As of yet, no city has appointed a chief citizen officer, but organizations are talking about this new role. Unlike a mayor, who manages all aspects of a city—commercial businesses, regional and federal governments, non-profit organizations, police departments and fire departments, to name a few—the chief citizen officer would be responsible only for the needs of the citizens and would report to the mayor.
“The chief citizen officer would have direct responsibility for the livability of a community and the overall quality of life of its citizens,” writes Mark Pivon in his blog post The Rise of the Chief Citizen Officer. “Things like transportation, education, healthcare, community events, parks and recreation, housing affordability, employment, communications and social media—all would fall under the domain of the chief citizen officer.”
The chief citizen officer would have to foster an outside-in view—ensure that everyone looks at everything from the citizen’s perspective, adds Carl Piva, vice president of strategic programs at TM Forum.
