The one that got away! Slides I prepped for the ADSO Winter Conference but got snowed out of...

1. The Networked Councillor
A provocation for the ADSO conference
Catherine Howe, Public-i

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

3. We live in an increasingly networked society
Such a society requires a Networked Councillor to embody key qualities of:
 Openness
 Digital culture
 Co-production
..in order to reach and respond effectively

4. 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.

5. 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

6. What is the networked society?
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.

7. Next Generation Users
Research from OXII
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.

8. 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.

9. What is a Networked Councillor?
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.

10. 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

11. What is inhibiting progress?

12. Do we really understand what is happening?
We are all in this together
Metrics & Measurement Are we counting things or measuring reach?
Do we have the skills to manage our digital
Identity
footprint?
Are we changing our processes to reflect the
Process redesign
new communications landscape?

13. 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.

14. How can we move this
debate on?

15. Who ‘owns’ the relationship with the citizen?
Democratic Services Communications
Consultation and Policy Community Engagement

16. The Elected
Representative?

17. This needs process and
service redesign

18. Open
Not just Open data
Open process
Open networks
Open minds
Think in public

19. Digitally native
Digital by default is more than a change of channel
Collaborative and Participatory
Meritocratic
Agile
Playful

20. Co-productive
We need to ask more of our citizens
Asset based community relationships
Not just co-design but service delivery as well
A shift in power
Politicians as facilitators and advocates

21. Networked
Online and Offline
Think reach not numbers
Understand influence
Blur boundaries internally and externally
Ensure your own relevance

22. We need to support our
Elected Representatives
in a way which makes them effective in this
Networked and Digital World

23. We do not need to show them
how to use Twitter

24. Any other comments?

25. Thank you for your time
Catherine Howe
catherine.howe@public-i.info