Hello,

I found some resources that you might find helpful.

This report from The University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government discusses social media usage in local governments and includes case studies from high performing areas.
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/104282/Fels_Institute_of_Governments_Making_the_Most_of_Social_Media_manual

As part of the City of Tamarac, FL’s High Performance Initiative they began using software that would allow for citizens and local government employees to connect and collaborate on new project ideas.
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/302259/2010_ICMA_Strategic_Leadership_and_Governance_Award_Nominee_High_Performance_Initiative

Another article discusses how you can use Social Media tools and Online Discussion Forums, to create, "A Connected Community."
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/301674/Building_A_Connected_Community

You can view another example of this in the article below about Blue Springs, MO.
http://icma.org/en/Article/100949/Blue_Springs_MO_Announces_Social_Media_Tools_to_Enhance_Communication_with_the_Community

This article, “Rethinking the Role of Citizens in a Gov 2.0 World,” describes best practices for integrating technology and civic engagement.
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/301384/Rethinking_the_Role_of_Citizens_in_a_Gov_20_World

This article discusses a similar topic.
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/301365/Forging_a_New_Paradigm_of_Engagement_Through_Innovation_Insights_from_Alex_Ross

Another article includes examples of successfully social networking sites used by local governments.
http://icma.org/en/icma/newsroom/highlights/Article/101165/Connecting_Through_Social_Media

Ali Iannolo
Knowledge Network Intern
aiannolo@ICMA.org

Stefano,

You wrote that you're particularly interested in apps that enable gov staff to reply to issues raised by other gov staff or management. In contrast, Alexandra's response seems to focus on case studies and apps in which citizens (not gov staff) reply to issues raised by gov leaders. Moreover, in reading through the links that Alexandra posted, few if any of the articles addressed the substantive challenges that gov leaders face when using social media to engage the public in 2-way conversations. These challenges include (1) civility and fairness expectation of the community, (2) legal requirements for governments, and (3) what I call the "Referendum Effect". To learn more about the Referendum Effect, check-out my blog post:
http://transformgov.org/en/blogs/blogpost/525/Online_Public_Comment_Forums_How_to_Avoid_the_Referendum_Effect_that_is_Common_with_Online_CrowdSour

Mike

I think I may have found something similar to what I'm looking for: https://www.collaborationjam.com/. IBM's "collaboration jams" are online brainstorming sessions dedicated to corporations and governments. I'll keep on looking for case studies on this matter, for instance I'm looking at its use in the Coventry City Council (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DAdpoSf5Ms) by both Council employees and citizens.

Hello,

I have researched some other resources which may be more pertinent to your question. I misread the question before, but these links might be more helpful.

This link goes to a question recently asked about employee intranet policies. The answer includes guidelines and policies for staff messaging boards.
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/questions/question/21573

This is an article from the Guardian, which discusses the importance of online communication for local government staff. It includes examples of what counties and cities in the UK have done to enhance employee collaboration.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/local-government-network/2011/jan/14/faced-cuts-internal-communication-more-important

Are there other Knowledge Network users that have had success using social networking tools to get ideas from your staff?

Ali Iannolo
Knowledge Network Intern
aiannolo@ICMA.org