GovCampNSW image courtesy Jean-Jacques Halans
The first GovCampNSW held in November 2011 was an open invitation to people who want to come a be part of a conversation about innovation in government in NSW.
The organisers aimed to draw together a mix of people – from inside and outside government, from the worlds of technology and policy, of community and universities – to talk about shaping an agenda for innovation in NSW and to make a start on that agenda.
So much innovation typically involves creative and clever use of the new social technologies, so that was obviously a key part of the conversation. However, this GovCamp aimed to build upon the currently popular “tech” or “gov 2.0” emphasis and explore how these well-established fields can lay the ground for much-needed innovation at a time when resilience in government is a prime focus.
Many attendees were just as interested in big-picture policy around Gov 2.0 and open government, high-level strategic direction and what is happening in policy development around the world. Special guest speaker Dominic Campbell from FutureGov UK helped to bring this perspective alongside others.
This first GovCampNSW was held at the NICTA Labs; at Australian Technology Park… a light and bright environment for collaboration and discussion with plenty of spaces to move around and network with like-minded peers from other agencies and authorities.
Subsequent smaller “GovCampfire” events were held across 2012.