Cllr Magazine June 2011

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FOR COUNCILLORS FROM THE LGIU

June 2

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EdtAlan Pickstock

dEuty EdtJane Sankarayya

dEgwww.whateverdesign.co.uk

CE CtuEAnthony Devlin/PA Wire

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Jasmine Ali is an LGiU associate

James arber is a Southwark councillor

Carrie ishop is a director at FutureGov

davi rinle is public services editor of theGuardian

Jonahan Carr-Wes is a director at the LGiU

geoff Coleman is from Birminghamsmedia team

Mark dArcis a ParliamentaryCorrespondent with BBC News.

ob dale is the LGiUs online engagementlead

John Fowler is a policy manager at LGiU

Hh Floch is with NetworkedNeighbourhoods

Chris game is with the Institute of LocalGovernment Studies

gln gaskarh is an LGiU policy manager

Caherine Heffernan is a consultant inpublic health

Marha Lane Foxis the UK Digital Champion

Caherine Lewis is a Torfaen councillor

icoria McMans is a freelance journalist

Chris Mea has recently retired as IT directorof the City of Berkeley, California

An awfor is LGiU chief executive

Anrew evens is UK Editor ofCityMayors.com

Elizabeh thompson is a freelance journalistAlan Waers is learning and developmentmanager at the LGiU

Heaher Wheeler is MP for South Derbyshire

Carl Whislecraf is head of governanceand democratic service, Kirklees

dave Wilcoxis chair of the LGiU andDerbyshire County Councillor

Anhon Zacharzewski is from theDemocratic Society

Local Government Information Unit

22 Upper Woburn Place

London WC1H OTB

020 7554 2800

[email protected]

Contents

3 Forward lookDavid Walker says there hasnever been a better time tobe a councillorAndy Sawford oncommisioning

4 Chris Games

A-Z of localgovernmentReality Check Dave Wilcox

5 LGiU UpdateAndy Sawford on theLGiUs activity

6 ParliamentA view from HeatherWheeler MP

7 Media WatchDavid Brindle cuttingcouncil papers

8 The cllrinterviewMark DArcy talks to FrancisMaude

10 CouncillorsThe cllr new councillor of theyear, Sheila DSouza

11 Digital democracy

11 Ten things you need toknow about digital democracy

12 Jonathan Carr-West onthe next steps

13 Social media andpublic health

14 Engaging children andyoung people

15 Martha Lane Fox on thedigital divide

16 Getting involved throughneighbourhood networks

17 Birminghams onlinenewsroom

18 Bringing broadband torural areas

19 Catherine Lewis; life as an

online councillor20 Kirklees; social mediapioneer

21 Digital democracy asbusiness as usual

22 Top tips for procuringdigital services

23 James Barber; cllrs onlinecouncillor of the year

24 Whos who in digitaldevelopments

24 Glossary; a handy guide to

9 26

digital terms

26 Nuclear powerSomersets Ken Maddock ishoping for a nuclear reactoon his patch

28 ProleJim McMahon, Oldhams

new leader

29 SustainabilitySlow down for success

30 Armed forcesHow councils can serve thearmed services

31 Another viewAlan Waters on the pros ancons of strong leaders

32 Postcard fromSan FranciscoThe Big Society, US style

FOR COUNCILLORS FROM THE LGIU

Local Government Information Unit

22 Upper Woburn Place

London WC1H OTB

020 7554 2800

[email protected]

20


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Forward look

If there is one group of people who need neverlack a sense of purpose and direction andjustication, its local elected members.Look ahead at what confronts us, and our

children, in England, in the UK, in Europe andacross the globe. The roster of problems andissues is long. From migration to productivity,transport to cross-generation transfers, virtuallyevery one of them demands people comingtogether in places to make decisions for thecommon good. And that in turn demands theirwishes are voiced and debated by representatives.

Wherever you sit on the political spectrum,the essentially collective nature of the problemsfacing us in the 21st century is undeniable.That isnt collective in its 20th century sense,implying that only the state can do it. It doesnot necessarily mean government provision. Itdoes mean that much of what lies ahead forus and our children demands a political andconjoint response. The Big Society is nevergoing to resolve the conicts and competingvalue judgements that are the stuff of politics.People wont come together spontaneouslyand miraculously agree: the contestation of thecouncil chamber is irreplaceable.

Take the environment, and not just climatechange. Eric Pickles preoccupation with thefrequency of bin collection makes the point.The ipside of modern consumer society iswaste. Imagine individuals or households wereleft to dispose of the detritus of shopping andconsuming. Only collective bodies can organiserubbish collection and disposal.

Only representative bodies councils aregoing to be able to balance the interests of thosewho create the waste and those near whom itwill have to be burnt or buried. No one pretendsthe reconciliation is going to be easy. But it isunavoidable, and only elected councillors aregoing to be able to do it.

Similarly across ood defence, the locationof new development, the maintenance of openspace and such pristine collective goods as airquality. You can argue about the exact point atwhich householders freedom to develop their

Counting on

councillorsIt has never been a better time to be a councillor. There,

the secret is out, writes David Walker. Councillorsdifculties we all know about, but we dont stop oten

enough to reect on their sheer necessity.

property needs to be constrained. But self-evidently we have to balance the common andindividual interest, and on that fulcrum standsthe elected member.

Trafc volumes will grow, and with themall manner of adjustments: speed versus safety,amenity vs convenience. Social needs will evolvewith the size and shape of households.

What gets provided and how decisiongets made will be according to politicalpredispositions; you cant take the council out.

In an ageing society the demographic factsstare us in the face individuals and their familieswill cope. But they will also, increasingly, lookto public authorities for assistance, regulationand support.

In a growth society which most people hopewe will remain public authorities are essentialin organising skill-getting, education and thecomplex business of enhancing productivity.

We will go on arguing about the size and shapeof local authorities, about the number and qualitiesof councillors. But as this century matures, theneed for them, or people remarkably like them, canonly grow. The public may never love councillorsbut will, I predict, increasingly realise it cant getby, let alone progress without them.

David Walker, formerly managing director,communications at the Audit Commission, isdirector of Getstats.

ANDY SAWFORD

In discussions about how councils are responding

to funding reductions and changing demand for

services, commissioning is the top buzz word. Th

phrase is particularly beloved by senior ofcers a

by local government consultants.

We hear about the Commissioning Council,commissioned services, smart commissioning an

new commissioning strategies. It is as though

commissioning has magical properties that will

answer our prayers. There is a danger that this

kind of terminology can leave councillors talking

a different language from citizens. When people

ask you about the future of the local leisure

services, buses and libraries, they are unlikely to

enlightened or satised to be told that it will be o

because there will be better commissioning. It w

be important to actually say what we mean.

So what does commissioning mean? It is about

how councils will aim to improve service delivery and

the use of resources through better tendering and

contract management and the use of new and differ

providers of services. The term commissioning is als

often used as a short hand for an emphasis on coun

working jointly with other parts of the public sector.

So far so good, but there are two big problems w

the glib use of the term commissioning. The rst

that it describes a process rather than a philosoph

The second is that both the commissioning process

and the philosophy behind the councils approach

are different from one council to the next. If the

word commissioning is being used frequently in yo

council, you might want to double check if there is

common understanding within the council about w

is meant by it, where it will lead, and how you will

communicate the approach to the public.

Commissioningconundrum

is as hohcommissionin

has maical properieha will answer

or praers


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M, in a rare genuection bythis column to topicality,is for marriages and

monarchy. Registration of key lifeevents from womb to tomb isone of local governments oldestand most vital functions, dating from theintroduction of civil marriages in Englandby the Marriage Act 1836.

The Act covered us all exceptthe Royal Family: an exclusion thatconstitutional purists argue has neverexplicitly been reversed. They, likethe then Attorney-General, claim thatCharles and Camillas civil ceremonyin 2005 was unlawful, and shouldprevent Camilla becoming Queen,were one of the couples now infrequent jointengagements ever to include a Coronation.

In somewhat Blairite style, though, LordChancellor Charlie Falconer ruled that the strictletter of the law wasnt that important. Besides,the Human Rights Act trumped Marriage Acts.No probs: everything will be hunky-dory.

Local government, though, was less ofa pushover. The civil, rather than church,ceremony, necessitated by Camillas divorcedhusband being still alive, had to be switched fromWindsor Castle to the Guildhall, where the hoipolloi get hitched. The Royals had overlookedthat, under the Marriages (Approved Premises)Regulations 1995, registering their castle for acivil wedding would open it to the rest of us,which was, of course, unconscionable.

