Promise Seen In Open Government Contests
The White House's push for agencies to dangle prize money in front of the public to solve the government's problems should jump-start creativity, according to some information technology contractors. The White House late Monday released a memorandum explaining how agencies can legally coordinate contests to solicit ideas for using technology to modernize government, Nextgov.com reported.
The move was prompted by a December 2009 directive that required the Office of Management and Budget to establish guidelines on incentive-based strategies to enhance open government, which encompasses agency transparency, industry collaboration and public participation.
But Monday's memo extended beyond open government, encouraging the use of prizes to promote innovation and address other national priorities. The memo reads more like an endorsement than a set of restrictions and could spur innovation not just government wide, but nationwide, industry observers said. "It's almost like encouraging agencies to test the limits of their mandate -- which is very brave and forward-thinking," said Guido Jouret, chief technology officer for Cisco's emerging technologies group.
For example, the Commerce Department is authorized by law to bestow a Commercial Space Achievement Award, but other agencies without explicit mandates can turn grant programs into prizes or use federal acquisition regulations when the reward is for a good or service that benefits the government, according to the guidance. OMB officials this week cited the results of a successful contest where NetFlix awarded a $1 million prize in September 2009 to developers that improved the software the video rental company uses to personalize movie recommendations for customers.
Evaluating entrants fairly will be one of the key tests for the Obama administration as it moves forward with contests, said Susie Adams, chief technology officer for Microsoft Federal. "Everything that they've been doing so far has been done in good faith," she said. "It could easily get out of hand, if it's not properly managed." To read more, click here.
Join the Discussion
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus