Social networks 'could replace' public services

Social networks could complement, and in some cases replace, services provided by government.

That's according to analyst house Gartner that says government organisations could benefit from social networking technology if they approach it in the right way.

Gartner analyst Andrea Di Maio told silicon.com the public sector could exploit social networking communities which improve on services already provided by the government, and could work with online communities to support or even replace certain online services government provides.

This could be particularly relevant for government services that are proving unpopular with the public and which could benefit from cost reduction. By directing people to online communities that serve particular needs more effectively than the relevant government services, government could then scale back what it offers.

For example, Di Maio said Netmums - a community for parents providing information about childcare - could complement or even replace some social services currently provided by the government.

He added that in the current economic climate, the adoption of social networking technologies could make up for budget cuts in other areas.

But a more immediate way in which government could use social networks is as channels through which people can access relevant government services. And government could also learn from the way information is gathered by and contributed to social networks in order to improve government services.

As an example of this, Di Maio cited the government's Show Us a Better Way programme in which people are invited to contribute ideas about how government data could be better communicated.

But Di Maio warned that if the public sector tries to retain excessive control of these networks they want to exploit, it might turn people away, and said government must "recognise that spontaneity is needed for success".