Though, contrary to popular supposition,even the Queen pays council tax surprise! BandH publicised links between the monarchy andlocal government are limited. One exception,however, is meals on wheels, mobile meals, orcommunity meals as they are variously known.Hence the R for Royal in the WRVS, successorto the Womens Volunteer Service, wartimeoriginators of hot meal deliveries, often in straw-

CounCillors a to Z

M

lined prams, to service personnel and homeleBlitz victims.

Local authorities entered the scene only aftthe 1948 National Assistance Act, and thWRVS remained the largest voluntary provideboosted by occasional appearances by their roypatrons like the Queen Mother lunching oroast beef and apple pie for the benet of thworlds media and an early National Meals oWheels Day.

It was always rightly said that there was mucmore to Meals on Wheels than just the foobut, with council provision facing cuts and/prohibitive price rises, the serious concern bodies like the National Association of CaCatering is that the wheels are falling off, wia further shameful M, malnutrition, loominonce more as a domestic, as well as overseaissue.

is for...

REALITY CHECK

At the funeral of a former council colleague of mine

who died a couple of years ago, his son referred to

his father as steadfast.

Id always liked and respected his dad, although

he could be bloody-minded and awkward, but

thats not the language we use in the presence of

widows and grieving families.

On a recent visit to Bosnia/Herzegovina I was

introduced to the word ters. It refers specically

to a man who is always right but misunderstood.

Far be it from me to stereotype anyone from

a former Republic of Yugoslavia, but Bosnians

themselves say that characterising them as deant

and stubborn is not without justication.

Indeed, in Sarajevo a man displaying these

characteristics is a national hero.

In the 1890s Avdaga Benderlic owned a house

next to two inns, which needed to be demolished

to build a new town hall. Expressing his respect

and regret to the Austro/Hungarian Emperor in

Vienna, Benderlic refused to give permission and

was duly imprisoned in order to encourage him to

change his mind.

Finally, he consented to his home being

demolished on the understanding it would be rebuilt

brick by brick on the opposite side of the Miljacka

River to the new edice. His home still stands today,

named inat kuca - the house of deance.

Having heard the story, it struck me that several

council colleagues over the years have displayed

similar characteristics to those displayed by

Benderlic.

By coincidence, as a consequence of the successof this years Annual Cllr Awards, the LGIU Board

recently considered new categories of award.

Long Serving Councillor of the Year was a popular

proposed grouping.

But I think Long term pain in the backside.

could attract more entrants than any other

category. And if we can arrange a parallel period

in prison for the winner it would make your LGIU

subscription even more worthwhile.

As ever, Im interested in your thoughts. But

hold back on nominations just in case you need

someone to boost your majority later in the year.

dave Wilcox is chair of he Lgiu

Awkwardsquad


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LGiU policy development LGiU is working with Zurich on a major new

piece of practical research, to be published inthe summer, which will seek to model newapproaches to risk. LGiU director and reportauthor Jonathan Carr-West said: We needa new approach to risk in local governmentthat seeks not simply to mitigate that risk butto understand how its nature and distributionwithin the public sphere are changing and howto manage it accordingly.

Payment by results is an important researchpaper being written by the LGiU withWestminster City Council as part of its LivingCity project. It is due to be published laterthis month.

We are now planning the 2012 LGiU/CCLACllr Achievement Awards. This years awardswere very successful with a large and highcalibre eld of nominations and winners.There are exciting new developments in thepipeline for the 2012 awards and we will letyou know the details and open nominationsin the autumn.

LGiU at Westminister At LGiUs invitation, Housing Minister Grant

Shapps spent an hour with the All-PartyParliamentary Local Government Group,answering questions from council leaders andhousing executives from across the country aswell as leading MPs. Mr Shapps and his DCLGcolleagues responded to questions about theproposed Housing Finance Settlement, aboutthe new affordable rent proposals, and aboutRight to Buy proceeds.

The LGiU local government reception withthe APPG will take place on 4 July on the

Commons Terrace with the Secretary of Statefor Communities and Local Government EricPickles MP as the keynote speaker.

Learning networks Managing councils through transition is a new

learning network delivered jointly by the LGiUand the Centre for Public Service Partnerships.Running from June to October the networkis for corporate and service managers whoare charged with implementing new models

of working while delivering better outcomesfor local people. Find out more at www.lgiu.org.uk or contact [email protected].

The LGiUs Local Health Network hasgarnered a great deal of interest; open to

The government-led reviews of childrens servicesand education are coming to an end, and responsesto the earlier reviews are emerging. The Munroreview of child protection services reported in mid-May which was closely followed by the governmentresponse to the Wolf review on vocationalqualications. All of these reviews and responseshave been analysed by CSN Policy Briengs. Thenal report on Key Stage 2 testing and the initialreport on teacher standards are expected in theSummer along with the long-awaited internal DfEreview of the School Admissions Code.

The long-running DfE consultation on the SEN GreenPaper nishes in late June, and CSN is running atjoint seminar with the Centre for Disabled Childrenat the National Childrens Bureau on 15 June toenable local authorities to come to a view on thekey issues. Find out more at www.lgiu.org.uk/events

Childrens Services

councillors, local government professionapublic health professionals, healthcaproviders, commissioners, enterprises and ththird sector it will run from July to DecembIf you would like to take part please [email protected].

Blogging and social mediaAndy Sawford and others from the LGiU tea

blogged and tweeted extensively throughout th

local elections. Our coverage was picked up bthe BBC, Guardian and much of the trade preand our blog had its highest ever number hits. Read and comment on our blog http://lgiwordpress.com; follow LGiU twitters @lgiu anAndy Sawford @andysawford.

The Education Bill left the House of Commons mid-May, and is expected to start its Lords stagefrom mid-June. A couple of dozen governmenamendments were made to the Bill in thCommons, mainly correcting drafting errors ointroducing new issues which had been aggeup in the November 2010 Schools White Papebut were not ready for the rst drafts of the BilIt was though noticeable that a number of MPs Report Stage commented that it would be up tthe other place, that is the House of Lords, tundertake a full scrutiny of the Bill.

The Unit continues to receive a steady stream oqueries about Academies particularly about hogroups of Academies may work together. The Unis considering how to respond and the implicationfor the role of the local authority.

John Fowler

UpdateThe LGiU aims to keep councillors and those working in localgovernment inormed about the latest developments, writes Andy Saword.

lGiu uPdatE


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Wheelers worldHeather Wheeler, chair o the All Party Parliamentary Local Government Group

tells us whats been catching her imagination in Parliament and her constituencyover the last couple o months. She spoke to cllr shortly ater shed been elected

to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee.

Looking forward to a new role

The Parliamentary select committees areplaying an increasingly important role. Theyscrutinise legislation and look into a range ofissues relevant to the department they relateto. Im delighted to have been elected by myfellow Conservative MPs to the committee. Thevacancy came about because George Freemanbecame PPS to Greg Barker, minister of state atthe Department of Energy and Climate Change.

The Health Bill pause: I havent had one lettersaying save the PCTs

But its right to take stock and listen to moreviews on the proposals. Personally I wouldntwant to see the Health and Wellbeing Boardsdropped from the Bill. With NHS money to beused for social care, I think the boards are animportant point of liaison between the NHS andcouncillors. The boards would provide a meansof accountability for large sums of public money.My sense is that the public want to see frontlinehealth professionals more involved in runningthe health service, with the added safety blanketof public accountability that having councillorson the Board gives.

Wild Life Trust projects in my constituency area good example of how charities can look afterthe environment

I chaired the national Wildlife Trust eventin the House of Commons, which aimed tohighlight the value of funding nature and itsrecovery. The event showcased a number ofWildlife Trust projects around the UK whichhave been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fundand saw MPs pledge to value our naturalheritage. James Paice the Agricultural Ministeraddressed the event.

There are some really good examples of theTrusts work in my constituency. For example, itis looking after land on Toyotas estate. As it isprivate land it is very well protected, but underthe watchful eye of the Trust, the public can stillhave access to this wildlife haven. It shows whatcan be done for the benet of the communitywith no expense from the public purse.

I was impressed by work done by local schoolstudents and their contemporaries in Sweden

This was an interesting project led by the BritishCouncil. One of our local schools had sufferedfrom an arson attack. The British Council got ourpupils and Swedish pupils to develop ideas anddesigns for a safe school not just one where therisk of arson was addressed, but where pupils and

teachers would feel and be safe. Derbyshire CounCouncil has asked the architects of a proposed nesecondary school to look at the students ideas.

