211 Version 2.0

I have often called 211 the "first social innovation of the 21st century." We came into this century with 211 in its infancy and yet, we will come out of the first decade with nearly universal access to America.

Much of the attention has been put on getting 211 up and running. At the end of last week, Detroit hosted the 211 North American Summit of leaders from both Canada and US. Individuals from Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, LA, New York and many other cities came to explore creating 'version 2.0' of 211.

That is, what have we learned from the first 10 years about the power and utilization of 211. We have seen it play a huge role in 9/11, Katrina and everyday issues that individuals face. For the first time in America, we have real time data about the need in many areas of our communities. Data from 211 is being turned into knowledge which in turn is being converted into better decisions. We also have the beginning of a centralized quality 'check point' from individuals who are accessing service.

We now better understand how Toronto is taking 211 information to improve policy decisions. We heard from the Chief of Police in Detroit --Chief Bully-Cummings -- how 211 in an important tool on the streets for police officers as they face a wide range of issues on a daily basis. We heard from FEMA how 211 has become a powerful long term tool when dealing with the recovery from disasters.

211's presence and role in America/Canada has exceeded any original expectation. The question becomes, how do we steward this important social asset towards its full capability. The purpose of the summit was to begin that work.

If you would like to read more on 211, please go to 211.org.

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