesses people power to assist in breaking down the big data behind scientific research. It’s truly one of the best ways to transform passive citizen observers into active participants and contributors to thriving communities in the 21st century.