The document outlines work being done to develop a collaboration tool for local governments in the UK. It summarizes research conducted so far including workshops with local authorities to understand challenges, development of an initial prototype, and testing iterations. Key findings from testing show the need for better search and a toolkit with guidance. Next steps include further prototyping, incentivization testing, mapping wider benefits, and developing guidance content for the toolkit. The overall goal is to help local authorities share knowledge and resources to deliver services more efficiently through collaboration.

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1. What is this work and why are we doing it?
2. What have we done up to this point?
3. What have we been doing this sprint?
4. What’s next?
5. A note on Show + Tells

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1. What is this work and why are we doing it?
2. What have we done up to this point?
3. What have we been doing this sprint?
4. What’s next?
5. A note on Show + Tells

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We’re currently running an alpha for 5
sprints
11th September - 19th November
We are about to finish our third sprint

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Alex Yedigaroff
Transformation
manager
Marianne Brierley
Senior user researcher
Linda Butterfield
User researcher
Mark Carlsson
Service designer
Agz Deberny
Designer
Christine Cawthorne
Content designer
Niall Booth
Delivery lead
Ben Cheetham
Product Owner

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A strategic outcome for MHCLG is to
help transform services and support
local government efficiencies

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Share, don’t duplicate

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● Deliver savings so funds can be used more effectively
● Encourage re-use and knowledge sharing on similar
projects or problems
● Grow ‘digital’ capability and user-centred design skills
in local government
● Improve diversity and competition in the public sector
IT market

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“By improving local authorities’
awareness of projects and their
ability to collaborate, it will result in
cost and time savings, and better
public services.”
June - July 2019, 6 week discovery

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Networking
Knowing where to meet others who
might be facing similar challenges is the
first step to building closer informal
relationships between local authorities,
and anecdotally, this acts as a catalyst to
collaboration.
Resource sharing
Sharing resources like code, skills,
budget, access to platforms or other
tangible solutions.
Knowledge sharing
Alignment on issues and sharing
approaches, research, tools, practices
and problems.
Delivery
Working together jointly in partnerships
to solve problems and deliver new
services, meeting the needs of each of
the local authorities.
1 3
2 4

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1. Push the message of collaboration
2. Help establish effective relationships
3. Provide guidance and training
4. Facilitate sharing of resources
5. Remove blockers to collaboration
USER EXPECTATION

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1. Identify collaboration opportunities
2. ‘Fertilise’ collaboration opportunities
3. Relationship brokering and alignment
4. Problem definition/articulation
5. Building capability
6. Co-ordination
STAKEHOLDER EXPECTATION

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Users need help to
understand how to
do collaboration
Users need help to
find the right people
and projects for
collaboration

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We ran two workshops that ran concurrently - one in Leeds and one in
London. These were attended by representatives from 20+ different local
authorities and organisations

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Five themes emerged from these
workshops
1. A single source of information for local gov
2. Better use of common language and standards
3. Better incentives
4. Learning from others
5. Best practice

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Develop a collaboration toolkit
To meet the need of local authorities who want help in
how to collaborate.
ALPHA RECOMMENDATION
1

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Re-orientate and iterate Pipeline
To meet the need of local authorities who want help in
finding the right organisations and people to
collaborate with.
ALPHA RECOMMENDATION
2

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1. What is this work and why are we doing it?
2. What have we done up to this point?
3. What have we been doing this sprint?
4. What’s next?
5. A note on Show + Tells

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If local authorities share relevant knowledge
and usable resources using a dedicated
collaboration tool, they will be better able to
deliver services that meet user needs
Hypothesis 1

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Making it easier to find projects, problems and
ideas in the dedicated collaboration tool will
encourage more people to use and share
knowledge and resources
Hypothesis 2

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Based on research we developed and tested a
prototype collaboration tool
The prototype allows us to test:
● if the content we believe to be ‘useful and relevant’ is so
● if we can design a collaboration tool that makes publishing the content
straightforward enough then people will be able to do so

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https://localgov-collaboration-testing.herokuapp.com/

