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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?