Ask What You Can Do

'Ask What You Can Do' is now available here (Kindle and Paperback).

[Note: this content was first published on Medium]

When was the last time that you had an online interaction with your state or local government that truly delighted you? As a resident, have you ever wondered why your local government doesn’t do some things more efficiently? As a technologist, have you ever wondered why your local government seems to be lagging behind when it comes to using online services or apps? Have you ever wondered what it would take to fix some of those issues?

In recent years, I did ask myself those questions. This exploration led me down a path that brought me from the tech sector into local government, and after a period of public service back into the private sector. Of the many things I learned in the public sector, the need for more technologists to go and serve in local government was probably the most striking realization.

Both during and after my time in local government, I would frequently get asked about my journey and how I made it happen. Once I realized that no roadmap or playbook existed to inspire and guide fellow technologists to make a similar journey, I got to work.

I wrote a book

In my book, “Ask What You Can Do”, you have an inside account of what it is like to move from the tech sector to the public sector. The book also explains why state and local government are so important, the kinds of challenges and opportunities within local government that require more technologists to address, how to go about making the leap into local government, and how to have impact while you’re there. Building on the inspirational words of President John F Kennedy, this book challenges readers to think about what they can do to help build the next generation of local government.

Moving beyond volunteering

Some of you reading this blog post may be members of a Code for America brigade, or take part in one of the numerous civic technology efforts that do tremendous work all across the US. While it is true that many technologists are already volunteering their skills and passion for public good to try to fix local government from the outside, I believe that we need to go further. Both the tech sector, and individual technologists, can play a more central role in developing the next generation of local government.

Recent events highlight this need

While many opportunities for technologists to move the needle within government were already self-evident, recent tragic events have helped elevate the importance of state and local government in our lives. While this book was written some months before the current COVID-19 pandemic erupted, it contains some useful ideas for those who may now be also considering what they can do to help in this current time of crisis, and beyond. It has also highlighted the growing need for our state and local government agencies to accelerate their digital transformations, and how they will serve the public using new and enhanced remote and virtual capabilities.

About the book

The book is split into 4 parts:

1. The “Why”: why local government matters, and the nobility of public service.
2. The “What”: what kinds of issues and opportunities exist that tech can help with.
3. The “How”: how to go about entering local government, and succeeding there.
4. What’s Next: what local government leaders can do to build the next generation of government.

Who will this book appeal to?

1. Technologists who are currently thinking about how to increase the social impact of their skills and talents, Ask What You Can Do provides a useful framework for exploring whether moving into a new domain and entering the public sector could be the next move in your career.
2. Civic Technologists already volunteering their time and skills to help improve their local government, this book may provide the inspiration to take that extra step and attempt to drive changes in local government from the inside.
3. Public Interest Technologists already engaged in building the technologies that local governments use, or helping develop the technology policies that shape how state and local governments use technology and data, may find some
4. Non-technologists who may also wish to learn more about state and local government as a place to use their skills and talents to great effect.

In addition to the publication of this book, in the coming months I will continue to share more insights and helpful information via my Medium blog, which will likely be shared here as well. For more information about the book and how to stay engaged on these topics, please go to https://askwhatyoucando.com.

'Ask What You Can Do' is now available here (Kindle and Paperback).