And on a related subject, I was pleased tsee Michael Goves plans to give teachers moprotection and more powers to tackle unrupupils as part of the Localism Bill that is gointhrough Parliament as we write this.

ParliamEnt

I went to the opening of Chameleon School ofConstruction. The new school, set up by Jason andAngelica Duncan, will provide training for peoplewanting to nd employment in the construction industry.Weve got a lot of construction related businesses in myconstituency, but none that taught plastering.

Jason and Angelica Duncan set up the school as theyrecognised that learners had to travel a considerabledistance to get the necessary qualications

recognised by the industry. The school will offer alllevels of training course from basic to advancedplastering from 1 week short courses to fullyaccredited courses leading to an industry recognisedqualication. The school will also offer Womens Only2 day DIY courses.

Ive been happy to give my backing to the schoolsentry in a new award scheme from Barclays Bank: thewinners will get 50,000 and pr and business advice.


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The complexity of

covering the cutsThe media, with some honourable exceptions, hasnt got to gripswith how to report cuts i they dont have an obvious, and ideally

photogenic, ocus, says David Brindle.

R

ubbish clogging the streets, dead bodiespiling up, strip clubs opening at will andbutchers selling mouldy pork chops with

impunity. This dystopian vision of a not-so-MerrieEngland was painted by the Unison trade unionin a press release summarising its response to theDCLG consultation on lifting some local authoritystatutory duties. All that was missing from thecatalogue of crazy cuts were the Four Horsemenof the Apocalypse riding down Balham High Road.

Unsurprisingly, most media outlets judged thestory somewhat overheated and passed on it. Verysurprisingly, the Financial Times did not, runningit online and soberly setting the unions claim thatthe whole of local governments role in regulationis up for grabs against local governmentminister Bob Neills riposte that the claims wereirresponsible scaremongering and a pack of lies.

The episode offers a glimpse of what is likely tohappen as the media tire of the cuts story. We arestill in the foothills of the coalition governmentsfour-year austerity programme, yet there is alreadya perceptible weariness with the issue on newsdesks. Campaigners will inevitably be drawn to

make increasingly inated claims about the impactof cuts, purely to get journalists attention.

The rst round of cuts has exposed the difcultyof conveying the importance of some of the issues.A common demand by news and features editorswas for descriptions and pictures of servicesshutting down on 31 March, or of massed ranksof workers getting their P45s and ooding outof town halls with their possessions in bin bags.Lehman Brothers has a lot to answer for.

That the process of cutting services and staffwas in fact much been more complex, and muchmore protracted, proved a hard lesson for someeditors to learn. And an even harder lesson, onearguably still not learned, was that some of themost signicant cuts affected not photogenicfamilies or old folk, but people who live on theunderside of society.

The Supporting People programme encapsulatesthis neatly. Almost unknown to the media,despite its 1.6bn scale, Supporting People grantfunding enables councils to offer housing-relatedsupport to some of their most vulnerable citizens.Yet its a budget line that escapes the eye of the

average journalist scanning council documents ftangible cuts stories.

Ministers promised that Supporting Peopwould be relatively shielded from cuts at thcentre, announcing an 11.5 per cent reductioover four years (compared to an average cut acroWhitehall of 19 per cent). But some counchave suffered disproportionally. Moreover, thprogrammes ring-fencing was lifted in 2009 anmany councils appear to have cut deeper than thfall in their allocations. According to the chariHomeless Link, almost one in two councils hdone just that.

Nottingham is perhaps worst affected, thcity council facing what it says is a 45 per cereduction in grant over four years. To its credthe Nottingham Post has grasped and highlightethe profound implications, identifying no fewthan 35 separate services in the city and widcounty that are under threat of closure. It reporteFramework, a major local homelessness charitas warning that the cuts would have a huge andamaging effect on the city and that people wdie. Framework was the rst organisation to bfor cash from a 25,000 fund set up by the Poand the Nottingham Building Society.

Commendable as the Posts coverage hbeen, however, it has often seemed to lack thvoice of the people directly affected. This mabe unsurprising rough sleepers, women eeindomestic violence and recovering alcohol andrug misusers are not readily available to thmedia but it does tend to detract from thimpact of the story.

Full marks, then, to BBC RadNorthamptonshire and to Kate Houghton, user of mental health services, who appeared othe stations morning show and was interviewesensitively yet rmly by presenter Joe Pignatielabout what the threatened closure of a shorstay and drop-in centre in Kettering woumean for her and others. The conversation whave helped many listeners to understand whSupporting People really does. As Houghtosaid, the support of the centre has brought mto the stage now where I can talk to you onradio station.

mEdia watCh

HarryVenning


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Francis MaudeMark DArcy questions the minister responsible or public

service reorm about his hopes or public mutual companies.

Its the public service conundrum of the postCredit-Crunch age how do you wring

better, cheaper services out of frozen oreven shrinking budgets. In his Whitehall ofce,Francis Maude, Minister of State at the CabinetOfce, believes he has, if not the answer, thencertainly an answer; hand services over to a newbreed of public sector mutual company, andwatch productivity soar, absenteeism plummetand services blossom.

In 2011 this sounds as novel and alien asprivatisation and contracting out probablysounded in 1980. But the drive to mutualiseis already much more than a gleam in a policywonks eye; it is one of the central tenetsof David Camerons Big Society vision andMaude, who is in charge of re-engineering themachinery of government, is seeking to promoteit across every possible department and agencyin England. And that most particularly includeslocal government (similar initiatives in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland will have to comefrom their devolved administrations).

Imagine, say, a fairly traditional adult socialcare set up, in a medium sized authority.Coordination with closely related NHS servicesis patchy, and the result is an unsatisfactory

service for clients and resources wasted by bedblocking and all the other usual inefciencies.

But suppose the staff in the relevant bits of thelocal council and the NHS formed a co-op, anot for prot mutual company, and reorganisedthemselves into a client centred organisation,providing, services like end to end care forstroke or accident victims, from leaving acutecare to returning (with proper support) to theirown homes, and delivering better results atlower cost. This alchemy is achieved by freeingstaff from top down direction and allowinggrassroots initiative to transform services, drivedown costs and allow innovation at every level.

Actually, you dont have to imagine it, becauseit is what has happened in Swindon one ofthe pathnder public sector mutuals whoseprogress is being monitored closely by theCabinet Ofce. Maude is keen for more of themto emerge in public services across the board.The government doesnt need to pass laws tomake it happen although it is working hardto create a mutual-friendly environment acrossthe public sector, creating a Right to Providein government departments. And the LocalismBill, now before Parliament, will ensure thatthe public Right of Challenge, under whichlocal people can challenge the way a service isdelivered, will also allow mutuals and co-opsto bid to take over local services. Beyond that,hes reluctant to legislate and set an inexibletemplate for mutuals; he wants them to bubbleup spontaneously, and subject only to concernsabout security and stability, every public servicewill be up for grabs.

The new breed of mutuals will have tonegotiate contracts with local commissioningbodies local councils and the local NHS orgovernment departments, or perhaps with all ofthem. The contracts will detail how they planto deliver services while minimising spend onadministration and overheads. There may bejoint ventures with social enterprises or privatecompanies the exact shape of arrangementswill follow the dictates of the service provided.

Julian Le Grand, the LSE professor heading the

governments Mutualism Taskforce believes itrealistic to imagine that a million public sect

workers, a sixth of the total, could be working mutuals by the time of the next election in 201Maude, though, is cautious about committinhimself to any kind of target gure.

It depends how much momentum developbehind it, he says. The experience so far very good, the pathnders are impressive and tstories from people who have taken this rouare inspiring productivity massively improvand job satisfaction massively improves. Peopwith a strong public sector vocation nd thcan give effect to it.

And, Maude adds, those who have transferreto mutuals invariably say that they would nevwant to go back to the old mode of working. Evewhen their new organisation is not-for-prot anthere are no extra bonuses or dividends, they stfeel a real sense of ownership.

But, he says, this is change that cannot imposed; it only works if the people involvewant it so one of his key aims is simply to buiawareness that such a thing is possible, and thsupport mechanisms, like funding from the BSociety Bank, are available.

One stumbling block is that while employeat the grassroots may know how to do thejob better, they might not have much idehow to create and run the multi million pounorganisation needed to underpin it. But they cabuy in expertise to help and Maude says thone of the pleasant surprises so far has been th

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9/32

number of latent entrepreneurs who turn outto have been lurking in the public sector, yearningto breathe free from central direction, targetsand red tape. And even if the right managerialskills and capabilities are not there at rst, theycan be acquired or developed, he insists.

