In late 2013, in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services, the New Local Government Network (NLGN) held a roundtable event, Digital places: where we are and where we are going. The event looked at both the implementation and implications of councils' digital work. From it, several themes emerged that will be central to local government priorities – and their digital strategies in particular.
It is clear that the key to the digital future is not in the technology but in people. The tech is impressive and important. But unless it is designed with the users in mind, it will fail. Enabling people within the council to feel comfortable both using new technology and introducing it to others (staff and citizens) will be central to naturalising its usage. This means involving users at the design stage of any new technology or application, but it also means finding the staff at every level likely to be comfortable as a digital pioneer and empowering them to take ownership of their part of the project.
There also needs to be a long term focus on skills. It is unlikely that most councils have enough people with digital skills at the right level now, so upskilling, training and retaining these staff will be essential. Going forward councils need to work with the organisations in the local area to ensure that the right digital skills are being taught in schools and adult education centres.
Equally, there has to be a better sense of users' needs. Sometimes this can be overblown; for example, council members can be overly conservative about the use of new IT projects, underestimating the digitally savvy of their constituents. As everyday technology improves, and the use of smartphones become almost ubiquitous, this is much less of an issue.
While we must solve the access issues of a small minority this should not stop councils getting where they need to be in terms of their digital future. Technology gives councils the opportunity to be much more open and responsive. Social media has been used by some councillors to keep in touch with their constituents, but many forward thinking council officers are also using it to keep residents in touch with their work and offer genuine opportunities for consultation and dialogue. In Stoke they use their social media channels to let people know when procurement contracts are out for tender.
Vital to making digital work for councils is their relationship with the private sector. Neither national nor local government have a stellar track record when it comes to large scale IT projects, contributing to the caution surrounding any move to digitalise services. Councils and their IT suppliers must work in partnership, with both parties tied to the long term success of projects.
In Cardiff, they work with their private sector partners to understand footfall – showing where people are using digital. They have also opened up their market, from having seven broadband partners to 57, which has reduced costs. Similarly, Birmingham analysed their model of working with commercial partners to change how both risk and reward were spread. The risks needs to be shared by the private sector earlier: the organisations that recognise this develop longer term and more rewarding partnerships.
It is clear that councils will be incorporating digital much more into the way they work. As cuts bite and new ways of working take hold, this agenda has become accelerated. However, it is councils that are positive about digital and understand the importance of putting human relations at the heart of the digital agenda. Councils are currently leading the way towards a positive digital future.
Emma Burnell is head of external affairs at the New Local Government Network. Content on this page is produced and controlled by Tata Consultancy Services
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