The document discusses the implementation of networked innovation and knowledge sharing within local government in the UK through a platform called the Knowledge Hub, which aims to improve efficiency and facilitate connections among practitioners. Since its inception in 2006, the platform has grown significantly, achieving 60,000 members and 22,000 monthly contributions, while saving substantial costs through online interactions. It emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing user expectations and leveraging new technologies to enhance collaboration and problem-solving in local public services.

1. Networked innovation
John Hayes
Local by social, 16 June
Tuesday, 15 June 2010

2. Start spreading the news
2
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The IDeA has been consistently in the lead of social technologies
for knowledge sharing in local government. We’ve had to do
this.

3. 353
Local Authorities
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There are 354 councils in England - 434 in the UK and over 10,000 parish, town and community councils.

4. 700 services
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That provide over 700 services.

5. 2.1 million
people million
2.1
people
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And employ over 2 million people.

6. Tuesday, 15 June 2010
To build on the wealth of local government knowledge and to put knowledge sharing in the hands of the sector we
build, run and support the Communities of Practice platform. It’s been running since 2006 and it’s been pretty
successful to date.

7. Connecting people to
people
Efficiency and value for
money
Sustainable self-
improvement
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
We have tons of testimonials about how individuals have found that the communities of practice has saved them time or helped
them find people, resources or just get their questions answered. It provides reassurance when people just want to check their
ideas or see what people in other councils have done when faced with the same problems. We estimate that nearly £170,000 was
saved last year alone in ʻavoidable costsʼ through online conferences instead of face to face conferences, as well as energy and
carbon savings. And we believe that this is a core plank in delivering sustainable self-improvement in local public services. Helping
practitioners share the knowledge of thousands of users throughout the sector.

8. CoP Numbers
60,000 members
75,000 monthly visits
1,300 22,000 monthly contributions
communities
Web2.0 by gualtiero on Flickr
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Every local authority in the UK is represented - 60,000 members
and growing - 75,000 monthly visits and 22,000 contributions
each month across 1300 communities.

9. User expectations are
changing
Ice cream sundae cupcakes by jamieanne on Flickr
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But what we’ve delivered so far isn’t going to meet user
expectations in the future or get us through tough times ahead.

10. New experiences of
networking
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When communities of practice started, there was no Twitter, Facebook was just at universities. Now
people expect to be able to find like-minded practitioners, find resources at their fingertips and share
content in an instant across multiple networks.

11. And accessing services and
information
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Our members are now seeing crowd-sourced information as an everyday thing and the concept of
working together to solve problems using the internet as a social glue is growing to be common place.

12. We’re supporting the
new ways of working
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We’re supporting new ways of working through advice and guidenace like Local by Social and
Connected Councillors, our communities of practice that support new ways of working - like Social
Media, Local Open Data and events like these. We believe that new technology can help councils work
more effectively with citizens and from our own business perspective, with each other.

13. The times
are
changing
All that’s left! by pfala on Flickr
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There’s less money around than there used to be. We see
networked innovation and knowledge sharing as the most
efficient way of helping the sector share information and make
connections. We need to help the sector spend less time seeking
information and aggregating data and more time on analysis and
action. And we will have fewer resources going forward to
spend on events, toolkits, and formal case studies - so we need
to make sure that we have tools in place to help the sector do
that for themselves.

14. Which is why we’re bringing...
The
Knowledge
Hub
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The Knowledge Hub is replacing our existing communities of
practice, bringing tried and tested social tools up to date.
Opening up the platform to allow people to share what they’re
doing on Twitter and blogs and Facebook (where they want to).
And the Knowledge Hub will use semantic connections for all
kinds of information - from linked data like data.gov.uk and
from unstructured data and semi-structured data. The
Knowledge Hub will be smart - the more that practitioners use it,
the more it will help people make connections and find
information based on their social graph.

15. Taking something good and
making it better
I'm really excited about Knowledge Hub.
The existing CoP system has already
facilitated much more rapid social
networking between like minded peers
and practitioners than ever before in local
government - delivering real value in
terms of shared expertise and experience.
Jon Hyde, Programme Manager,
Cheltenham BC
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16. Built with the sector for
the sector
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The Knowledge Hub is being built with you in mind. Local
government practitioners, Members and their partners. We’re
working with a range of practitioners and stakeholders through
our advisory group. We have oversight from the Local
Government Delivery Council and we have a range of
opportunities online to get involved - including a community of
practice.

17. 17
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18. www.local.gov.uk/knowledgehub
Tuesday, 15 June 2010