Digital and Open Policy Making in BIS

Tim Lloyd

May 19th 2014

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First steps

• BIS had a history of experimenting digital policy making – but it had been disjointed and we hadn’t always learned from experience

• Digital colleagues across BIS have implemented:– Weekly digital surgeries– Annual ‘digital fortnight’– Digital champions– Working group– Embedding digital help in policy teams– Blogging publicly about what’s worked and what hasn’t– Digital outreach with online influencers– Policy packs– Internal communications campaigns

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Going beyond Twitter• We decided to use our Digital Leader to engage with senior management

• To distract the attendees from their Blackberrys we asked the BIS DGs and Directors meeting this question;

• Barack Obama has the 4th highest number of followers on Twitter in the world. Who are the 3 people above him?

• They answered:• The Queen• The Pope• Nelson Mandela

• The genuine answer was:• 1st Justin Bieber• 2nd Lady Gaga• 3rd Katy Perry

• Not everything on Twitter is worth listening to!

• Digital policy making is about more that consulting on Twitter, we’re working with communication and policy teams to explore new ways of moving to digital by default and genuinely improving policy making.

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Creating digital advocates

• We formed a Digital and Policy Working Group• Mix of sceptics, enthusiasts, novices and experts• Tasked with finding ways of embedding digital and

open policy methods across the Dept.• Participants have self assessed their digital skills• They take tasks away each time we meet: online

listening, blogging their experiences, running team sessions

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Principles• The web gives us access to existing data from our

audiences about the policy and services BIS and partner organisations are responsible for. We should be using this data to make better policy.

• Digital is about listening to what people are saying or doing online, first and foremost. Engagement comes later.

• Digital is way more than social media: website statistics, transactional data and discussion forums all constitute forms of digital that can play a role in policy making.

• Digital is also a way of working more effectively; collating and sharing information.

• Technology helps us do more online, but we only need the basics to apply digital approaches in policy making. Waiting for new IT need not be a blocker!

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Embedding digital

• Spending time sitting with teams during live projects has been valuable

• Sharing data in the moment: comments, tweets, forum conversations

• Helping colleagues use dashboards• Understanding who the fans and who lacks

confidence• Producing guidance for staff

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Surgeries and fortnights

• A weekly surgery, no question too great or small• Helps identify upcoming projects, skills gaps,

concerns• External speakers validate what we’re saying• Mix of hands-on teaching, presentations and

discussion• Opportunity to promote our guidance and training

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Case Studies

• We have blogged, Yammered and posted on out Intranet, Top Tips, Myth Busters and Case studies to show the good work and good practice that is already going on around BIS.

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Online consultation

• The online consultation generated over 250 responses (more than double that of the off-line version)

Q: Do you think 30 days is a reasonable period to return faulty goods for a full refund?

o Yeso Noo Not sure

If you think a different period should be set, either longer or shorter than 30 days, please use the comment box to say what you think the limit should be and why.[COMMENT BOX]

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Consultation response• .

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Online consultation

• The online consultation generated over 250 responses (more than double that of the off-line version)

Q: Do you think 30 days is a reasonable period to return faulty goods for a full refund?

o Yeso Noo Not sure

If you think a different period should be set, either longer or shorter than 30 days, please use the comment box to say what you think the limit should be and why.[COMMENT BOX]

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Consumer Bill of Rights• From digital surgery to impending Act• Online consultation

– Team responding in real time to consultee questions

– Breaking down content into plain English

• Digital outreach continues through life of Bill– Asking “what if questions”– Online polls– Listening to online conversations– Using previous insight to inform digital outreach

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Online consultation

• The online consultation generated over 250 responses (more than double that of the off-line version)

Q: Do you think 30 days is a reasonable period to return faulty goods for a full refund?

o Yeso Noo Not sure

If you think a different period should be set, either longer or shorter than 30 days, please use the comment box to say what you think the limit should be and why.[COMMENT BOX]

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The Bill• Our “Tweetreach” exceeded over 1 Million accounts: due to outreach• Beyond Twitter: forums, blogs, Linked In & Facebook

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Science and society

• Conducted online reviews of strategy – enabling comments to shape vision

• Social listening key part of major public attitudes survey

• Blog and tweet on survey results – eg taking part in #scicommlit Twitter chat

• Listening via Netvibes

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FELTAG

• Advisory group looking at use of technology in Further Education colleges

• Invited comments via use of Google Drive• Further shaping strategy with use of external

commentary facility

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Labour Market Listening

• Listening to online conversations on zero hours contracts - during consultation & review

• Online listening informs ministerial briefing• Listening results in Employment Law

“mythbusting” blog

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Shameless Publicity

• “What public consultation can look like”

• “What BIS has done with the consultation on the Consumer Rights Bill is magnificent, and I hope they get a response to reflect that.”

(postbureaucrat.com; September 10 2013)

Digital policy-making in BIS’s Labour Market Directorate

Paula Lovitt MBEHenry Green

Employment Status and Employment Contracts Policy Team, Labour Market Directorate

Department 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

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