Know your network: Ruchir Shah
Job title: Head of policy and research department, and director of Open Government Pioneers Project UK
Org: Scottish Council for voluntary Organisations
Location: Edinburgh
Network Member since: 2016
Contact me at: [email protected]
How would you describe your job to a child?
Who is the president of the free world? Is he making the world a better place?
How should we help the men, women and kids that really want to make the world a better place?
What does the concept of open government mean to you?
What would your autobiography be called?
How to have fun and not take life too seriously
Why did you become involved in the Open Government Network?
We’ve given evidence to all sorts of expert commissions to make Scotland a better governed place for the people that live in it. How about a fresh commission that actually is us? Perhaps opengovscot can play that role?
Tell us one thing you’d like this Network to do in the next 6 months
I’d like to see the network grow its membership beyond professionals and engage much more with Scotland’s citizens, particularly those people that face additional barriers to influencing the decisions that affect them.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Everyday is different. But coffee at 11am.
What breed of social media user are you?
A bit like Smaug in the Hobbit. Generally asleep, with rare outbursts of fire and brimstone when roused. Always polite though.
What three things could members of this network get in contact with you about?
Tech for open governance
Using #opengovpioneers and @opengovscot to achieve globalgoals.scot
Meetup.com/pro/opengovpioneers
The link to the one website/blog/online community that you cannot live without, and nor should others:
Have I not exhausted you with links above? If not, then how about www.beards.org Well, you did ask!
Is there a particular area of open government that you’re interested in? Or, do you have a question you’d like network members to respond to?
Bridging the divides in society that has led us to Brexit, Trump and fearful closed societies.
Where do you see the open government movement in Scotland in three years?
An open movement with real influence in developing a more sustainable footing for this fragile planet and everyone that lives in it.
Biggest like:
My brand new Oculus Rift
Biggest Dislike:
Gritty reality soaps