Digital policy-making in BIS’s Labour Market Directorate

Paula Lovitt MBEHenry Green

Rennie AndohEmployment Status and Employment Contracts Policy Team, Labour Market

DirectorateDepartment for Business, Innovation and Skills

What do we mean by digital?

• Two main uses: engagement and listening.

• Engagement – publicising consultations online, tweeting policy announcements etc.

• Listening – reading industry blogs, tracking public mood etc.

Engagement – why?

• Share good news and announcements

• Reach a wider audience

• Target specific audiences

• Test and challenge our approach

Listening – why?

• Hear from new people

• Research and identify MP or campaign group arguments beforehand

• Target specific audiences

Case study 1 – Employment Law blog

Employment Law blog – top tips and lessons learned

• Make sure you have enough material and resources (staff) to run the blog and post regularly.

• Do not worry if you don’t get as many readers/comments as anticipated.

• Establish a small editorial team to look over drafts and make suggestions.

• Be open to using all types of media (audio, video, pictorial) .

• Look for different ways to promote the blog internally and externally

• Establish an efficient clearance procedure and a good relationship with those you need clearance from

Case study 2 – Zero Hours Contracts consultation

• Vast majority of consultation responses via. Survey Monkey

• We asked stakeholders to circulate the link for us (i.e. Mumsnet and Saga) to ensure it reached all stakeholders

• 38,000 responses –biggest in BIS history

Be prepared!

• Digital engagement means more people know about your policy and consultation

• More awareness = more responses

• Zero Hours consultation got 800 substantive responses and 37,000+ emails from the public

• One group’s successful internet campaign can shift the outcome of the whole consultation

The future?

• Faster responses – need to respond quickly to people in the digital age

• Re-evaluate our approach to open-policy making – how do we analyse and value them?

• A more digitally literate Civil Service