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FreeBalance President & CEO to Moderate Panel on Government 2.0

Panel to discuss how collaborative tools like blogs, wikis and social networks can transform government

The panel discussion – entitled “Government 2.0: The Next Wave of Open Government?” – will explore the transformative effects of collaborative tools such as blogs, wikis, and social networks on government. Can collaborative tools like blogs, wikis and social networks transform government? Will Government 2.0 fulfill the promise of e-government? Can governments leverage the “wisdom of crowds” for internal government or external citizen collaboration? Should governments publish more and more data? How will this affect traditional back-office systems? What culture changes will be needed for governments to harness Government 2.0?

The Government 2.0 panel will be moderated by Manuel Pietra, President & CEO of FreeBalance. Panel members include Dr. Mark Drapeau and Doug Hadden. Dr. Drapeau is a co-founder of the Government 2.0 Club. The Government 2.0 Club is a national organization that brings together leading thinkers from government, academia and industry to share ideas and solutions for leveraging social media tools and Web 2.0 technologies to create a more collaborate, efficient and effective government — Government 2.0. Doug Hadden is the Vice President of Products at FreeBalance and also serves as the Vice President of Communications for the ICGFM. Mr. Hadden has been instrumental in creating a vision for Government Resource Planning (GRP) software that incorporates Web 2.0 collaboration, content and technology to develop advanced Government 2.0 solutions.

“Social networking is being leveraged by governments to improve decision-making, performance, and citizen engagement,” said Manuel Pietra, President & CEO of FreeBalance. “Military and security organizations are on the leading edge of using collaborative technologies for information-sharing and operational effectiveness. These provide valuable lessons for all government entities.”

The panel discussion is part of a monthly luncheon hosted by the ICGFM at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. Previous topics have included “The Challenges of Realigning U.S. Foreign Assistance with U.S. Policy Goals” and “Public Financial Management Reform: Trends and Lessons”. Those interested in attending the DC Forum may register at http://www.icgfm.org/.

About ICGFM
The International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management is an umbrella organization bringing together diverse governmental entities and a broad array of financial management practitioners to promote professional development and the exchange of information. The organization aims to advance governmental financial management principles and standards and promote their implementation and application by sponsoring international forums and fostering research concerning innovations, best practices, and emerging issues.

About FreeBalance
Founded in 1984, FreeBalance is a for-profit social enterprise and leading global provider of software solutions for public financial management. FreeBalance solutions support government modernisation, fiscal decentralisation, and public finance reform. Public financial management reform is a key element of good governance and sustainable development.

FreeBalance is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with sales and support offices in Washington, DC (United States), Lima (Peru), Lisbon (Portugal), London (Great Britain), Pristina (Kosovo) and St. John (Antigua and Barbuda). FreeBalance solutions have been implemented in countries across the globe, including Canada, United States, Sierra Leone, Guyana, Pakistan, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Timor-Leste, Republic of Kosovo and Panama. www.freebalance.com

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