Well, let me start out by saying it is indeed a unique time. A unique and weighty time. We need to balance public health with economic viability. Education is going through a rightly-forced transformation, but without the empirical data to support whether the new all-online system will work for the majority of students. And while the world was momentarily paused – empty streets, people who can are working from home, closed shopping areas, vacant beaches on warm and sunny weekends – there was activity. The supermarkets, medical facilities, vet clinics, construction, Amazon.com, emergency services, and a host of nonprofits helping people in our communities.
While there are many topics I could focus on, I want to hone in on governing – both administrators and elected officials. Particularly e-governance, and its use (or lack there of) in local government during the Covid-19 pandemic.
E-governance is government’s use information communication tools (ICTs) to produce a government that is SMART:
While my research has shown that local governments lag behind state and federal governments, I still find it difficult to wrap my head around why simple tools, such as video meeting platforms, cannot be utilized for Council meetings. Don’t get me wrong, there are many governments that are using these systems, but not mine, at least not yet.
I know will will, I hope we will, and that it won’t take too much longer for us to be SMART.
Georgette's musings 