He believes the mutual model worksparticularly well in services where the fundingfollows the client and the challenge is to meetcomplex and varied individual needs socialcare being a prime example. Ministers are alsoexamining how the Right to Provide could beapplied to Sure Start centres. The advantage ofthis breed of mutual is sheer agility, and Maudecan imagine an organisation receiving fundingstreams from local authority social services, theNHS, and perhaps a DWP programme to helppeople off benets and into work, and devisinga well tailored and cost-effective programmeto meet the care and social policy objectives.They will be accountable to the public throughtheir contracts, but he points out, most largeauthorities are already well-versed in contractnegotiation, so there is no new problem here.

Of course, he accepts that some mutualisedservices will not succeed no model for serviceprovision is ever 100 per cent successful, andsome mutuals are bound to make mistakes. Buthe expects their failure rate to be lower. Andif his predicted massive improvements areavailable, he believes local authorities wouldbe foolish to reject mutuals, simply out of aninstinct to cling to the old way of doing things.Transparency will, he expects, mean that votersin one area start to wonder why their local

services dont meet the standards achieved byneighbouring authorities which have embracedmutuals. And eventually, the leadership of theunder-performing councils will be punished atthe polls.

The old alternatives of traditional directpublic service provision and privatisation canboth be successful, Maude says but thereis now a new alternative. The government isnurturing it by setting aside funding to helpinnovative new employee-led mutuals getoff the ground, and by encouraging them tonetwork and spread the word.

TUPE rules will apply to the pay andconditions for staff that transfer into mutuals,but the government has not yet resolved issuesaround pension rights the consultation aboutthe future of public sector pensions is still underway. But even at the end of that process Maudepredicts the pensions available to staff will

remain the envy of most in the private sectorThe TUC, he adds are not opposed, at all, the idea of mutuals delivering public serviceHe even draws on the views of Mark Serwotkleader of the civil service union PCS suggestinmutuals are the antidote to the frustratioSerwotka complains about among his membeat the effect on their work of targets and todown controls.

Maude is not to be underestimated. He is thproduct of a political dynasty, the son of thHeath-Thatcher era minister Angus Maude. Hwas an up and coming minister in the Majoyears, and prospered in the City after losinhis Commons seat in 1992. He returned to thCommons in 1997 and emerged as a crucibehind the scenes player in the ConservativParty. Long before the last election, DavCameron gave Maude the task of preparinthe Conservatives for power, working out new approach to the machinery of governmewhich he believes will work better than what hdismisses as the hierarchical target drivenand top down approach of the Labour yearThose ideas are now being applied from Maudelair in the Cabinet Ofce, the rabbit warren ofcial buildings next to Downing Street, whesubtle courtiers have pulled the levers of powsince Henry VIII had a palace there. He may nbe one of the more visible public faces of thCoalition, but his inuence extends into almoevery corner of its activities and it is noreaching out into local government, too.

Mark DArcy is a Parliamentary Correspondenwith BBC News.

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in services wherehe fnin follows

he clien


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CounCillors

Quick off the mark

Since being elected in May 2010, Councillor Sheila DSouza o Westminster CityCouncil has shown that being a new councillor can help challenge existing wayso working and lead to innovative new approaches. And she won the LGiU new

councillor o the year award. Rob Dale reports.

Councillor Sarah Richardson, Chairmanof the Westminster Scrutiny Commission

said Sheila has made an impact rightfrom the start bringing a high level of expertiseto the scrutiny process and showing realempathy for the many residents she has madetime to listen to.

So where did the ability to hit the groundrunning come from? Councillor DSouzacredits two sources of help: her participationin the BAME Women Councillor ShadowingScheme an Operation Black Vote initiativeaimed at demystifying the role of councillors andopening up the processes of local government and the support and advice of experiencedfellow councillors and ofcers. Colleagueswere very generous in showing me the ropesand explaining how to get things done. Theycertainly helped me navigate my way around thedaunting structure of a council when I was rstelected, says Sheila DSouza.

During her rst year in Westminster, Sheilahas herself become an inuential player inthe powerful council structure. Her previouscareer in the healthcare industry, which led toher becoming a non-executive director at NHSWestminster, equipped her with a wealth ofprofessional expertise and experience and asa testament to her value to the council, she hasjust been appointed deputy cabinet member forhealth.

In my role with NHS Westminster, I wasconstantly urging more patient and public

involvement when strategies were formulated,monitoring the delivery of key objectives andurging greater focus on improving quality,productivity and outcomes. It is this sameapproach that Ive sought to apply in myscrutiny work.

Her impact has not only been felt in the TownHall. Shes spent a lot of time concentrating onissues in her ward that bother local residentson a daily basis. For and with residents, shefacilitates an ongoing and productive dialoguewith Network Rail and Chiltern Railways toaddress nuisance and air quality issues associatedwith refurbishment works and train movementsat Marylebone Station.

She has also been instrumental in securingremoval of a CCTV camera that was ticketingparents whilst picking up their children from a

nearby school and in raising the priority giveby the council to a road re-surfacing project th

needs doing for public safety and to benet locbusinesses.

So what is her opinion of local democracy 1months in? I knew this would be an incredibtough time to be elected but thats what dreme in. I sensed that I had certain skills to offand I wanted to participate in the debates thwould help the council make better decisionOverall, its been a challenging but incredibinteresting experience.

As the judges noted in their recognition oCouncillor DSouza, Westminster is knowfor being a strong and well establisheauthority and the judges felt that to maksuch a huge impact in a short space of time an authority like Westminster must be harso this represents an incredibly impressivachievement.

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Councillor DSouza and resident, Mr Tomasz Patzer, campaign for re-surfacing of a busy road.


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We will work together to ensure the public trustand establish a system of transparency, publicparticipation and collaboration. Opennesswill strengthen our democracy and promoteefciency and effectiveness in Government.

Town hall openness and accountability EricPickles has called on all councils to publishdetails of all spending over 500 as part ofwider action to bring about a revolution intown hall openness and accountability.

Blogging the council meeting Mr Pickles hasalso written to councils encouraging them toopen their doors to bloggers and allow onlinelming of public discussions.

Social media use in the UK LGiU research hasshown that nearly half of all local authoritiesare actively using social media tools like

63

9

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10

8

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1

Tn ThingSyu n T knw buT

Revolution not Evolution In her report tothe Cabinet Ofce, the UKs Digital ChampionMartha Lane Fox called for a Channel Shiftthat will increasingly see public servicesprovided digitally by default.

But this isnt just about technology This isabout delivering lower cost services designedaround the user the citizen.

What online information do people want fromtheir council? Simple, timely and relevantnotice of school closures, road works andlibrary opening times.

Transparency and Open Government Onentering the White House, one of PresidentObamas rst acts was to issue a memorandum toall staff stating: My administration is committedto creating an unprecedented level of openness.

New to digital democracy? Worried you wont know whateveryones talking about? Rob Dale provides your starter or ten.

digitaldemocracyFacebook, Twitter and YouTube in their wo

A tweeting day in the life of Walsall Counand Greater Manchester Police have bo

conducted 24 hour live tweeting experimento provide the public with a snapshot of thbroad range of work they do.

Can this save money? It is estimathat savings of 1.3bn can be delivereif 30 per cent of government servidelivery contracts are shifting to digitchannels. Francis Maude MP also believopen government data will create a 6btechnology industry.

Going mobile Since 2008, mobile datrafc has increased by 2000 per cent, anby 2014 mobile internet use is expected surpass desktop use.

Theres no turning back. In the last ew years rapid technological developments andmass uptake and regular use o social media has transormed the way we live, work

and socialise. Many councils and councillors have grasped the new opportunitiesand used it to fnd new ways to engage with their communities. But many stillhave a long way to go. Over the next 13 pages we look in depth at aspects o digitaldemocracy, examining whats going on and where more opportunities may lie.

igiTl democrac


12/3212

diGital dEmoCraCy

From place to places

Now weve got used to talking about digital democracy, and more o us areputting ideas into practice to increase and enhance participation, the LGiUs

Jonathan Carr-West looks at the next steps. Digital democracy will help us blendlocalism with connections to broader networks, he argues.

In the summer of 2009 LGiU publishedLocal Government 3.0, a discussion paper

which looked at the different ways inwhich councils around the country were usingnew social media technologies to engage withcommunities, deliver better services and driveefciencies.

In that paper we argued that we need to stopthinking of web 2.0 as a set of tools and seeit more as a way of thinking and doing thatis open, collaborative, non-hierarchical andcreative.

