How does local government need to adapt to a digital and networked public?

1. The Networked Councillor How does local government need to adapt to a digital and networked public? 3 October 2014 Daniel Herrera (Assoc CIPD) Public-I Learning and Organisational Development Manager

2. Why are we doing this?

3. Democratic participation is dropping. Participation online is growing.

4. Findings from theNetworked CouncillorResearch Project & Report 2013 • with East of England LGA

5. Networked councillor Research & Report 2013 • Articulates the challenges and opportunities that face local politicians operating in an increasingly networked and digital society. • Suggestion is that such a society requires a Networked Councillor embodying key qualities of: openness, digital culture and co-production, in order to reach and respond effectively. • The research suggests that the emphasis should be on ensuring that elected representatives are deeply networked with their communities. Social media is an important part of this but networked councilors will be effectively working with online and offline networks. Networked Councillor Report 2013http://tiny.cc/nc-report

6. What did the Members tell us? • Many members we spoke to used social media outside of their political life • There as a general acceptance that more digital methods were needed – but a difficulty in knowing where to start and what to say • The pace of change is erratic and there are urban/rural differences • The support they were getting from officers did not seem to meet their actual needs • Members needed help in integrating the demands of online with their existing work Networked Councillor Report 2013http://tiny.cc/nc-report

7. And the officers? • The officers we spoke to often admitted to discouraging members from going online – they saw the loss of control as a big issue • There was consensus around the need to address the issues of training and support more seriously • Networked and participatory models should be adopted offline as well as online Networked Councillor Report 2013http://tiny.cc/nc-report

8. How does this impact • Welsh local authorities?

9. Welsh Online & Offline Data * Oxford Internet Survey 2014 calculation 71% of Welsh population are online with either a fixed or mobile broadband contract.

10. Local Authorities need a social media strategy to fully engage their online citizens. But who does this involve? • Democratic Services • Communications • Consultation and Policy • Community Engagement

11. Welsh LGA Council – Social Media Data

12. Typical council comms following 23 Welsh authority accounts Average: 3,600 likes. Total: 76,233 23 Welsh authority accounts Average: 8,000 followers • Total: 182,592 Top UK networked councillors average at 2,000 followers

13. What about the elected representative?

14. Welsh Online Engagement Strategy 1,264 elected Welsh networked councillors = Each councillor would only need on average 1,721 followers to engage the whole Welsh population in coproductive conversations

15. This is a whole system change but in a democratic system the elected representatives are crucial

16. To make systemic change we need to look at all of the participants: • You can’t make significant change without effecting all parts of the system: • Networked Councillor member development programme • Work to connect and create Citizen Networks around targeted communities • Parallel work with Officers to ensure they have the skills in place to support and extend the programme

17. The qualities of the Networked Councillor • Open by default: this is open not just in terms of information but also in terms of thinking and decision making • Digitally native: not in terms of age but in terms of the individual adopting the behaviours and social norms of the digital culture • Co-productive: an expectation that everyone in the conversation has power to act and the potential to be active in the outcome as well as the decision-making process • And as the name says, networked: able to be effective via networked as well as hierarchical power as a leader

18. The range of networked behaviours • Communicative • Tell people what you have done • We have developed a model of networked councillor behaviours • Collaborative • Discuss with people what you are doing • Co-productive • Agree with people what you could do together

19. Networked Councillor’s Impact on Webcasting = • 1 Tweet or Facebook post alerting 2000 local people • Increased traffic to live meetings: Members using their social networks to advise of new webcast meetings. • Disseminated decision making: citizens more likely to watch when specific decisions notified by the elected representative. • Improved behaviour in debates: when members are aware that their consituency are watching there is a marked improvement in behaviour

20. Programme Structure

21. Draft programme overview

22. Sprint format • Each Sprint takes the same format however the first module ideally has time for a longer workshop Elements of each module: • 0.5 / 1 day workshop covering the core theme for that sprint • Follow up coaching calls to bring ‘digital & coproduction’ into councillor’s workflow • 121 meetings with officer support • Regular email / online prompts for action

23. Who will be involved?

24. Different approaches are possible: Members Different models: • Existing social media leaders • Enthusiastic new comers • Senior members • What degree of party political balance is needed? • Skills set? Officers Different models: • Democratic Services • Communications • Pioneers • ICT

25. Thank you for your time Daniel Herreradaniel.herrera@public-i.info