GEORGE HALIM Telegraph-Journal

A high profile technology officer is coming to New Brunswick this fall to speak on the topic of open government.

The New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network is bringing in Beth Noveck, the former White House deputy chief technology officer under President Barack Obama, to share her expertise on the topic.

Typically, open government is broken down into three main principles: collaboration, accountability and transparency.

The area involves making available the data information within government to the broader public. It also means opening up the processes of government and governance toward a more participatory democracy.

Noveck is coming for the research network’s inaugural Gov. Maker conference, being held Nov. 24-25 at the Crowne Plaza in Fredericton.

Nick Scott, managing director of the network, said Noveck was on the radar because of her influential role on such a critical topic.

“She wrote the book on open government,” he said. “She has one of the most widely viewed TED Talks on open government, and we felt that it would be important for our province to seize the opportunity of open government and open data.”

Noveck is the author of a book called Wiki Government, which explores how technology can make government better, democracy stronger and citizens more powerful.

She is also the chair of international open government network GovLab as well as the MacArthur Foundation.

Scott said the best way to approach the conference is by engaging with internationally renowned experts on the subject, which in turn serves the audience best.

“What we’re trying to do is target innovators within government to attend this event and connect them with creatives, hackers, academics and open government champions outside of government,” he said. “And then they can really build the network and build the movement here in the province to lead the way.”

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