Government departments agree on use of social media |21 May 2016

Government departments have agreed that social media can be used by the public service.

This was the outcome of a forum on social media in the public service, which was held at National House yesterday morning. The objective was to educate organisations on the use of this modern source of information and having their inputs on its practicality in order to improve service delivery. The outcome also means giving public servants access to social media in their offices.

Vice-President Danny Faure who chaired the forum, has however announced that use of social media will be guided by a policy which the government is planning to put into place early next year.

The principal secretary (PS) in the department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) Benjamin Choppy has explained that the policy on social media is necessary in establishing a systematic internal process which will also permit government to be responsive and permit this form of communication to become two-way. The policy he adds, will also address the risk of negative use, while providing guidelines which will define the quality and quality of information given. 

For example, Mr Choppy asked if we have to post personal information or how far can we go personal?

He however agrees on the benefits of social media, especially in good governance.

“Academics and the majority of governments are reflecting on more use of social media, as it is something relatively new in the field of electronic government. It is clear that social media empowers the citizens and is a means of engaging them in good governance. Best practices are starting to emerge in areas like health and law and order. So, social media contributes to active citizen engagement in policy formulation. Government can consult the population and monitor developments through social media,” PS Choppy said.

Mr Choppy added that the issue of training has also to be addressed. He clarified that ICT education must not necessarily be technical as he feels social media is designed in an intuitive style which permits everyone to make use of it. He rather insisted that civil servants need training in communication for them to know how to treat information in terms of confidentiality, respect of privacy and the general legal framework.

At the close of the ICT Week yesterday, DICT director for System Design and Sector Development Hendrick André commented that the ICT week has been a success as the department has attained the objective of informing the population more on the subject and collecting its views on its use.

It is hoped that the forum on use of social media and the ICT Week in general will further permit DICT to reply to its motto which is: “Connected to the community, connected to the world”.

The same surely applies to the Seychelles’ public service as a whole.