Abstract
Open source represents a model generally known for its success in software production. The objective of this article is to establish a new strategic approach of using open source development principles for managing collaborative arrangements between citizens and public administration. The identity of open source governance is developed by highlighting how it is different from its main “competitor”—collaborative governance, and from other two popular concepts—open government and e-democracy. The other sections are designed to answer to public managers regarding why and what to adopt from this governance model for public sector services.
Notes
1 In computing, the kernel is the main component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level, being responsible with the system’s resources management (the communication between hardware and software components).
2 “In the Cathedral model, a small group of cloistered developers gathers far away from the watching eyes of the world, develops the software as it sees fit, and delivers the finished product to the anxiously waiting masses. In the Bazaar model, on the other hand, there is a seemingly chaotic set of interactions between developers and users that somehow results in high-quality software. The Cathedral method is familiar and comfortable, but the Bazaar model produces higher quality in a shorter period of time” (Pavlicek, Citation2000, p. 11).