Civil Servants to come out of the digital shadows
The Government has published its Template Twitter Strategy for Government Departments (even more impressively, it is available for download on a Scribd page), suggesting to civil servants to begin tweeting and explaining how to do it, with the ultimate aim of improving public engagment.
The document is a really interesting, well put-together twitter template. It sets out pros and cons, twitter stats, a glossary and a reasonably significant list of influential twitter uses including journos, departments, MPs. It also has devised twitter objectives and metrics, which I’m sure will spur plenty of debate amongst bloggers and tweeters.
Written by Neil Williams (a.k.a @neillyneil), a self admitted “Web strategy geek at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,” the document advises civil servants, particularly those from the digital comms teams, to tweet on departmental campaigns, news releases, ministerial announcements, highlighting content on other social media platforms such as YouTube and even asking and answering questions.
Amazingly, this all means that civil servants will be crawling out of the shadows of Whitehall and will have a face, albeit a digital one. By encouraging interaction, there will be a transparency and two-way communication that, possibly, has never existed in Whitehall before.
Tom Watson MP, the first blogging Parliamentarian and avid social media nut, was also on the Today programme on Radio 4, spruiking the benefits of social media and, in particular Twitter, as a method of communication and interaction.
Tom Watson also made the point that many old mandarins still get their secretaries to print out the mandarin’s emails for review.
MPs are similar; we are currently surveying Parliamentarians and politicos about the use of twitter in Westminster. There are indeed MPs like Tom Watson, who was among a number of MPs on the Independent’s list of influential parliamentarian twitter, who are actively involved on the blogosphere and many of those listed have actively participated in our survey. But the truth is many still don’t get it and don’t see the point.
But surely, strategies like this show that social media has been adopted by the main stream and the idea that social media is just for kids, computer geeks and a small sector of society is no longer true. The powers that be have recognised the revolution will be digitalised and they have no choice but to get on board.
If you are interested in this issue and you would like to take our survey on the use of twitter in Westminster and Whitehall, we would more than appreciate your comments. http://bit.ly/10sf8B
Tags: civil servants, Government, MPs, neillyneil, template twitter strategy for government departments, Twitter, westminster, Whitehall
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Comments (8)
July 28th, 2009 at 12:09 pm Posted by William Heald
Having watched an episode of Yes Minister yesterday and thinking about the conservative and institutionalised nature of the civil service even today, it is quite telling that even they are looking to have a broad and active approach to Twitter, while many MPs are still absent. MPs, who arguably would get more use out of Twiiter, really should learn from the Civil Service’s uptake of Twitter and think that it is something they need to engage with actively. If Sir Humphrey Appleby tweets, Jim Hacker must also…
July 28th, 2009 at 1:17 pm Posted by pauliea
so are you saying it is no coincidence that the report was launched today, Will? With civil servants stealing a march on the holidaying MPs?
July 28th, 2009 at 1:34 pm Posted by William Heald
It probably is an exercise in PR, trying to coolify the civil service. But if the Civil Service does steal a march on MPs then they cannot complain as this technology has been pushed in their faces for a while and will actually benefit them individually. It could lead to greater votes whereas it cannot for the civil service. Should act as a kick up the pants for MPs.
July 28th, 2009 at 1:42 pm Posted by PaulieA
it just struck me from your comment that it would be a Sir Humphrey thing to do, waiting until the MPs were out of the picture!
But you’re right, it’s their own fault. I find it continually amazing that MPs pay only lip service to modern communication technologies, given general disenchantment and lack of engagement with politics. There is also a pretty good case study from the other side of the Atlantic on what can be achieved using social media…
July 28th, 2009 at 2:48 pm Posted by Ged Carroll
It will be interesting to see what the generational take will be on this and how it becomes incorporated into government comms and consultancy programmes.
What will happen with thorny issues like immigration, road charges, tax increases I wonder?
July 28th, 2009 at 9:31 pm Posted by PR, Public Relations & communications news and features
[...] 0 Add your comment My colleague Nick has written an interesting piece discussing the government roll-out of guidelines for using Twitter. Hopefully this will lead to [...]
August 17th, 2009 at 12:49 pm Posted by Civil Servants to come out of the digital shadows « Shot across the bow
[...] Cross-posted with the Ruder Finn Dot Comms blog [...]
August 26th, 2009 at 4:48 am Posted by welshbikers
Never laughed so much in my life
Goverment psssh! what do they know.
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