Introduction

We all want good public services. When we get them we can say thank you. When we’re disappointed we should say “wouldn’t it be better if...?”

So together with thinkpublic Ideal Government invites everyone to help design better public services in a new competition called “Mind the Gap”. It’s open to anyone who wants to express their desire for better public services.

“Mind the Gap” is a collaboration between thinkpublic’s ‘Real work experience’ programme for design graduates and Ideal Government’s “Wibbipedia” philosophy of collecting ideas about how public services could be better.

Who can enter?

This is for anyone who uses public services and feels they can express how they could be better. All you have to do is describe a public service exactly as it is, and then describe just how good it could be.
This can be with words or illustration - whatever medium works best. Kable and thinkpublic people can enter but can’t win prizes.

How do I enter?

1. Describe plainly and accurately a positive or negative experience you have had with a public service. It could be when you visited the doctor, used public transport or the local library, got taxed, waited in a call-centre queue, got arrested or applied for asylum for example. Share this experience in some way, using a photograph, words, illustration or whatever medium best conveys it.

2. Say “Wouldn’t it be better if…” Then design, draw, make, write or film how you think this service should be.

3. Send it in!

Mail mindthegap[at]therealworkexperience.com
or post it to
The Real Work Experience ”Ideal Government” competition
c/o thinkpublic
5 Calvert Ave
London, E2 7JP
Entries will appear on TheRealworkExperience and IdealGovernment
Judges from thinkpublic and Ideal Government will select a monthly winner. We’ll work out some goodies for prizes as we go along. All winning and commended ideas will be collected and credited in a “Wibbipedia” collection of ideas for service improvements in the public sector. The aim of the Wibbipedia is to illustrate the potential of better design thinking for improving public services.

Wrap up...

Sponsor

Kable Ltd

Authors with password: click here to post

BLOGS etc
Bruce Schneier
Jeff Jonas, IBM
Jerry Fishenden
Headshift
Ian Brown
Kim Cameron, MS
Matthew Somerville
Public strategist
Richard Allan
Robin Wilton, Sun
Sam Smith
Stefan Brands, Credentica
Toby Stevens, EPG
Whitehall Webby
Will Davies

CRITICAL FRIENDS
Action on Rights for Children
Big Opt-Out
FIPR
Light blue touchpaper
NHS23
No2ID
Perfect e-democracy
Spy blog
Verified Voting

PERTINENT ART
ACLU privacy pizza
Very model of a notional identity
Swizz of the cards
Handelsman: NSA wiretaps
Handelsman: US spying
Wearcam
Googlezon
Three dead trolls
Stefanos Pantagis

ESSENTIALS

Cluetrain Manifesto
RAE Dilemmas of Privacy
NCC Playlist for public services
Sousveillance
Stefan Brands' book summary
Ross Anderson book

Engelbart Mother of all demos
OTHER ID/SECURITY
ID theft spy
Planet Identity
Pledgebank for refuseniks
Home Office ID cards
Credentica
Ann Cavoukian, Ontario


MYSOCIETY & SAM'S STUFF
MySociety/
They work for you
Fax your MP
DirectionlessGov
Comment on This

...and the original
Stand ID card campaign
PUBLIC SERVANT BLOGS
David Milliband
Read my day
Lynne Featherstone MP
David Copperfield - police
Roy Taylor, Kingston
ReadmyDay
Bill Sticker - parking
Ealing Magistrate
Cllr Andrew Brown
Reynolds/Ambulance

MAPS MASHUPS WE LIKED...
Plymouth Schools
Ben's UK speed cameras
5-day weather forecast
House sale prices
g-Traffic info
Place-O-Pedia

For Google maps mashups see
Googlemapsmania blog

ADVISERS, NGOs
Advice now
Advice Services Alliance
Advice UK
Citizens' Advice


Old stuff
RSS in government blog