311 is the shortcut for the multi-channel citizen relationship management system of New York City. The CIO of NYC just stated at the Washington Governmental CIO Exchange that they are thinking about building a system, where they can integrate the knowledge of citizens into the response process of “311.” The idea is to offer an interface that allows citizens to participate in aggregating local knowledge into actionable information. Think Wiki or the citizen-driven approach of the peer produced London call centers.

PS: He is also thinking about open source solutions on the desktop.