SESSION TOPIC:

Candy and Aspirin… managing government obligations while enabling collaboration … could this really happen?

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND:

In the years that we have discussed Government 2.0 at GTEC, the use of social media - within public service organizations and by the public sector to improve service delivery – has been an increasingly “hot” topic. Social media makes some public servants eager to do more, to push the boundaries of work styles and to increase organizational collaboration. Social media is more than a generational communication issue for the public sector. It has the power to create powerful connections, but it also pushes the envelope of how systems, processes and communications are structured within government organizations.

Regardless of your personal exposure to social media, sessions like this one and a few others at GTEC will explore the impacts that social media is having on the business world. These sessions will encourage a healthy discussion on boundaries – the boundaries social media expands to create opportunity, and the boundaries of accountability and governance that are at the heart of public service values.

SESSION ABSTRACT:

Today’s modern workplace requires mass collaboration.  Whether it be new digital born generations of employees joining the traditional workplace, or new mandates crossing traditional jurisdictional boundaries, technological collaboration is here to stay.  Web 2.0, wikis, blogs, instant messaging, social media, etc. all of these have blurred the lines between what was once a clear distinction between corporate governance and consumer media, one could even argue that this line will only continue to blur, to a point of non-existence.  During this session, you will hear about the emerging collaboration and social media trends surrounding mobility, 3d visual representations, gaming and avatar management.   As well, you will hear about how government institutions are merging the existing 2.0
collaborative methods with strong corporate governance and management in an effort to manage collaboration and strike a balance between the collaboration needs and enterprise obligations around information management, security and access.  In this new world of technological collaboration, let us show you how to achieve a balance between your social media needs and corporate compliance and governance.

SPEAKER PROFILE:

Alex Benay, Senior Strategist, Canadian Public Sector

Open Text Corporation

Alex has acquired a vast range of experience in the information management and public sector management sectors, ranging from policy development and program management to solutions development and implementation. Having spent the first eight years of his career in the Canadian Federal Government as an executive in such organizations as Library and Archives Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Canadian International Development Agency, Alex then proceeded to help establish Enterprise Content Management capacities in several small to medium sized enterprises in the Ottawa area. Currently, Alex is the Senior Strategist for the Canadian Public Sector within Open Text, where he is responsible for setting strategic direction and policies for all three levels of government throughout Canada.