SLCC Larger Councils Conference

Digital engagement:f

Right here, right nowJustin Griggs20 April 2012

Social media platform Facebook is tipped to reach one billion active users - 14% of the world's population - in August of this year. And with over 400 million people using micro blogging site Twitter, social

media really is a growing force to be reckoned with. In this interactive session

Justin will share his experiences and insight into how advances in technology and the

development of the web present real opportunities for better council

communications and engagement.

Our vision is for a vibrant, dynamic local council sector making positive

difference to local people

Representation & advocacy

Improvement & development

@justingriggsjustin.griggs@nalc.gov.ukwww.nalcjustin.wordpress.comwww.justingriggs.posterous.comwww.runnerjustin.wordpress.com

Twitter bio:

Head of Policy & Development at NALC – representing 9k parish

councils & 80k cllrs; dad; localgov geek; digi/socmed tryer;

Plumstead runner; school governor; dog owner

The Social media revolution 2012

Then

Open source websiteE-petitions

TwitterFlickr

FacebookSarah Brown

Now

Where we’re at

Learning by doing

Activity over strategy

Catching up to be done

Driven by outsiders?

Happy campers

Brought inside

‘Digital by default’

Single domain

User focus

In house talent

Driven by the deficit

So: digital engagement

…more than ‘just’ social media

The traditional consultation

Different goals, different toolsGetting inspiration

Seeking validation

Parti

cipa

tion

Representativeness

Red Tape Challenge

http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

Different goals, different toolsGetting inspiration

Seeking validation

Parti

cipa

tion

Representativeness

Red Tape Challenge

Shape your place

http://wisbech.shapeyourplace.org/

Different goals, different toolsGetting inspiration

Shape Your Place

Seeking validation

Parti

cipa

tion

Representativeness

Red Tape Challenge

Credit Cards

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091212134031/http://bis.gov.uk/creditconsultation

Different goals, different toolsGetting inspiration

Shape Your Place

Seeking validation

Parti

cipa

tion

RepresentativenessBIS Credit Cards

Red Tape Challenge

FCO Human Rights Report

http://fcohrdreport.readandcomment.com/

Different goals, different toolsGetting inspiration

Shape Your Place

FCO Human Rights Report

Seeking validation

Parti

cipa

tion

RepresentativenessBIS Credit Cards

Red Tape Challenge

So how does it apply to policymaking?

Identify issues

Assess options

Refine policy

Implement solutions

Where digital engagement helpsListen

Get inspiration

Test

Explain & refine

Understand concerns and priorities based on the discussions people are having

Generate ideas for current policy challenges, or find stories from diverse places

Get comments on proposals and regulations, check solutions against experience

Make the case for change and get feedback from service users and stakeholders

Taking a layered approach

PLATFORMS CONTENT ENGAGEMENTNICHE, SPECIALIST

GENERAL INTEREST

Citizen

Service user

Resident

Professional

Policy expert Submit a formal collective response

Comment on a document

Suggest an idea, describe an experience

Raw data, evidence base

Detailed proposals, options & rationale

Summary options & background

Introductory film, Plain English guide to proposals

Service feedback questionnaires

Outreach via social networks

Online roundtables, ministerial Q&As

Outreach to communities, online+offline events

Source: Single Domain, GDS

Some more stories

Online communities matter!

www.nalcjustin.wordpress.comwww.planningforcouncillors.orgwww.posterous.com/justingriggswww.createacouncil.nalc.gov.uk

www.facebook.com/createacouncil

Online communities matter!

Participation should be at the convenience of the participants

Experiment then strategise

Social media is more of a telephone than a press release

Interactive websites need interactive organisations

What’s next?

Properly digital by default

Better evaluation

Mobile

More use internally

Survey of use in parishes

@justingriggsjustin.griggs@nalc.gov.ukwww.nalcjustin.wordpress.comwww.justingriggs.posterous.comwww.runnerjustin.wordpress.com