Hmm...
Sorry to come off sounding negative, but I have some concerns about the way
this went ahead, and that the results get given too much credence in the
overall space. It was an interesting exercise, but that list does not have
anything new or of particular interest to me. but it may well to those who are
new to this arena, perhaps such as DoC. So it perhaps had some value as an
initial information gathering exercise.
But we should be beyond an initial phase by now, even if DoC are not.
Rumi has done a great job of encapsulating this, I'm not sure if he did this on
behalf of DoC or himself, but the summary (despite a typo of their being two
ways, both push & push :-) is merely yet another another starting & discussion
point.
A list off attendees would be interesting, given the meeting was largely
restricted to a few selected individuals, & from the requests, I can guess some
names :-)
I don't see this as a balanced, representative or complete list, although the
items listed are a step in the right direction. This was also merely a DoC
initiative, yet the list covers a much wider list of agencies, and I think to
have real value, such meetings need to represent the wider agencies, as DoC is
not really in any position to collect such data on behalf of Govt.
IMHO, the Data Matters workshop run by Morst & the Open Data Unconference in
Wgtn a few months back, seem to me to be a more appropriate ways to collect
such information & move forward, including international speakers & examples
of ways forward, in a wider forum of interested parties. Hopefully the results
of the MoRST workshop will also be made public before long. If parties such as
DoC were better represented in such forums in the past, they would perhaps not
be trying to start now.
I'd be more comfortable if departments such as DoC were more closely aligned
with SSC, MoRST, GO, DIA, etc, intiatives, than running a small solo event by
invitation only, then seeming to publish the results as if it was a meaningful
referendum instead of a small preliminary discussion.
If this event was indeed significant progress, should MFish, MAF, each CRI,
MFE, Stats, Police, Metservice, etc also get their 20 selected advisors
together & repeat the exercise? Then tell DoC the results?
Sorry, but I think DoC is missing the point here, although they did at least
make an honest effort.
Brent Wood