Working in the open enhances trust in our institutions

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve all witnessed the shift in work, and the slow but apparent decentralization of workplaces as remote work catches on. As a passionate university student and a citizen interested in the role of technology within government and governance, I think a lot about how changes to the way we work impacts public trust in our institutions.

My personal experience has found that working in the open isn’t just a fluke - it has real, tangible benefits for the public sector more than is currently realized. I think the next wave for this “new work” era (within the public sector) will be open government principles, and here’s why.

Open and digital go hand in hand

Increasingly, technology projects built by civic technology groups and public institutions are open-source (driven partially by the creation of digital services around the world like CDS and 18F), and I think it’s clear that without further progress on open government initiatives, digital projects will struggle to succeed.

As Sean Boots notes, applying digital methods to work that is often considered ‘opaque and secretive’ doesn’t help citizens without other shifts, and especially during an era where misinformation is rampant, the expression of transparent, open government principles is needed more than ever.

To fight misinformation, empower public servants

I believe a stronger focus on open government could help the public service regain its more advisory role that it once held, as opposed to its current more subservient one - where a strict hierarchy is adhered to. Public servants should have the tools and freedom to do their work, and as the pandemic has shown us, the public service has the capability and capacity to serve a larger and more significant role in Canada’s governance.

In order to fight misinformation, I strongly believe we, as citizens, should look to empower public servants and look to the public service to work in the open, use digital methods and further serve as non-partisan advisors, experts and leaders. This would also improve accountability in Canada’s governance systems as ministers would be able to be easier held to account on their mandates.

Reach out to me on Twitter if you have any thoughts to share.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of any organization.