DPC hosted its fourth Digital Communication in Government Seminar on Tuesday 11 February 2014. The seminars are designed to build digital communication capabilities across the Victorian Public Service. At the February seminar, leading international guest speaker Steph Gray joined staff from across the VPS to share his insights about digital engagement and crisis communications. A digital strategist and practitioner, Steph works with a range of public sector and other organisations to optimise their digital communications using low-cost tools and techniques. He has also previously worked as Head of Digital Communication at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the UK.

1. Digital Engagement: why bother?
postbureaucrat.com
@lesteph
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8. SurveyMonkey is not
radical digital innovation
(or „digital by default‟)
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12. How much trust do you have in information provided by… politicians?
Source: Ipsos-MORI for Royal Statistical Society. Base: 1,034 British adults aged 16-75
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13. Seriously,
why bother?
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14. http://www.slideshare.net/EdelmanInsights/global-deck-2013-edelman-trust-barometer-16086761

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17. Fairytale:
Identify
issues
Implement
solutions
Assess options
Refine policy
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18. Reality:
Minister gets
inspired
Tabloid campaign
Tricky hot
potato issue
A legal judgement
Meeting
with lots
of
stakeholders
Budget pressures
EU directive needs
implementing
Try to
build
support/ca
pacity
Number 10 priority
Get Bill through Parliament
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20. http://www.socialsimulator.com
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21. Fewer civil
servants
Digital
Engagement
Less
deference
to authority
Easier
ways
to reach
people
Credit: Demsoc
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22. UK consultation principles
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Set clear purpose and scope for consultation
Engage early, and at different stages
Make evidence base available
Set proportionate and realistic timescales (2-12 weeks)
Identify and approach stakeholders
Make content easy to understand
Explain how feedback will be or has been used
Consider how/when to get collective agreement from
other ministers and departments
Consider informal ways of engaging, including
online
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consultation-principles-guidance
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23. It‟s official
“The models used to develop policy need updating to
reflect the new tools and techniques now available. The
traditional tools of legislation, funding and regulation
need to be used more sparingly, and new tools such as
behavioural insight, transparency, and digital
engagement should be considered more readily.”
“Departments will incorporate plans in
their departmental digital strategies to
listen to and understand conversations in
social media, use the insight gained to
inform the policy-making process and to
collaborate more effectively with partners”
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/reform
http://publications.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/digital/strategy/#action
-14
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Social_Media_Guidance.pdf
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24. So what‟s it all mean for us?
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25. 1. Something we do every day,
not just the politicians
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26. @annahepburndh
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28. 2. Ask people for stories,
not (just) analysis
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29. http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/consumerrightsbill/

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31. 3. Radical transparency
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33. “What will we need to be equipped with
in the 21c? As of now, a smartphone.
But also the skills that have always been
essential to the role: savvy, an open
mind, and thick skin. I think, like the
best traditional diplomacy, iDiplomacy
comes down to authenticity,
engagement and purpose.”
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34. 4. Radical simplicity
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37. 5. Be human
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