Crowdsourcing in the public sector

Brabham, Daren C. 1982- (author.).

Summary: Crowdsourcing is a term that was coined in 2006 to describe how the commercial sector was beginning to outsource problems or tasks to the public through an open call for solutions over the internet or social media. Crowdsourcing works to generate new ideas or develop innovative solutions to problems by drawing on the wisdom of the many rather than the few. U.S. local government experimented with rudimentary crowdsourcing strategies as early as 1989, but in the last few years local, state, and federal government have increasingly turned to crowdsourcing to enhance citizen participation in problem solving, setting priorities, and decisionmaking. While crowdsourcing in the public sector holds much promise and is part of a larger movement toward more citizen participation in democratic government, there are also many challenges, especially legal and ethical issues, that need to be addressed to successfully adapt it for use in the public sector. This book offers both a scholarly introduction to crowdsourcing in the public sector and a practical "how-to" manual. It includes extensive interviews and concludes with a list of the top ten best practices for public managers.

Record details

ISBN: 9781626163799
ISBN: 9781626162228
ISBN: 9781626162228
Physical Description: print
xvi, 97 pages ; 23 cm.
Publisher: Washington, DC : Georegtown University Press, [2015]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 81-95).

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction : crowdsourcing and public participation -- Crowdsourcing's conceptual foundations -- Deciding if and when to use crowdsourcing -- Knowledge discovery and management (KDM) -- Distributed human intelligence tasking (DHIT) -- Broadcast search -- Peer-vetted creative production (PVCP) -- The planning phase -- Best practice 1. Clearly define the problem and solution parameters -- Best practice 2. Determine the level of commitment to the outcomes -- Best practice 3. Know the online community and its motivations -- The implementation phase -- Best practice 4. Invest in usable, interesting, well-designed tools -- Best practice 5. Craft policies that consider the legal needs of the organization and the online community -- Best practice 6. Launch a promotional plan and a plan to grow and sustain the community -- Best practice 7. Be honest, transparent, and responsive -- Best practice 8. Be involved, but let go of control -- The post-implementation phase -- Best practice 9. Acknowledge users and follow through on obligations -- Best practice 10. Assess the project from many angles -- Conclusion : the future of crowdsourcing in the public sector.