The European Commission’s ePractice portal is teaming up with some Europe-based social media consultants to host a workshop on how to promote user-driven and developed Web 2.0 tools to further public services. They will focus mainly on examples of what is being done currently to actually make government more responsive, as opposed to what might be done theoretically. The workshop will be held on March 16th in Brussels.

The organizers are responding to the dramatic rise over the past three years in user-driven, Web 2.0-style initiatives to make government more open, transparent and accountable. They rightfully point to TheyWorkForYou, the product of Sunlight’s friends at the United Kingdom-based MySociety.com, as a good example. The organizers see a growing gap between the innovation culture underlying these initiatives and government approaches to information technology innovation in public services.

The folks behind this conference  want to show how Web 2.0 projects are changing public services now, in the hope that this will further encourage government to adopt the tools and mindset and they want to create an interactive and hands-on kind of meeting. It will include short presentation of projects, with more lengthy and informal discussions between participants.

The European Commission’s ePractice is hosting the meeting and participation is free. And they are counting on word of mouth to get the word out.

Hat Tip: David Osimo.