Two years later, the conversation has indeedgone in that direction. It is interesting thatpeople tend to talk less now of social media,or web 2.0 and instead talk about digitaldemocracy reecting a growing recognitionthat what matters is not the technology or thetools but the uses you put them to: the forms ofengaging, doing and being that they enable andthe way they increase and improve democraticparticipation for a growing number of people.

In Local Government 3.0 we talked aboutthe uses of Twitter, blogging, social networkingsites and local discussion forums. These havecontinued to be hugely important media, butin the intervening years weve also seen the

emergence of some key trends that were muchless apparent back in 2009. These include the

rise of hyperlocal and community websites andincreased use of geotagging; most important ofall we have seen a massive shift towards peopleaccessing the internet through mobile devices,up 2000 per cent since 2008 as Rob Dale noteselsewhere in this issue.

What all these have in common is whatwe might call a relocalisation of the web:much of the webs momentum until now hasbeen about the eradication of geography, butthese developments are all about engagingwith place, with where people are, oftenwith where they are right now. Yet as theselocalised engagements multiply they alsobegin to generate conversations that go wellbeyond the local. In this way they start toreplicate the fundamental structure of theweb whereby discrete local ecosystems arealso linked into a broader transweb dialogue.

Why does this matter? At LGiU we believethat localism is a powerful and necessaryidea: it is an ancient and instinctive modelof political organisation; it has a democraticpremium; it builds social capital and mostimportantly of all it allows the sort ofengagement and collaboration we need to copewith contemporary challenges such as changingclimates, demographies and economies.

At the same time we have to recognise thatlocalism also presents challenges. It can seemout of kilter with a world that is increasinglyglobalised and connected, a world in whichpeople identify with many communitiesbeyond the local or geographic and seek toact across these communities. Theres also arisk that localism can lead to insularity andcan stifle the diversity and dialogue fromwhich innovation arises.

The challenge therefore is to find is a wayof thinking about localism that preservesthe value of the local while simultaneouslytapping into broader networks: whatwe might call connected localism. Thiswould enable communities to engage with

local problems, but also connect differecommunities to share ideas, exchangresources, aggregate influence and increatheir collective intelligence.

The relocalised web models one way which this might occur. Forthcoming researcby LGiU will ask what it might look like practice and will consider what the connectemodel might tell us about public service delivemore generally.

Ahead of that, its worth reiterating thargument with which we closed LocGovernment 3.0: that when we talk abodigital democracy we have to avoid beincaptured by the technological novelty of thmethods at our disposal. At its core digitdemocracy is about giving people bettopportunities to take decisions and to shapthe places they live in. The means may be newbut that aspiration is as old as democracitself.

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neworks.


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diGital dEmoCraCy

Browsing for health

In an echo o public health, we are used to the idea o virusesspreading through cyberspace and we protect our computers against

them. Now, says Catherine Heernan, we should be making betteruse o the digital word to promote health.

It is one of lifes little ironies that by night Itweet with celebrities, browse the lifestyles

of my friends on Facebook, catch-up withmissing television programmes on i-player andbe an uber cyber detective on everything fromholidays to obscure facts. Yet when it comes tothe day, I work in the Dark Ages. Im expectedto dash from one side of London to another in15 minutes to attend two different meetings withno word of a conference call let alone Skypefacilities.

This is the world of public services, a worldwhere the singular ofce colour printer is themost sought after date and health promotioncampaigns are restricted to leaets and posters.To get online to engage with the public requiresa business case. On the other side of the world,the Australians have already launched videogames with health messages.

This is the digital age and the era of e-health.For the last ten years, we have had m-health (thatis, use of mobiles in providing healthcare, such asappointment reminders) and telemedicine (suchas consultations with doctors over webcam)and in the past few years, social networkingsites have seen support groups for long-termconditions and for the elderly springing up,with the over 60s becoming the fastest growingdemographic to use the medium.

It makes sense that with informationtechnologies revolutionising the way peoplecommunicate, it will also revolutionise theway people promote and protect their health.More than any other communication mediumor health-related technology, the internet hasthe greatest potential to promote health andprevent diseases for individuals and communitiesthroughout the world. The cynics amongyou may point out that this may ostracise ourvulnerable groups. Experience in communicablediseases control has shown that no matter howhard the person is to reach or how often theymove around, you can always track them downby mobile or email.

Digital media can be a wonderful tool tofoster healthy behaviours, including websites

that encourage exchange of information onmanaging conditions or dealing with similar

problems (for example, Mumsnet is a greatsource of information on everything frombreastfeeding problems to nding goodplaygrounds) and can enable local governmentto promote local services and encourage userperspectives. The current government intendsto enable the public to book GP appointmentson-line and to foster a form of Trip-Advisor forhealth services whereby customers can rank andsupply opinions on services provided. The ideais to help the public have more say in patientcare and in public services.

end of the day, people still trust the links froa recognised site, such as local authorities. F

instance, surveys across the UK have shown thmost parents want to make informed decisionaround childhood immunisations. They wourather receive this information from the NHor their local authority than surng sites unknown authorship and evidence base.

For most readers, digital democracy meamore active citizen participation in facing publchallenges. It is a tool to engage in particulthe under 35 generation who are typicalapathetic in politics and to help them moucampaigns and interest in local and politicissues. For public health, the many-to-manaspect of internet is an excellent way to spreamessages via internet forums, blogs, electronmailing lists, peer-to-peer networks and wikIt is a cheap and effective way to reach manin a short time and have a lasting impressioMoreover it is keeping up with the times. the public are going to change behaviouand lifestyles for the better, then public healmessages will have to be an i-phone app annot an ink-jet printout!

Yes, there is a downside. The internetis already plagued with inaccurate healthinformation and marketing of unhealthyfoods and drugs. However, I believe a strongerpresence from local government and other publicservices with up-to-date and relevant localinformation can counteract such forces. At the


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diGital dEmoCraCy

The youth of

today!Jasmine Ali asks whether local authorities are digitally equipped to

engage young people as thats how young people want to be engaged.

Social media has great popularity amongyoung people, who use social network

sites for anything from seeking a job tomobilising demonstrations. The LGiU hasconsistently recognised the signicance of thisfor local authorities. Not least because of thefundamental shift it presents in the way that localauthorities work with young people. Insteadof the classic top down approach in whichadults frame the way young people are able tocommunicate their ideas, social networking sitesprovide young people with the potential to bringa collaborative dynamic to local democraticparticipation.

The good news is that more and more localauthorities share this view and are committedto harnessing social media to work with youngcitizens. In March 2011 LGiU launched the resultsof a social media survey that built on three yearsof work in this area. More than 180 individualsresponded to the survey representing over130 local authorities. We found that attitudestowards social media as a tool for engagement arechanging and are now very positive.

This is real progress given that just three yearsago local government IT departments blocked

the use of social media, in the way that theytried to block the use of the internet less than a

decade before. The risk averse nature of childrensservices combined with a lack of understanding ofWeb 2.0 technologies led many local authorities togo as far as to impose blanket bans on Facebook,Bebo and other youth related sites.

As a response we teamed up with PracticalParticipation and a few forward thinking localauthorities to launch a campaign for localgovernment and its partners to embrace thecommunication revolution. We found thatsocial media could enable local authorities andtheir partners to work with children and youngpeople who characteristically nd councilservices difcult to access.

The survey also shows that we cant afford topat our selves on the back just yet.Key ndings include: Only 20 per cent of respondents organisations

have policies about accessing young peoplethrough social media

There are only a few people using social mediain each organisation

Individuals overwhelmingly agreed that thebenets of social media for youth engagementoutweigh the risks, but policy and practicehave not caught up with this perception

More than half of the participatingorganisations believe they are getting better attheir social media engagement

Most organisations 76 per cent say that theywill be making more use of social media in 2011A majority of local authorities are still missing

out on opportunities to use social media toengage with young people, communities andservice users, and to make savings through betterdigital communication. Although they recognisethe demand from citizens for social mediaengagement, many authorities remain stuck onhow to get started, and nd they dont have thesupport and skills they need to engage online.

