Spending Challenge website opened up to the public

Today the Treasury’s Spending Challenge website, which asks for ideas on how to save public money, has been opened up to the public. Last month it was launched to those who work in the public sector but now everyone is being invited to contribute.

This two-stage launch was a smart move as it helped deal with the issue of quality of submissions that often plagues such online initiatives. By first getting in views of those who work in the public service, the Spending Challenge website has managed to keep to a minimum the number of electronic equivalents of ideas written in block capital letters with purple ink. The requirement to register also adds a small hurdle which, whilst it should not put off anyone with a good idea, does help protect against the sort of drive-by commenting often seen on some political blogs.

It’s a shame though that the previous blog discussing ideas submitted so far looks to have gone, both because of its own contribution to the discussion and because it was a great example of how to interact with feedback.