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Incentivising and encouraging users to keep
information in the dedicated collaboration tool
accurate and up to date will keep users
engaged and build trust in the service
Hypothesis 3

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Raising awareness of a dedicated
collaboration tool will result in more local
authorities using the service and sharing
knowledge and resources
Hypothesis 4

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Pipeline updates have been integrated with Twitter and
Slack
● When an update to an existing project or a new project is posted, Twitter
and Slack will generate a notification
○ Twitter: @LGMakers
○ Slack: Pipeline channel in Local Gov Digital

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23 users joined the
#pipeline channel in Slack
since notifications were
turned on
There are now 90 users
in the channel (and 1,853
who aren’t…)

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Curating a ‘toolkit’ will improve knowledge and
resource sharing
Hypothesis 5

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46 unique places
identified for knowledge
and resources.
This list is not exhaustive.

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Desk research with local digital Slack shows some clear
themes in what people need help with

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1. What is this work and why are we doing it?
2. What have we done up to this point?
3. What have we been doing this sprint?
4. What’s next?
5. A note on Show + Tells

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We analysed the existing Pipeline tool to see
what people look for and how they express it...

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...and how people
‘tag’ their content
for others to find

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Some clear trends in the search data allowed us to test
different taxonomies for grouping and finding projects,
problems and ideas

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A register for local
government
organisations
(MHCLG)

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A taxonomy for
services
(LOTI)

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A taxonomy for
technology providers
(CCS)

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A taxonomy for
technology types
(harder)

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Based on the previous round of testing with
users, we iterated the prototype

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https://localgov-collaboration-alpha-2.herokuapp.com/

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We conducted 7 research sessions with
representatives from across various local
authorities
Head of Customer Access
Senior Delivery Manager
Strategic Information, Data and Systems Manager
User Researcher
Managing Director
Business Partnering & Improvement Manager
Business Analyst

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We’ve been working on some new designs
since this round of tests.
It’s still a work in progress.

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The new share journey

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We created and sent a
reminder email to encourage
local authorities to update their
projects in Pipeline

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● 2 authorities (10%) made an
update to the project we sent a
reminder about
● Pattern of users updating
multiple projects when
receiving notification/reminder
about a single project

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We’ve also started to explore how users might
be motivated to continually contribute to a
collaboration tool

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● We mapped the resources
that can be used to
collaborate, against guidance
that already exists, plus
what’s missing specifically in
supporting collaboration
● There are 4 key areas of
guidance we believe are
needed to support the doing
of collaboration

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Stories
Lessons learned, case
studies, outcomes and
impact, project plans and
timelines, next steps
Business case
Budgets, procurement
requirements, options
analysis,
Code
A codebase with
documentation
User research
Interviews, usability
testing, analysis

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As we grow our understanding of
what data we should be collecting
in a collaboration tool, we can
better understand the potential
wider benefits a tool might have

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Data Opportunity
Articulation of problem / challenge using
consistent terminology
Informs MHCLG of gaps and maturity – evidencing where
problem areas are and where focus should be – could help
identify where funding is most needed
Informs private sector about the real needs of local
authorities – enabling sector to better support local
authorities by providing skills / products that are needed
Better defined and consistent listing of
technology
Generates better understanding of what tools and
technology local authorities are using – see what isn’t
working well / MHCLG could share problems that are
solved more widely

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Data Opportunity
Using canonical sources of data to populate
data entry fields - e.g. GOV.UK Register of
local authorities in England
Data remains clean, accurate and up to date without
relying on product development team
Identification of skills and resources that
are needed using consistent terminology
Supports MHCLG and GDS in tracking digital maturity and
impact of training
Provides evidence and data on skills and resource gaps

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1. What is this work and why are we doing it?
2. What have we done up to this point?
3. What have we been doing this sprint?
4. What’s next?
5. A note on Show + Tells

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● Next round of prototyping iteration and testing with
users (let us know if you’re interested!)
● Incentivisation testing
● Finish mapping wider benefits of tool
● Work on content for ‘toolkit’ guidance and define where
guidance should be hosted to best support users
● Plan testing of guidance

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Thank you very much. Any questions?
@dxwdigital
@LDgovUK