This is regrettable, not least becauseyoung people are facing an extraordinaryset of challenges. Young people in the not ineducation, employment or training category is

almost at the one million mark, tuition fees aat an all time high and many services meant

assist them are under threat.Furthermore the pressure of cuts in servic

has fallen disproportionately on young peopleservices. Many youth workers have beere-employed to work with families so thspecialism of youth work is becoming diluted a result of budget pressures.Some lessons or local leaders

If councils are to use social networking sites boost youth participation then staff will neegood leadership with a clear vision on socimedia

Ground level staff must be encouraged to uand develop ways of working to suit local younpeople; there are great case studies out there, blocal authorities need to develop new ways working for themselves and not just pass owhat neighbouring authorities are doing or whcentral government thinks they should do

Its also important to make sure thengagement or consultation is listened anresponded to social media can not be juabout broadcasting.

There is a need for frameworks the nature working with a mass phenomenon like socinetwork sites necessitates more than a todown approach.The proven potential of social media

digitally engage young people provides a greexample of how councils can work differentand save money. As with all effective campaigleadership is vital. Local councillors have hugely important role to play ensuring thelocal authority is equipped to digitally engagyoung people.

Useful linksht tps : / /member. lg iu .org .uk /whatwedPublications/Pages/socialmedia.aspxhttp://network.youthworkonline.org.uk/proleblogs/equipped-to-engage-survey-1http://danslee.wordpress.com/2011/05/03linked-social-eight-steps-of-social-mediaevolution-in-local-government

www.fickr.com/photos/moriza/126238642


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diGital dEmoCraCy

Looking for an

inclusive futureClosing the digital divide will increase civic participation,

says Martha Lane Fox, UK Digital Champion.

Every single industry and every single activityis being disrupted by technology. Fortyper cent of all news consumed is now

online and a data tsunami is upon us. There were31 billion searches on Google in the UK alone in2010 compared to 2.7 billion searches on all ofthe search tools on the web in 2006.

The UK is a digital success story. We havethe highest percentage of sales coming frome-commerce transactions in the world. Fiftypercent of all travel is now booked online in theUK. Eight million of us found jobs online lastyear. Seven million of us have bought or soldsomething on e-bay.

The internet is worth about 100 billion tothe UK alone and last year the UK governmenttook some very bold steps too by opening upgovernment data and putting it out online -data that people can make good use of. Onedeveloper, for example, has used informationon the air quality in London to help peoplewho struggle with asthma and other respiratorydiseases nd out which bits of London are safestto breathe in.

In 2007 62 per cent of us in the UK were ableto use the internet now its a staggering 82.5 percent. We lead the world with the percentage ofinternet users with broadband connections. But

and its a big but for me there are nine millionpeople in this country who have never used the

internet. This nine million breaks down into someinteresting statistics and shows, I believe, that weare creating not just a digital divide, but also a verydeep social one. Four million of the overall ninemillion total fall into three or more of the multipledeprivation indices. 39 per cent are over 65 yearsold, 38 per cent are unemployed, and 19 per centare families with children. No surprises that thesesame four million are the heaviest users of bothcentral and local government services.

Theres a big north-south gap as well. Thebiggest areas of digital exclusion are also the mosteconomically disadvantaged parts of the north-east of England, Liverpool, Glasgow and the coastof Scotland. Seventy percent of people who livein social housing have never been online. Its avery deep social exclusion issue and an importantmoral imperative that we make sure no one getsleft behind.

There are both individual and UK plc benets.For the individual, its now an absolute fact thatyour chances of getting a job and what you willearn in that job, all increase if you are online. Ifyou are unemployed you are 25 per cent morelikely to get employment if you have web skills. Ifyou are online your feelings of loneliness go downby 80 per cent, and your feelings of condenceincrease by 60 per cent you are much morelikely to get involved in your local community.

But its not just the individual that benets.I believe we all benet when more people areonline. There are the numbers to back this up.A survey by Google showed that if a countryincreases its broadband penetration by tenpercent, it tends to get a one per cent kick on itsGDP too which is quite signicant.

Local councillors can play a vital role inensuring all citizens gain digital skills, which arenow as basic as reading, by providing leadershipin thinking about the internet as a key part of itsdelivery of public services. We now live in an agethat we all need to think Internet First.

Councillor Joe Anderson, the leader ofLiverpool City Council, demonstrates the crucial

role that local political leadership will play achieving a networked nation. Liverpool hjoined Race Online 2012 as a partner anis implementing a city wide digital inclusiostrategy which aims to signicantly increase thnumber of residents connected to the broadbanfrom 40 per cent to 70 per cent. Councillor JaCorbett, Cabinet Member for Education anChildrens Services, who has been appointed tLiverpool Digital Champion sums up the neefor action its absolutely vital that we close tmassive digital divide that exists in the City iunjust and unfair.

Please join the Race Online 2012 campaign bsigning up at www.raceonline2012.org and heus close the digital divide once and for all.

ine million people

in his conr havenever se he inerne.

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social one.


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diGital dEmoCraCy

Join in the local discussion

Hugh Flouch and Kevin Harris rom The NetworkedNeighbourhoods Group argue that councils and

councillors shouldnt be araid o gettinginvolved with online neighbourhood networks.

The role of the citizen in local democracyis undergoing revision. This is not just

a consequence of central governmentthinking and economic constraint: it is just asmuch a function of the equalising effects of thenetwork society.

The advent of social media, contrasting withthe old 20th century backdrop of centralisedbroadcasting media, illustrates the ways inwhich power relationships change. But serviceslike Facebook and Twitter are naturally seen asglobal in scope, not local. How likely is it thatuses of social media will make a difference tolocal democratic relations?

Its already happening, and we believe it willdevelop rapidly. Research conducted for LondonCouncils in 2010 shows that people are alreadyusing local citizen-run online neighbourhoodnetworks in this way. Over two thirds ofrespondents in our survey felt a little more ormuch more able to inuence decisions locally asa result of participation on their local website.

There was also signicant support for the ideathat local websites lay strong foundations forco-productive approaches. Two thirds agreed orstrongly agreed that through the website, people

demonstrate willingness to work with the council.Rather fewer (42 per cent) agreed or strongly

agreed that through the website their councildemonstrates willingness to work with residents.

Many local government ofcers and electedmembers are aware of these sites but choose notto get involved out of fear that doing so willincrease reputational risk. Our research showedthat the opposite is true. For example twofths of respondents claimed that their attitudetowards local councillors had changed for thebetter as a direct consequence of using the localwebsite. Moreover, there appear to markedlyhigher levels of reputational enhancement inareas where councillors are actively engagedon the websites.

Eighty-three per cent of elected members, and88 per cent of ofcers, found neighbourhoodsites to be mostly or somewhat constructiveand useful. Sixty-nine percent of ofcers,and 73 per cent of members said that theirexperience of local sites was very positive ormostly positive.

Populations in the case study areas for thisresearch were urban, relatively afuent, withhigh educational attainment. Our view is that

local online channels have a comparable role tplay in less afuent rural areas, although it ma

require some careful community developmenWe are currently testing this principle wisome pioneering projects in outer urban anrural areas, supported by the Big Lottery Fun

We are also running a small number of projecto better understand how websites can woalongside councils in one case, using locwebsites to stimulate neighbourly support folder people; in another, using local websites support a behaviour change approach.

So some authorities are clearly ready to worwith local websites in quite innovative wayIt makes sense to learn quickly from theinnovations. How should other councils responto this emerging movement? There is already gooand bad practice to refer to, from the ostrich heain-sand approach to the enabling and supportivThe rst few principles are these:

Support citizens in developing their owwebsites: do not try to direct or inuencSmall grant funding may be appropriate, benabling supportive connections is paramoun

For elected members: go where thconversations are, avoid party politicpronouncements, and show that you value thpotential to enhance service to local people.

For ofcers: be prepared to provide helpfinformation and to correct misinformatiobut avoid the risk of seeming to dominatInvest in relationships with site administratorthis will pay dividends.Local online neighbourhood networks can b

expected to ourish. They contribute to prsocial and civic outcomes at low or no publcost. One ofcer we interviewed said she wishethey had local sites all across the borougbecause they make her job so much easier. Wwill be seeking to bring together knowledge anexperience in this eld later in the year, to helocal authorities negotiate new relationshiwith citizens.http://networkedneighbourhoods.com/?page_id=409hugh.fouch@networkedneighbourhoods.comwww.networkedneighbourhoods.com

Following this posting on a localwebsite, people got together toclean up the park within 48 hours:Fairlands Park is in a bit of a state.

The Council knows about it andis organising some staff to comeand empty the bins etc. However,there is a lot of small litter spreadacross the grass areas and rocks/sticks all over the play areas whichthe Council probably wont get.Is anyone interested in meetingat the park sometime in the nextfew days to spend an hour of soto help sweep the play areas andpick up the loose rubbish? If so,please send me a PM on here andwe can organise a time to meetand clean.


