Things are rather hectic on the events front for FutureGov at the moment, so as much for our benefit as yours here’s where you’ll be able to find us during March. If anything particularly grabs you and you’d like more information or to get involved even, leave a comment below or drop us a line – we’d love to hear from you.

Safeguarding 2.0, 3rd March

Five years on from the Every Child Matters review, significant improvements have been made in the area of safeguarding children, supported by improvements in data sharing specifically. At the same time in recent years there has been a significant growth in the use of web technology and with it a shift in what is possible in terms of data management. Web 2.0 has brought with it openness, transparency and sharing on unprecedented levels, enabling free and easy interaction between individuals and organisations.

A FutureGov Networks event hosted by the Local Government Information Unit, Safeguarding 2.0 is a roundtable to provide some of the leading thinkers in the fields of safeguarding and web technologies the opportunity to explore the challenges around information management that remain and start to develop a shared understanding of the opportunities web 2.0 technologies could provide to make a step change in how information is gathered and shared.

Hopefully participants will begin to identify where and how there may be a way to develop a new and transformative approach to safeguarding children through the use of the web.

Customer Services for London group, 6th March

The Customer Services for London Group (CSLG) aims to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and value for money in customer service in local government, sharing best practice across London Boroughs and identifying and encouraging innovation in Customer Services.

“From Customer Service to Customer Collaboration”, our session will consider the future of customer services in a world where customers are empowered like never before. It will look at the challenges of delivering high quality customer services in the context of diversifying contact channels, disruptive web technologies outside the control of local authorities and the convergence of consultation, community engagement and customer service.

Rewired State’s National Hack the Government Day, 7th March

According to Rewired State:

Government isn’t very good at computers. They spend millions to produce mediocre websites, hide away really useful public information and generally get it wrong. Which is a shame. Calling all people who make things. We’re going to show them how it’s done.

Sounds like a mighty fine (if cheeky) call to arms.

But not being heavy duty techies ourselves, we don’t qualify for the daytime session. I will however be heading down the Guardian offices to see the rather exciting ‘show off session’ in the evening to see all the fancy new sites in action.

Agile procurement in government, 12th March

Coming out of a conversation a number of us had at the GovWeb BarCamp back in January, a group of us will be heading down the Hub in Kings Cross (although we’re threatening to outgrow the venue!) to knock our thinking into shape ahead of a larger session in a month or twos time. If you fancy it, you can follow the conversation so far on the Google Group and find the event on Upcoming.com.

Public Services 2.0: how to implement and promote user-driven open innovation in public services, 16th March

I think we’ve pushed this one at you enough by now (head over here for more details), but just to say we will also be livecasting the event right here on FutureGovConsultancy.com, including the opportunity for you to get involved in the backchannel.

So make sure you drop by on the day (or else catch the recording after the event).

Government 2.0, 27-28th March 2008

At the end of the month, Justin Kerr-Stevens and I will be heading over to Washington DC to take part in Government 2.0 Camp. The camp is an unconference about:

using social technologies (aka web 2.0/social media tools) to create a more effective, efficient and collaborative U.S. government on all levels (local, state and federal).

Government 2.0 Camp will bring together the leading thinkers from government, academia and industry to share Government 2.0 initiatives that are already in process and collaborate about Government 2.0 ideas that are currently just visions.

Looking forward to bringing back some great learning from that one – and perhaps even teach them a thing or two from all the great work going on in the UK at the moment as well!

we20 and the we20 NESTA Challenge, 30th March

An idea that was first aired at the Amplified08 event in November last year, we20 (as Roland Harwood writes) is:

a new event format that brings together 20 likeminded people around a theme for them to debate and then share their recommendations much more widely through the web, for others to build upon. This is designed with the aim to create a platform to generate localised action or genuinely participatory government policies.

we20 aims to have encouraged 10,000 we20 events worldwide by the end of April, giving people the opportunity to have their own G20 meeting and add to the debate.

The we20 NESTA challenge will take place 3 days before the G20 event itself, focusing people’s attention and raising the profile of the we20 events happening around the world. And it seems to be working. we20 now even has its own space on the official London Summit site. Why not join in?

VRM Hub, tbc

And last but most definitely not least there’s the monthly VRM Hub meet ups, which FutureGov newbie Carrie is a big part of working with Adriana Lukas to lead on the government side of the VRM project.

There are no dates in the diary for March and April just yet, but why not sign up and watch this (or that) space?