Carol Williams, Socitm president sets out what a connected place is and how they are already in action.
Once upon a time…
Back in June, I became Socitm President. I am so proud to take on this role for several reasons. Not only do I get to lead an amazing charity helping drive positive change across public service, but I also have more opportunities to connect with brilliant people working so hard across the public sector.
Socitm is a fantastic organisation on a mission to provide its members with resources, learning, know-how and access to a network of public sector professionals working to drive transformational change.
Central to all of this is Socitm’s Institute, where the organisation’s policy and research team sit.
During Socitm’s annual President’s conference in June, the first part of a significant piece of research and analysis was published. It was introduced to delegates using some imagery from fantasy fiction – featuring a plucky hero, dragons, unicorns, and a wise old guide. I won’t use that here! But it was a creative way to approach the topic of Connected Places.
With a new government, our timing proved to be spot on. So much of the work in this collection is of direct relevance to Labour’s Five Missions.
What I want to do here is introduce Connected Places (so far) to you. And demonstrate – as we did at our conference in Birmingham – that perhaps it’s not as far away as we might assume.
What is a connected place?
It’s somewhere that enables people, communities and places to thrive. We connect public policy with the latest technology so everyone can benefit.
What makes up a connected place?
The first phase of published research looks in depth at four of eight components:
1. Health and wellbeing
The policy
Design places and communities that prioritise health and connectivity; create environments that support healthier lifestyles and improve the quality of life for all; and deploy resources in ways that understand and adapt to the needs of individuals and communities.
All easy to empathise with, but harder to define. It’s more than just ‘digital health care’.
Public services are fundamentally about ‘wellbeing’ in everything that we do – services, data, processes, resources, and technology.
Connections should reflect local geography, demography, and other community characteristics – including the interests of minority groups.
The practice
Some examples of policy in action include Leeds City Council: Project using IoT for social housing and NHS England: Virtual wards or hospital at home.
2. Community resilience
The policy
Enable public services and communities to be resilient to changing threats and risks; foster resilience to build stronger bonds, enhance preparedness, and create a sense of belonging; and plan for incidents and their response to them in a joined-up way.
It’s critical for public bodies to work together, and with private sector partners, to understand, track, mitigate and deal with these risks for the communities they serve and protect.
The practice
Examples of this include Christchurch City Council (New Zealand): Smart Christchurch; Lincolnshire Resilience Forum: using geospatial tech in emergency planning; and
NCSC Connect Places: Cyber security principles.
3. Energy and environmental sustainability
The policy
Foster awareness and education about sustainable practices; empower residents to make informed choices to minimise their ecological impact.
Our contention is there is a growing need for clean, ethical, affordable and sustainable technology and data practices to create wider economic and social value and wellbeing in a place.
In the realm of AI and information, there’s potential for enhanced understanding of energy sustainability and environmental impact, but it’s a politicised area.
Digital methods can inform community preparation, behaviour change, and counter misinformation. These are all crucial for transitions such as electronic vehicles and waste management.
The practice
Cases in point include: Barnet Council: BarNET ZERO Challenge | Engage Barnet; Blackpool City Council: Silicon Sands – Blackpool; Airport Enterprise Zone (blackpoolez.com); and Derbyshire County Council: Deploying air quality sensors.
4. Democratic and community engagement
The policy
Create opportunities for residents to engage with decision-making processes that affect their lives; consider how to develop democratic infrastructures in the digital age, with appropriate ‘checks and balances’ for accountability and oversight.
In recent decades, technology has had an increasing impact on democracy and free speech, with concerns growing about ‘fake news,’ the impact of social media and the abuse of power through technology.
On one hand, technology has given more people a voice and better insight into what is happening that will affect them. On the other hand, technology has been used to manipulate decision-making and opinions, from public vote to national elections.
The influence of powerful individuals, organisations, and even foreign governments has threatened the very basis of modern democracies.
The practice
Sample projects include NESTA: The rise of digital democracy; San Francisco: Launches multilingual election tool; and Test Valley Borough Council: “Everything we do is driven by our communities”
More to come
Now we’re looking ahead to the rest of the collection, to be published later this year.
More policy research is underway, but there are already plenty of examples of these in practice.
5. Travel and mobility
The research
How a comprehensive approach to mobility can transform economic, social and environmental sustainability.
In practice
For example: City of Edinburgh Council: Our Smart City programme; Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council: AI sensors tackling congestion hotspot ; and Estonia and USA: Cities transforming transportation.
6. Economy and business
The research
How to empower local economies through creating ecosystems of digital opportunities, businesses and skills.
In practice
This could cover: Network Rail: Geofencing: innovative technology to improve trackside worker safety; and Northern Ireland: Innovators are enabling global smart city development.
7. Education, skills, and jobs
The research
How education, skills and jobs in a digital age can generate equality, prosperity, and wellbeing.
In practice
Some examples include: Civica and Solace: Do councils have the time and skills to keep up with tech?; Microsoft: Technology Can Help Unlock a New Future for Frontline Workers
Sunderland City Council: Community digital health hubs.
8. Data
The research
How data insights can generate better decision-making, greater equality, and improved targeting of resources.
In practice
This covers things like: Barcelona: City data is “more accessible than ever”; Barnsley Council: Using UPRNs to build a Vulnerability Index; and Leeds City Council: LOOP: Resource Data Collaboration.
What are you doing?
I’ve shared some of the ideas, inspiration, and case studies in the collection so far. With more to come! Use them to progress your efforts to build strong, connected, and happy communities where everyone benefits from technology.
And if you have your own examples of Connected Places in practice, tell us! We always want to know about the innovative work taking place in local public services.
