I have been urging the people in charge of Directgov to be a little more responsive and agile in the way they provide information to citizens. As well as making sure their web 1.0 offer was top quality, I want them to embrace the tools of social networking. So I have to say, when I saw the Directgov Twitter feed a few days back, I was curious as to whether this was going to be a transmit-only channel or a genuine change in direction.
Yesterday happened to be a day of snow chaos. I mused that Directgov might be a little more helpful towards the millions of citizens waking up to go to work on a cold Monday morning. I even issued a challenge, though without much hope that there would be a response. As a parent, the only thing on my mind yesterday at about 7.30am was whether my boy’s nursery school was open or closed.
So it is with a great deal of humility and a huge amount of respect that I welcome this prototype – www.schoolclosures.org.uk The team have told me that this is just a test site; part of the new innovation section of Directgov. But it is an amazing thing – not just the tool but the way in which they have turned things around in about 28 hours. I hope that web users will recognise that this is a massive change in approach for Directgov. Well done to them.
For more detailed information – and to see the project developing in real time, visit the innovate section of Directgov.
9 comments ↓
Woohoo! I was thinking about whether I could mash something up for the MK area, but I have no need now! Well done!
This is fantastic — have blogged my thoughts.
http://www.thedextrousweb.com/2009/02/innovation-in-government-schoolclosuresorguk/
It does not work very well. It can’t find by any postcode I tried but the school appears when searched by London. Too many errors and badly coded.
snow never stopped schools in 1959-66.Pupils walked up to 3 miles in Sheffield! even in gales-not hurricanes!
However a day making snowballs and enjoying the outdoors was it worth it?
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[...] snowstorm, crippling pretty much evertyhing. U.K. Cabinet Office Minister and Member of Parliament Tom Watson reports that, as a parent, the only thing on his mind Monday at 7:30 a.m. was whether his son’s [...]
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yes, but who knew it was there?
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