Last week I was part of an O'Reilly Gov 2.0 online conference, Gov 2.0 Internation: Global Meeting Local Challenges.

I spoke on UK Innovations in Gov 2.0 (or 'You say Gov 2.0, we say digital engagement'), giving attendees (viewers?) from round the world a taste of the journey the UK has been through in embracing web 2.0 in government.

Clearly it's a quick canter through one man's take on the UK's journey and doesn't cover everything, but I'd love to hear views on the story I tell and anything I may have missed.

You can also find links to all the websites I mention in the presentation over here.

Often, the public don't entirely understand what exactly it is that Local Government does (and does not) do.

Equally often, those working in Local Government don't have a full picture of what local people want from services in their area.

One way I can think of to match these two needs is through better public engagement which is joined up to policy making, more deliberative rather than informative or adversarial, and which promotes a genuine understanding between the two parties.

I'd like to know more about how local authorities are currently going about engaging with people more meaningfully than through polling or 'tick-box' consultation exercises. One use of this network could be to spread simple ideas and good practice around this area, particularly with a leaning towards the use of online methods and social media.

When it comes to consultation and engagement, less is often more - so long as the processes that do take place involve diverse participant groups and have meaningful outcomes.