Knowledge Bite: online conferences Planning, running and capturing the benefits of online conferences Strategy and Development Unit, IDeA

Who are we? What’s our story? Strategy and Development Unit - turning Policy into Practice Facilitate largest community of practice Policy and Performance, over 1600 members

Strategy and Development Unit - turning Policy into Practice

Facilitate largest community of practice Policy and Performance, over 1600 members

Who are we? What’s our story? Have organised five online conferences using simple, free, available tools Have advised on others, completed and planned

Have organised five online conferences using simple, free, available tools

Have advised on others, completed and planned

Advantages of online conferences “Cheap to run” Can be organised and launched quickly People can dip in and out Conversations “pre-captured” Easy to disseminate proceedings and distil knowledge for other products Green No curly sandwiches!

“Cheap to run”

Can be organised and launched quickly

People can dip in and out

Conversations “pre-captured”

Easy to disseminate proceedings and distil knowledge for other products

Green

No curly sandwiches!

Disadvantages It’s a lot more work than you think Not everyone gets it People don’t make time for online the same way as face-to-face (for now) Don’t be tempted to use it to replace an under-subscribed face-to-face event Flex* by teepole on Flickr

It’s a lot more work than you think

Not everyone gets it

People don’t make time for online the same way as face-to-face (for now)

Don’t be tempted to use it to replace an under-subscribed face-to-face event

Planning an online conference

Getting started Scoping your event subject audience demand purpose We demand donutz by cobalt 123 on Flickr

Scoping your event

subject

audience

demand

purpose

Team building Identify roles organisers facilitators experts champions support red team by atomic shed on Flickr

Identify roles

organisers

facilitators

experts

champions

support

Almost the same as a face-to-face Venue Speakers Agenda programme Promotion Registration The Venue, After by Stewart on Flickr

Venue

Speakers

Agenda programme

Promotion

Registration

Where it differs “ Speakers” are actually writers, it’s a different skill May have to explain “speaker” and other roles Currently, need to do a lot more explaining about what it is and how it will work Helping Hands by darkmatter on Flickr

“ Speakers” are actually writers, it’s a different skill

May have to explain “speaker” and other roles

Currently, need to do a lot more explaining about what it is and how it will work

A continuous workstream Promote via IDeA Knowledge, other Communities of Practice and existing networks Tie in to other face-to-face events, newly published guidance, etc. Plan ahead about using proceedings Colourful Ribbons , by PieterMusterd on Flickr

Promote via IDeA Knowledge, other Communities of Practice and existing networks

Tie in to other face-to-face events, newly published guidance, etc.

Plan ahead about using proceedings

More than just text? Video Audio Photos Slideshare

Video

Audio

Photos

Slideshare

More than just presentations “ Hot seat” approach, present and come back for questions? Expert panels Encourage new topics from participants Expert spotting by pbo31on Flickr

“ Hot seat” approach, present and come back for questions?

Expert panels

Encourage new topics from participants

Facilitating an online conference

Aims of facilitation Bring in lots of different views Promote a lively conversation Buzz - Make it feel spontaneous and fresh Share knowledge about real practice among practitioners. Keep the “graft” backstage In the hive, 1 by Max xx on Flickr

Bring in lots of different views

Promote a lively conversation

Buzz - Make it feel spontaneous and fresh

Share knowledge about real practice among practitioners.

Keep the “graft” backstage

An example

The ideal facilitator Good writer Just enough to tech savvy to work the CoP Flexible Some knowledge of the topic Flexible by Lhoretse on Flickr

Good writer

Just enough to tech savvy to work the CoP

Flexible

Some knowledge of the topic

The role Keep an eye on proceedings Be prepared to step back Be ready to step in

Keep an eye on proceedings

Be prepared to step back

Be ready to step in

The role Prompt for more detail You have an opinion, too! Hand holding

Prompt for more detail

You have an opinion, too!

Hand holding

If you build it, they will come Right topic, right time, decent promotion - they will come, but maybe not til late Switch on those alerts! Drive traffic with email updates Back channel Not too proud to beg Venice channel by Ipiepiora on Flickr

Right topic, right time, decent promotion - they will come, but maybe not til late

Switch on those alerts!

Drive traffic with email updates

Back channel

Not too proud to beg

Using all the features of the CoP Forums main activity Events flag the programme ahead Members drive that traffic through daily email updates

Forums

main activity

Events

flag the programme ahead

Members

drive that traffic through daily email updates

Using all the features of the CoP Wiki use to build navigation, store updates Blog why stop promoting? News and views. Document library? Store supplementary information

Wiki

use to build navigation, store updates

Blog

why stop promoting? News and views.

Document library?

Store supplementary information

Ups and downs What’s great Flexible, fun approach You can do it in your jim-jams What’s not so great “ On” for the period of the conference Colleagues may not respect that you’re facilitating an event Simplicity pjs 2019 , by carbonated on Flickr

What’s great

Flexible, fun approach

You can do it in your jim-jams

What’s not so great

“ On” for the period of the conference

Colleagues may not respect that you’re facilitating an event

Capturing the benefits

Key benefits Written outcomes plan ahead to capture proceedings disseminate through CoPs get more emerging practice and “hard lessons” Wishes away by davebluedevil on Flickr

Written outcomes

plan ahead to capture proceedings

disseminate through CoPs

get more emerging practice and “hard lessons”

Case study: customer insight Face-to-face event March Online conference June Long standing IDeA/LGA role Place Survey & CAA Further CI guidance commissioned Online consultation Conference report published to Knowledge Guidance promoted A real CoP! LGCIF

Case study: Performance Management PMMI project - Audit Commission & IDeA Three online conferences, took place in closed discussion forum Engaged real Members online! - through CfPS - open discussion forum Lead to conference reports, material for guidance, tools and presentations Integrated with action research

PMMI project - Audit Commission & IDeA

Three online conferences, took place in closed discussion forum

Engaged real Members online! - through CfPS - open discussion forum

Lead to conference reports, material for guidance, tools and presentations

Integrated with action research

Benefits of the conference itself New members to your main conference platform and old members energised. For CI conference 80% satisfied 100% would recommend another conference 90% liked the email updates Adrian with sparklers by Craig Anderson on Flickr

New members to your main conference platform and old members energised.

For CI conference

80% satisfied

100% would recommend another conference

90% liked the email updates

Additional materials to share FAQ Project plan Feedback survey Evaluation reports All to be found in the CoP Facilitators CoP

FAQ

Project plan

Feedback survey

Evaluation reports

All to be found in the CoP Facilitators CoP