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diGital dEmoCraCy

Open source

solution for newsGeo Coleman rom Birminghams media team describes how the councilturned a traditional press ofce into an online resource or journalists and

residents and did so with little money and lots o dedication.

The www.birminghamnewsroom.comwas launched in late June 2009 to offer

greater access to news directly fromBirmingham City Council. The aim was andis to serve journalists, residents and a growinghyperlocal scene.

In addition to news releases, the site features:videos, downloadable photographs (ickr),maps, speeches and links to all council meetings,reports and agendas. The website also hosts blogposts from politicians and ofcers at all levels ofthe organisation.

Before launching our digital press ofce, theBirmingham City Council press ofce operatedalong traditional lines. News releases did appearon the Birmingham City Council website butwould rst be sent to journalists.

This meant that ordinary citizens were givensecondary access to press releases and wereentirely dependent on journalists for news aboutthe local authority. We were also unable to takeadvantage of the then emerging social mediaplatforms. Head of News Deborah Harries waskeen to change this but was unsure exactly howto go about it.

With no real budget to speak of, open sourcewas clearly the way forward and after a bitof research, including useful chats with localsocial media specialists, we decided to build anonline newsroom using wordpress. Myself anda colleague taught ourselves the basics and justgot on with it.

Much of the work was done at home, usuallyin the evenings and at weekends - a far cry from

the highly paid Twitter Tsars often cited bylocal government detractors in certain sectionsof the mainsteam media.

Almost two years on, we now reach traditionaljournalists, bloggers and residents. Keeping thenewsroom up-to-date does take time but it alsospeeds up a number of processes for the pressofce because so much information is nowstored online.

With almost two years worth of releases,statements, videos and photographs, it isalso a very useful searchable archive. But thecommitment to as it happens coverage doeslead to things like posting gritting alerts andtweeting them at 2am.

We have a small press ofce team, so theability to point callers to information alreadyavailable on the newsroom certainly speeds upthe process. That said, we continueto distribute content via traditionalmethods but increasingly nd thatreporters and bloggers go directly tothe newsroom primarily via RSSfeeds and Twitter.

A new section featuring regularFreedom of Information requests andlinks to Open Data has recently beenlaunched and we hope that in timethis will also ease the pressure on thecouncils very busy FOI team.

In an average month, the websitenow reaches around 30,000 uniquevisitors directly and 35,000 via RSSfeeds. This results in an average of300,000 page views. This audiencecontinues to grow and the site alsohas over 3,000 followers on Twitter.

www.b i rm inghamnewsroom.com is all about openness andtransparency. It may sound a littlegrand but our intention has alwaysbeen to democratise council news, sowe link to reports, meeting agendasand minutes. A daily tweet points

to scheduled meetings, giving readers links more detailed information.

We want people to take more of an interein how their city is run and later this montwere launching a live video stream from fucouncil meetings.

Its hard to say how much the relationshwith our traditional media audience hchanged over the last two years, but thecertainly use the newsroom on a daily basand it is safe to say that the newsroom has haa positive impact on our daily interaction wihyperlocal sites and Birmingham residents general.

We all know the media landscape is changinand the newsroom has allowed us to reachnew emerging audience. Were still learning we go along but it was clear from the outset thour digital press ofce would be an ongoinproject and were happy to keep developing.Wih no real

be o speak of,open sorce was

clearl he wa

forwar.


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diGital dEmoCraCy

Local choices for a

national networkLGiUs online engagement lead, Rob Dale, says councils havea pivotal role to play in bringing broadband to their areas

but they should involve their communities.

Towards the end of last year, Jeremy Hunt,secretary of state for culture, media andsport, launched Broadband Delivery UK

(BDUK) a 530m initiative aimed at supportinguniversal internet coverage through communityinvolvement and private sector investment.

Our goal is simple, said the minister, withinthis parliament we want Britain to have the bestsuperfast broadband network in Europe.

This target must be met if we are to see therenaissance in small business and high techindustry the chancellor asked for in the budget. Inthis, local government has a pivotal role to play.

If lessons are to be learnt from the past, it isthat big, centralised, framework procurementprocesses dont work as well as they rstpromise.

In a debate in Westminster Hall, Rory StewartMP whos leading the drive for improvedinternet access in rural areas advised localgovernment away from the one size ts allapproach being used by Cornwall council,which is spending more than 100m on an areaof 1,000 square miles, delivered with a majortelecoms provider.

But how involved was the community in thedecision taken by the council? The expansionand improvement of superfast broadband (andthe exciting 4G mobile internet expected toemerge sometime around 2013) must be a storyabout community pressure and local solutions.

In Lincoln, North Kesteven district councilwants to work with communities and businesseson initiatives to improve digital connectivityand has set up a survey to help it identify thedigital needs of the area.

North Kesteven is not alone in this. Authoritiesin Cumbria, Herefordshire and North Yorkshireare all piloting BDUK projects which focus onengagement and open, collaborative decisionmaking on tackling broadband not-spots.

Other councils are working hard to tailorprovision by working with digital championsfrom the community. Martha Lane FoxsRace Online project has identied thesedigitally-minded leaders, who can help drivelocal innovation and boost public serviceproductivity.

All this shows that councils need to be muchless risk averse and resist the temptation tospread a lot of money thinly across a large area,as in the case of Cornwall. Genuine pilots inareas perhaps less than 100 square miles and inresponse to community demands must be givena chance.

Some will fall short of their ambitions butthis will provide valuable educational materialthat can be shared, learnt from and thenre-mixed by other authorities.

Councils must also be much more exible superfast broadband doesnt just helpenterprise, it is also essential for public servicessuch as health and education. Councils willneed to work closely over coming years withresidents and businesses in order to bestrespond to these localised needs and nuancedtechnological requirements.

All this involves risk, it involves learning fromRory Stewart and Cumbria county council whoare experimenting with community broadbandprojects and nally, it involves a closer look atnance.

Rather than inviting major telecomsproviders to bid for vast contracts, localauthorities should make nance facilitiesavailable specically for these communities tomove ahead with their own broadband whenand where possible.

The genuine, localised pilots this will createcould allow many more mini-Enterprise Zonesto pop-up, which in years to come will paydividends to the authority.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.ukSee also: www.raceonline2012.org/www.rorystewart.co.uk/blog/171-super-fast-broadband-for-cumbriawww.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprise-network/2011/feb/24/big-society-next-generation-broadband


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The online path

to successCatherine Lewis may have been pipped to the top prize as LGiUs online

councillor o the year, but as she writes here, her online methods are a bighit with local people and colleagues.

Since my success in making the nals ofLGiUs Online Councillor of the Year2011, I have been busy using my skills and

experience to help others. I have been contactedby future Independent councillors from acrossthe country who wish to stand in their owntowns in the next election. Additionally, I havebeen corresponding with other councils, sharingmy knowledge and passion for pushing forwardthe benets of using online tools in my role.

elements to promote online engagement.My website (www.greenmeadowward.com)

has features such as audio podcasting. I canconvert my blog to speech for residents who maybe visually impaired. They are able to then listento my blog rather than read it. I am currentlyworking on Skype to be incorporated on mywebsite which will allow residents to phoneme using a Skype phone via the pc for free!

Facebook and Twitter are the most popularsites. Tweets & Status messages are an ideal wayto keep residents updated in my activity. They cansee what I am doing, where I am going theyknow I am working hard for them.

The continual engagement and being hands-onis something I feel strongly about. It is known thatmany youngsters have no, or very little interestin politics or in local government. Using theavailable methods I have been able to tap into thatage group. Meeting them on a platform they useon a regular basis. It has opened up possibilitiesand the door of communication between myelectorate and their elected member.

My fortnightly emailnewsletters prove benecial.Whether its changes inrefuse collection to halfterm fun, I keep residentsup to date with informationlocally and sometimesnationally. There aremany residents on myCommunity Email Group,this allows me to engageregularly.

Does it work? In anutshell YES !

I would never adviseanyone to forget traditionalmethods such as monthlysurgeries, paper newsletters

and so on. The digital route offers MORE; raththan changing what already exists, it reaches oto those who have never been reached.

As well as my online path, I organicommunity events, fundraising, litter picksupport local groups just to name a few. Thcombination of physical and online presence anthe ease in being contacted by residents througmany avenues are my core ingredients, whiwork for me.

The feedback Ive received indicates that theextra methods work and going that extra mipays off. The emails, texts, online chats I hawith residents prove that as councillors we neto move forward with the times, use whatevcommunication tools are available, dont fear embrace it.

