1. Open & Digital
The challenges & opportunities of
digital leadership in local government

2. Carl Haggerty
Digital Communications Manager
Devon County Council
Chair - LocalGov Digital
@carlhaggerty
http://carlhaggerty.wordpress.com
A bit about me

3. The story from Devon in 5 chapters...
...It started about 3 years ago

4. –Devon Digital Content Strategy 2011-2015
"Our aim is to ensure that users can access
content where they need it and not have to
rely on accessing and navigating their way
through a council website to find critical or
timely information and services.”
Chapter 1 - Digital Content Strategy

5. Standards Driven (consistent)
User Driven (evidence)
Work with others (commission)
Agile / Responsive (iterate)
Future proof (modern tech)

6. Build something
Show something
social.devon.gov.uk / beta.devon.gov.uk / new.devon.gov.uk

7. Standards Driven Consistent – not uniform

8. User
Driven

9. Working
With
Others
(Commissioning)

10. Develop through iteration (keep showing something)
Over 60 sites developed on new.devon.gov.uk so far…

11. Initial Cost Comparison “Keep showing something”
New
Free Open Source CMS = £0
Support = £0
Single Hosting Environment = £3.5k
Free Search = £0
Free Temporary Document storage = £0
Total – £3.5k
Legacy
CMS = £60K
Search = £30
Plus
External hosting costs across
various websites
Approx = 50k per year
Total – £140K
NB: All costs exclude staff costs

12. Chapter 2 – Opening Data
–Devon Open Data Programme – Hackathon
"We hold much information that is, in effect, the
market intelligence for a big service provider; now
we need to turn that into market intelligence for
communities and business. We can only do that
by understanding needs, both for the type of
information and how it can be presented.”

13. Publish
and
Consume

15. Learn and develop
our thinking
Grow and connect
the network

16. Standards for IT Procurement

17. –Future Landscape
“We need to review both our role and function,
and our relationship with our citizens and
communities.”
Chapter 3 - A Changing Council

18. Thinking Different Future Landscape

19. Chapter 4 - Challenging Thinking
–Phil Norrey Chief Executive
“Everyone has the potential to be creative and
this month is an ideal time to get involved, find
out more, and above all to think about how
you could do what you do differently.”

21. Global Service Jam
• 48 hours
• Innovative approaches
• Problem solving
• Learning through experience

22. Chapter 5 - National Voice / Leadership
–Digital Framework for Local Public Services
“A ubiquitous digital climate that animates and
inspires creativity and transformation and
enables growth and wellbeing.”

23. National Leadership People and Places

24. Collaborative Action
Open by default - Digital by design
Better together

25. So what…

26. Where are we today…5 good things/reflections
1. We’ve made more progress in 2-3 years than in the last 10
2. We’ve got corporate and political support and recognition
3. We can talk about transformation not just websites
4. We have to manage expectations
5. We are influencing through doing

27. Where are we today…5 not so good things
1. Digital for some people is still just about technology
2. People look to me when looking for digital opportunities
3. People see the Public Sector Network (PSN) as a barrier
4. Invest to save is still silo based (but this is changing)
5. We still haven’t done the “big” thing

28. Key Lessons
1. Focus on doing - prototype as a specification
2. Focus on user needs - citizen not organisational
3. Design for outcomes
4. Be open by default and digital by design
5. Don’t stop learning and share that learning with everyone

29. Thank you
Contact Details
carl.haggerty@devon.gov.uk
@carlhaggerty
http://carlhaggerty.wordpress.com