3.2: Plan for Enhanced Participation and Collaboration

Create and foster a culture of productive, two-way communication

Other Information:

To best serve its clients—and in keeping with tenets of open government—VA must effectively create and foster a culture of productive, two-way communication. This will include both proactive communications across multiple venues and the development of techniques by which the organization can better receive and incorporate feedback from clients. With an ever-expanding array of Web 2.0 platforms at its disposal, VA will create an Online Communications Hub (OCH), which will function as a central online gathering place for Veterans, family members, and the general public. The purpose of the OCH will be to compete within the same media space as organizations like Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Blackfive, and other, similar drivers of traditional media coverage. VA’s OCH will fully integrate internally produced media, externally produced media, mechanisms for feedback, relevant traditional media, social media, and links to the VA website. VA will also add a new blog. Modeled after other successful federal government blogs such as The Department of State’s DipNote and the Transportation Security Administration TSA Blog, our central blog will be staffed by a VA employee. VA employees will put a human face on the organization and will post relevant information about VA to the public, highlighting our programs, challenges, successes, and failures from the inside. One of the most exciting aspects of the OCH will be the guest blog submissions from employees and the general public. These posts will place Veterans, employees, the public, and senior VA staff on equal footing in the OCH. The best ideas or critiques will be featured. Submission requirements will be posted and pieces that are articulate and well-reasoned will be selected—regardless of the writer’s position. The guest blog section will emulate the highly successful Huffington Post. In order to effectively capture feedback in an efficient manner, we are looking forward to establishing a topical discussion forum modeled after other successful discussion boards. The comments left by registered users will be moderated, organized and submitted to the appropriate offices for action. This blog will enable VA to connect questions and comments about benefits to the correct office within VBA, and questions about health care to the appropriate individual or individuals in VHA. This blog will also give VA a new way to both spot trends and better understand the needs of our Veterans, while at the same time openly and transparently engaging with the public.

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