Helping join-up the “Grey Cells”

OPM SPRINT – 19th May 2014

“Operation Grey Cells” Digital Inclusion and Ageing Communities

What DCLG were doing already around OPM

We already had some good OPM examples in the Department:

•Community Budgets and Public Service Transformation Network;

•Neighbourhood Budgets/Our Place!;

•the Knight Fire Review, conducted by an independent expert;

•National Planning Policy Framework, digital consultation;

•Neighbourhood Planning, mobilising local action and use of social media (linkedin, twitter) to engage in local conversations;

•our localities role, which encourages colleagues to develop external relationships which give us feedback on how policies are performing and what our stakeholders are thinking;

•our active support for the What Works centres, particularly on local economic growth, ageing and well-being.

DCLG progress to date on OPM

•Preparing and agreeing an overall plan for the Policy Profession;

•Contributing case studies, speakers and wider suggestions for Cabinet Office open policy events and publications (and more generally helping to maintain the Department’s ‘exemplar’ status and reputation for being pro-active with the centre on this subject);

•Highlighting open policy as a priority in newly developed induction modules for new staff, policy schools, Better Department task & finish groups, intranet communications such as the Policy Profession blog;

•Developing a network of open policy practitioners in the Department, signposting colleagues to case studies and experienced teams, and encouraging ‘word of mouth’ to spread awareness;

•Trying to ensure join up with related initiatives such as Open Data, promotion of digital (see below), What Works evidence centres, evidence peer reviews, the work of other professional groups in the Department.

PermissionConstrained Opportunities to experiment

Ambi

tion

Low

H

igh

Informed policy making

Developing policy with users at the heart

Collaborative policy making

Multidisciplinary team

Evidence gathering

Expert engagementConsultation

Public engagement

Multidisciplinary reference group

Scenario testing

Testing

Coproduction

Public experience map

Insight tools Call for challenge

Stakeholder map

Persona testing

Crowdsourcing

Where we think we are on the spectrum

Open Policy Making mindsetOpen Policy Making mindset

Big Issues

Ageing Society

Impact on Public Service Budgets

High level of Digital Exclusion amongst the over 60’s

Big Opportunities

Living Longer

Digital and Technology Innovation

World Beating Research base

DCLG Developing a Leadership focus on Ageing

OPM Big-Break came when

GDS set-up a Digital Inclusion Team

GO-Science was commissioned to do a future options on ageing policy review. …… and both came knocking at DCLG’s door

Big OPM Question ?

Do we face a perfect storm unless we get the grey cells of government and beyond working more smartly on the issues ?

But what do they tell us when we start to put them together ?

OPM – Getting Started

“Falling off the Bandwagon” - Open Policy Making at Windsor Castle

The Wider Picture

• Older people’s views • Policy makers and Practitioners – beyond the

usual Whitehall and Westminster suspects• Tapping into the specialist research base • Be Curious

Knowledge and understanding

Learning & engagement strategies

Technical design, HCI

Awareness education &

supportUNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

JUDGE BUSINESS SCHOOL

Nagging question - how to link-up with Policy Makers and Practitioners ?

Looking at Localities

Tweeting “Grannies” helping to shape local service design

Online Dementia support pilot

Community Hubs

Promoting Digital skills to combat isolation

Putting the pieces together

What’s going on out in the real world

Real cases in Real places

How that relates to the research picture

Looking for the joins and the gaps

Understanding Digital by Default

GDS real catalyst – real help – reality checks

Digital Inclusion Team devising the checklist and scale to help evaluate projects and approaches 

Assisted Digital Team - going out and learning how older people access services and how services can be designed with them in mind GDS Playbooks - highlighting the digital tools and techniques we can use to enrich our under-standing of the issues.

DCLG’s first “PiP” workshop

GDS – Digital Inclusion Strategy

Practitioners stories and NDA research findings

Shared mapping tool and policy-makers cycle

Social Media savvy - allowing us to capture the bigger picture Building on the GDS Playbook .

“Policy into Practice”

So what’s that telling us ?

• Many older people are enthusiastic and successful users of ICTs/the internet but sustained digital engagement can be hampered/halted, by physical, cognitive, personal/social changes that occur as we age and by technological change.

• Older ICT users want readily available, trusted and sustained support (including ‘troubleshooting’), embedded in social activities / personal interests, free of time pressure and assessments, impartial advice and ‘try before you buy’ of ICT devices including telecare/self-care products .

• Appropriate design and ICT learning and support in the community to meet these needs can extend successful use of ICTs to prolong independence and autonomy

• Older people can be empowered to shape design of ICTs, make decisions and enhance their quality of life within an ethical framework which ensures respect for lived experience, nurtures and safeguards older people, and uses appropriate methods

• There is an ICT learning and support void to fill beyond the workplace

What’s the possible gaps ?

• Research into ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘what would make a difference’ to complement research in to ‘what’.

• Investment in knowledge translation/knowledge-brokering processes to achieve ‘knowledge-into-action’. E.g. from the vast repository of publically funded research freely available.

• Comprehensive, freely available technology learning and support in communities and homes to promote adoption of technologies to promote independent living and enhance quality of life.

• Tools/techniques methods for engaging the community in requirements specification and in co-design and decision-making.

• Commissioned cross-project reviews/synthesis of findings from research projects to inform policy decisions and strategies.

What’s Next

Joint DCLG/ GO-Science “Crowd-Sourcing” Seminar to model “Connected 3rd Age Plus”

to feed into•Chief Scientist’s Review on Options for Ageing Society•Centre on Better Ageing•Public Service Transformation Network

OPM allows us to inject real new thinking around “wicked issues”

Maps and Models what works and what is possible

Helps harness the "Grey Cells" - thinking and finding solutions.