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Informal Virtual Learning in the Public Sector: Educating Public Servants in Digital Social Innovation Environments

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The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant

Abstract

Informal virtual learning is becoming an important part of public servants’ education, given its highly flexible and adaptable nature. These features are critical for the flourishing of the future public sector, which is currently facing disruptive transformations – many of them linked to digitalization, social media utilization, or open innovation and collaboration. Social media and digital communities offer new opportunities for informal learning in the public sector with the emergence of platforms that support collaboration and collective learning. However, few studies reflect these dimensions despite their potential to foster interconnected skills and capabilities. Therefore, this chapter presents how public servants are using informal learning practices in digital social innovation environments. It examines current informal virtual learning experiences in the USA and Spain public sectors, analyzing their objectives and results. In particular, this chapter focuses in two cases of digital communities oriented to foster public sector innovation and learning by digital means: on the one hand, GovLoop, a private-owned network in the USA and English-speaking countries; on the other hand, NovaGob, a private-owned company started as the first social network for public sector innovation in Spain and Latin America. Results show how both social media platforms nurture interactions among public servants based on common interests and thematic groups. These interactions provide a basis for collaboration, virtual and informal learning, but also new communities of practice and knowledge. In conclusion, these digital-based communities bolster core skills of future public sector organizations and open up new avenues for the education of public servants in the coming years.

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Acknowledgments

This chapter has been supported by the research project “Local public governance through technologies for transparency, participation, and collaboration” (RTI2018-095344-A-I00) (Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science and International Relations, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    J. Ignacio Criado, Cristina Herranz & Julián Villodre

Authors
  1. J. Ignacio Criado
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  2. Cristina Herranz
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  3. Julián Villodre
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Ignacio Criado .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia

    Helen Sullivan

  2. UNSW Australia, Campbell, ACT, Australia

    Helen Dickinson

  3. College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Hayley Henderson

Section Editor information

  1. Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Paul Williams

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Criado, J.I., Herranz, C., Villodre, J. (2019). Informal Virtual Learning in the Public Sector: Educating Public Servants in Digital Social Innovation Environments. In: Sullivan, H., Dickinson, H., Henderson, H. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03008-7_46-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03008-7_46-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03008-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03008-7

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