Government Futures Finds Threat to Public Health Speeds Collaboration

States Will Shape National Response to Pandemics

Washington D.C. (Issues Wire / PRWEB) April 30, 2007 -- Government Futures, a Web 2.0 analysis and consulting firm that taps the collective intelligence of government and industry to solve tough problems, today released its fourth See the Future research report entitled "Public Health 2.0: Spreading like a Virus". The report asserts that protecting the public health will be an early example of "Government 2.0"-- government that is mission-oriented, networked, collaborative, agile and results-driven.
   
"Our research shows an overwhelming likelihood that 40 states, covering 80 percent of the U.S. population, will be served by a public health information sharing network by 2012," said Margaret Anderson, co-founder of Government Futures. Ms. Anderson explained that the network will enable states, federal agencies, local governments, hospitals, pharmacies, labs and physicians to share the latest information about disease outbreaks and their treatments. "Barriers to collaboration still remain, including interagency rivalries and privacy concerns," Anderson continued, "but funding and the threat of crisis will drive progress."

Other key conclusions in the "Public Health 2.0: Spreading like a Virus" report include:
*   State governments will lead investing in networks, tools, and technologies to support the public health mission.
*   Federal budgets are highly likely to increase to support these investments.
*   Industry consolidation will accelerate in the public health marketplace.
*   Privacy remains an important but manageable concern.

Barriers to collaboration still remain, including interagency rivalries and privacy concerns

"Six forces must be present in sufficient quantity to make Government 2.0 push aside the old ways of governing," said Bruce McConnell, Government Futures president. "These are funding, crisis, people, tools and technology, political support, and the requirement for complex coordination." The company considers all six elements in its mission forecasting service for government and industry clients, Gov 2.0 ForceMapping™, which forecasts how government missions will evolve and transform.

McConnell noted that the company's surveys and polls confirm that the tipping point into a 2.0 environment will come early in public health protection. "We rely on the wisdom of the crowd to populate our model," said McConnell, who believes that "collective intelligence can beat a handful of experts on most topics." The firm's 7-member Council of Advisers reviews the findings collected from surveys, polls, interviews, blogs, wikis, discussion forums, and prediction markets to map the forces affecting government missions and to gauge how the missions will be transformed in the days ahead.

Government Futures' See the Future reports are designed to help firms and governments anticipate and shape the future. Upcoming reports will address:
*   The effect of information transparency on federal oversight of public companies
*   The adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS) and IPv6 in government
*   The tipping point of additional high-impact government missions
*   The changing risk portfolio for government contractors.

"The analytical methodology is quite robust," McConnell said. "It shines a bright light into the shadows of uncertainty and helps organizations make better decisions for tomorrow."

About Government Futures, LLC
Government Futures, LLC is a Web 2.0 analysis and consulting firm that taps collective intelligence to help decision makers in the government-industry community understand and shape the future of the federal marketplace, and improve their position in it. Founded by community veterans Bruce McConnell and Margaret Anderson, and aided by a council of seasoned advisers, the company enables the community to collaborate and develop its own collective intelligence, which is distributed under Creative Commons license. Government Futures advises companies and other organizations in the application of these results. For more information, or to participate in the community, please visit www.governmentfutures.com/?campaign=PRWebPublicHealth4.24.07

CONTACTS:
Margaret Anderson, Co-Founder
Government Futures, LLC
1301 K St. NW - Suite 450 West
Washington, DC 20005
703-573-0134
http://www.governmentfutures.com/?campaign=PRWebPublicHealth4.24.07

Media Contact:
Julie Keyser-Squires, APR
Softscribe Inc.
404-256-5512
http://www.softscribeinc.com

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collective intelligence prediction market government futures public health network web 2.0 pandemic public health bruce mcconnell margaret anderson disease outbreaks

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