If you take one thing from this please takmy views on the importance and impact modetechnology and online resources will have oyour ability to engage with residents throughoyour term as a councillor.

I believe 15 years from now, the onlinemethods will actively be incorporated in the roleof a councillor. It will become the norm and Iam doing a lot behind the scenes for this comingyear for Torfaen Independent Group.

A few weeks ago I attended The IndependentNetwork Seminar/Training Day in London toshare my story, give tips and advice. I met withMartin Bell and many other Independents.

Using networking sites, websites, audiopodcasts may seem daunting to some who maynot be tech savvy however when I explainedthe simplicity and benets, the audience couldunderstand why I am so driven to share the key


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The start of the Kirklees social media journeygoes back to the report of the CouncillorsCommission. We were invited to be a pilot

authority in taking forward the Commissionsrecommendations. Our programme of work had astrong focus on supporting councillors in the 21stcentury. For us this had to involve grasping thewhole social media nettle it was an opportunitynot to be missed.

Informed by a cross party group of our own21st Century Councillors, we opened up thesocial media debate with our councillors. Thiswas helped by the council taking the decisionto open up social media sites to staff andcouncillors alike. An important barrier hadalready been removed. The next step was to havethe debate in the language of the councillor. Thewords Twitter, Facebook, Blogs. did notfeature in early conversations. Communication,engagement, listening, dialogue did. Thiswas helped by inviting a social media savvycouncillor (Councillor Tim Cheetham from

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Social media

makes its markKirklees is something o a pioneer when it comes to social media. Carl Whistlecrat,

Head o Governance and Democratic Service outlines some o the initiatives that haveled to more resident engagement and looks orward to the next steps.

commentary and comments as it is happeninusing Twitter. Mixing the two media wor

really well. Using the tag #kirkcouncil thehas been over 1,000 tweets from residentcouncillors and ofcers. This is very early dabut the potential for using social media tools improve democratic engagement is considerabl

Taking it to the Region - CllrsocmeAs a result of our work locally Kirklees ofcewere asked by Local Government Yorkshiand the Humber to deliver social media sessionfor councillors in the region. The four sessiowere co-delivered with councillors CouncillCheetham, Councillor Simon Cooke (BradfordCouncillor David Woodhead (Kirklees) anCouncillor Andrew Cooper (Kirklees).

They provided a real chance to learn moabout the opportunities and barriers fcouncillors in terms of social media. Thhas resulted in the creation of the web siCllrsocmed Social Media for Councillo(http://cllrsocmed.wordpress.com). We hatried to capture our learning and also putogether tools and tips for councillors. We hopthat councillors will begin to use the space tnot only nd out more, but also share theexperiences, case studies and content.

Next StepsIn many ways the journey has just begun. Havinlaid the social media foundations in Kirklewe will be pushing the agenda forward. Wused social media to promote interest in thlocal elections and social media training wbe a feature of our induction programme fonew councillors. There will be a series of socimedia surgeries for our councillors over the ne12 months and we will be looking at how thenew communication tools can improve resideengagement in decision making. This will involrevisiting the often arcane language and processthat underpin our meetings agendas, minutereports etc. We think there is real scope to dsome of this differently and in a way that is moengaging and interesting. Watch this space.

Barnsley) to come andspeak to our councillors

(and some ofcers). Areal master stroke anda catalyst. CouncillorCheetham was able toexplain social media tocouncillors better thanany ofcer could. Thisis a real learning pointfor any councils thinkingabout embarking on thisjourney.

As a result ofcouncillors and ofcersworking together the last12 months has seen almost20 per cent of councillorsfrom across the four mainpolitical groups usingsocial media. Three outof our four leaders blogand tweet regularly andall of our groups are

using social media in some way to support whatthey do. It is becoming a more routine part ofcouncillor support and development. This hasnot meant dispensing with traditional ways ofworking. Our councillors still produce leaets,knock on doors and deal with resident issuesface to face. The difference is that they nowhave a few more tools in their box and areperhaps reaching residents who want to engagein different ways with their councillor.

Tweeting the MeetingOur councillors embracing of social media hasalso helped in other areas. We now web cast allour Council and Cabinet meetings and manyhigh prole scrutiny episodes. Opening up ourdecision making has proved popular. We havereceived favourable press coverage and our totalviewing gures are now in excess of 14,000.

Alongside our webcasts we have developed anapproach called Tweeting Democracy. Not onlycan people watch the meeting, but also provide


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Listen and learnIn the same way that no-one talks about the telephone revolution, the internet

and social media will soon be part o our business as usual and I look orward toit, writes Anthony Zacharzewski rom, the Democratic Society.

it. Rather than attempting to build a placefor conversations with the council, like theunpopular sideshow at the fair, they shouldlisten to the conversations that are going onelsewhere, provide good information so peoplecan discuss evidence rather than rumours, andmake it clear that they are listening to whatpeople are saying. Nothing will better build trustin local politics than showing that local politicsis open to everyone.

Open government is much easier if you usethe internet, but much harder if the internet isall you use. My organisation gives three piecesof ground-level advice to any council who wantsto build better conversations.1.Start from the structures that you already

have: parish councils (and urban counterparts)often have a longer history and better localnetworks than most councils. Support them,and other organisations like them, to createinformed participation that goes beyondsitting in a draughty church hall with aphotocopied agenda. Get as many peopleengaged through as many routes as possible,to give a richer picture.

2.Go where people are: hyperlocal websites orFacebook pages, local football club messageboard, the county show, the quiz night at theDog and Duck. Dont take over, but listen,

build trust, and provide opportunities fpeople to make simple contributions.

3.Most important, make your organisatioready to pay attention. Councils need to gbeyond procedural openness (the meeting at 5, and here are the papers with the ofcrecommendations) to something widewhere they reserve their right to take thnal decision but put the information, thsurrounding framework, and the full ranof options out for discussion beforehand discussion in which ofcers and councillotake part, rather than standing on the sidelinwaiting to opine on the results.Councils, many in the midst of reorganisatio

and restructuring, can build this new openneinto their cultural change work. Lessons cabe learned from Peterborough, where the RShas been working on civic participation, as weas from councils starting on the journey, suas Brighton & Hove, where the new Greecabinet have pledged to build a structure fneighbourhood democracy. The best solutiowill use ideas from everywhere, but implementaccording to local needs and desires. What coube more democratic? www.demsoc.org

Once social media understanding gets pastthe comms team and a few iPad-toting

chief executives, the easy collaborationand the natural clustering of the web can changethe way local government works without it havingto be an capital-I Initiative or a capital-S Strategy.

In my eld of democracy, it will mean that wecan get away from 200-page PDFs on websitesand start talking about how we create goodquality democratic conversation no matterhow its done.

We have to start by understanding what wehave already. Politicians fret about politicalapathy, but you can hear people talking aboutlocal issues in any nearby pub. They areinterested just not necessarily at the same timeand in the same way as the council.

In this light, concerns about political apathyfeel like declaring a national water shortagewhen your glass is empty. The water exists, itjust isnt where you think it should be.

Too often, engagement is dened as beingrelationships with the council. This is far toonarrow. Good democratic conversations can beheld with the council, about the council, andabout bodies not directly related to the council.People coming together to save a communityshop can have a great democratic conversation,even if the issue, the discussion and the solutioninvolve no public authorities at any stage.

Local public services cant control whatpeople are saying, or where theyre saying

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Avoiding a

procurement pickleBuying digital services is a tricky business, writes Carrie Bishop rom FutureGov.Technology moves ast, hardware is an investment and the capacity or wasting

money i you dont get it right makes it a minefeld.

Traditionally the public sector appearsto play it safe buy an out-of-the-box

solution from a big company from anapproved list. But increasingly this doesntwork for anyone, if it ever did.

Out-of-the-box technology to date tends tobe built by companies that think theyve comeup with a solution to a problem. But rarelydo they test that solution with the people whoare going to be using it. Clunky systems thattry to make your brain t their purpose lead togrumpy staff.

Procuring these systems is expensive in itselfand because were talking about such largesums of money theres a temptation to transfermost of the risk to the large supplier, whichleads to rigid Service Level Agreements anda defaults system that punishes the supplierevery time they dont meet the SLA, which inturn leads to grumpy suppliers.

This kind of procurement usually excludesSMEs from tendering too. Small suppliersoften have better solutions that are well-testedwith users but they cant meet the tenderrequirements because if theyre punished forbreaking an SLA it could be enough to takedown th

Documents

Cllr Magazine June 2011