• Knowledge exchange feature is based on Kinomi ‘MailSpaces’ platform  

Socitm’s Information Age Group (SIAG) in partnership with eGov Monitor, has launched GovXchange, a knowledge-sharing platform that will not only collect and disseminate published information, but will also enable people to create and disseminate new knowledge and information by building communities of interest, particularly around issues associated with transformational government.

The GovXchange portal which can be accessed through the new Socitm website homepage at www.socitm.gov.uk and directly at www.govx.org.uk  (wef 28 Mar 08 the URL is http://govx.socitm.gov.uk )  will collect, create, collate and disseminate knowledge and information from across the public sector. The Socitm Exchange, an earlier knowledge repository available on the Socitm website, has been upgraded and absorbed within GovXchange.

This GovXchange knowledge base will focus on UK national and regional issues with particular emphasis upon Transformational Government enabled by ICT.  Categories covered include business transformation; citizen centric services; emerging technologies; information management; partnership working; policy; and standards, while sectors include education; environment; health and welfare; housing; police and justice and transport.

GovXchange also incorporates an exciting new feature – a knowledge exchange platform that allows people to create and/or join communities of interest (known as ‘spaces’) built around topics they are interested in.  The knowledge exchange feature of GovXchange is built on the Kinomi ‘MailSpaces’ platform. This enables any GovXchange user to create a community of interest and specify whether it is open to all or has a restricted membership. 

Registered users of GovXchange can select particular areas of interest, and specify how they would like to interact with each community – choices include daily emails, weekly digests, newsletters and so on. Registered users have a personal homepage that reflects choices about topics made at registration. When users enter a community they have joined, they will see the latest topics, discussion threads and knowledge entries, which they can read and if contribute to.

The technology identifies structured elements that exist within messages posted, such as names, dates or important topics, and indexes these and uses them to make connections to other related information in the system.  In this way, activity within and across groups is captured, indexed and added to a fully searchable and dynamic knowledge base.

Once indexed, the knowledge is searchable within or across communities and can be personalised to create scheduled alerts, newsletters or digests of activity across communities. One of the key areas which underpins GovXchange is the opportunity for people, during registration, to indicate any particular expertise or areas of special interest they as individuals or their organisations have.  These entries then become part of the searchable knowledge base enabling users to identify others within GovX communities who share common interests or perhaps have areas of expertise that will help resolve particular issues other users may be facing.

According to Adrian Hancock, who is managing the project on behalf of Socitm, ‘The key objective is to create a viable and active network of communities to align policy, strategy and practice, supported by the sharing of case studies, success stories and other knowledge. We anticipate input not just from our members but also from key stakeholders across government and the private sector. As people develop and register for communities the infrastructure opens the possibility of a 'network of networks' across local government or even wider.’

Further information

Adrian Hancock, SIAG Programme Manager
Tel:  07887 781612   email: adrian.hancock@socitm.gov.uk

Vicky Sargent or Peter Coates, Socitm Press Office
Tel:  0845 094 5641   email: vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk or peter.coates@socitm.gov.uk