A provocation for the ADSO conference

The Networked Councillor

Catherine Howe, Public-i

Democratic participation is dropping.

Participation online is growing.

Such a society requires a Networked Councillor to embody key qualities of:

Openness Digital culture Co-production

..in order to reach and respond effectively

We live in an increasingly networked society

The rapid adoption of mobile devices is causing another behavioral shift and increase in usage.

This must be at the forefront of planning digital strategies.

There are both risks and opportunities in this

but at present there may be better ways to support Members

as they explore this new environment

At time of writing, over 80% of the adult population are online and 92% have mobile phones. Around 50% of the UK population own a smart phone.

These technologies give us the ability to create connections and networks to share information and power in different ways.

What is the networked society?

First Generation Users connect from fixed location PCs, while Next Generation Users connect from multiple and mobile locations, weaving their use of the internet more deeply into their lives.

First Generation Users are more likely to see the internet as just another channel to provide ‘one to many’ top down communication.

Next Generation Users

Research from OXII

Our working assumption, explored in recent research work, is that:

a more networked society will need a more Networked Councillor

- able to represent and respond to people acclimatized to a collaborative and networked way of making decisions and taking action.

There is little evidence that the public want to dispense with representatives, but there are indications that the public would like a more open and more direct relationship with their politicians.

What is a 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

The qualities of the Networked Councillor

What is inhibiting progress?

Do we really understand what is happening?

Metrics & Measurement Are we counting things or measuring reach?

We are all in this together

IdentityDo we have the skills to manage our digital footprint?

Process redesignAre we changing our processes to reflect the new communications landscape?

There is an abiding belief that the active online audience are not interested in local politics – we need to be aware that this could become a self-fulfilling prophecy if we do

not seek to engage people through these platforms.

Contradicting this belief however is a feeling from the respondents that there is an online audience but this is

made up of pressure groups and campaigners.

How can we move this debate on?

Who ‘owns’ the relationship with the citizen?

Democratic Services Communications

Consultation and Policy Community Engagement

The Elected Representative?

This needs process and service redesign

Open process

Open networks

Open minds

Think in public

Open

Not just Open data

Collaborative and Participatory

Meritocratic

Agile

Playful

Digitally native

Digital by default is more than a change of channel

Asset based community relationships

Not just co-design but service delivery as well

A shift in power

Politicians as facilitators and advocates

Co-productive

We need to ask more of our citizens

Think reach not numbers

Understand influence

Blur boundaries internally and externally

Ensure your own relevance

Networked

Online and Offline

We need to support our Elected Representatives

in a way which makes them effective in this Networked and Digital World

We do not need to show them how to use Twitter

Any other comments?

Catherine Howecatherine.howe@public-i.info

Thank you for your time