The document discusses how social collaboration tools can help local councils in England improve services and operations during a time of austerity through budget cuts. It outlines opportunities such as improving internal and external communication, enhancing democracy, building communities, and sharing knowledge. However, there are also challenges to adoption like ensuring relevance, managing risks to reputation, addressing digital inclusion and information security concerns, changing organizational culture, and navigating political issues. The author concludes that cost savings are possible but changes to processes are needed, and benefits can be realized by embedding tools in daily work while mitigating risks.

1. How social collaboration can
improve public organisations in
time of austerity?
The case of Local Administration in England
Carl Haggerty

2. What I’ll cover…
• Brief Introduction
• The context for local councils
• The opportunities
• The challenges

3. Introduction
• Total UK Public Expenditure in 2009 = £609Billion*
• Total UK Local Government Exp ‘09 = £164Billion*
• Devon County Council = £865million
* Source HM Treasury

4. Services provided
County Council Only County Council Joint District and/or Parish/Town
responsibility with Districts Councils Only
Adult Education Canals and Waterways Allotments
Concessionary Fares Community Transport Car Parks
Consumer Protection Country Parks Cemeteries
Education Economic Development Electoral Administration
Highways Emergency Planning Environmental Health
Libraries and Archives Environmental Protection Housing
Public Transport Financial Support for Leisure
Voluntary Organisations
Registration Services Industrial Units Licensing
Road Safety Museums and Arts Litter
School Transport Public Rights of Way Parks and open spaces
Social Services Recycling Planning Applications
Strategic Planning Street Lighting Revenue Collection
Trading Standards Tourism Public Toilets
Traffic Management Waste Collection
Transport Planning
Waste Disposal

5. It’s all about people

6. Context for Local Councils
• Public Sector Finance
– Reduction in budgets ‐ estimates between 25‐30%
– Staff reductions
• Increasing pressure from public
– Deliver more for less
– Social inclusion and participation
• Consumerisation
– Speed and access to information
– People to People networks

7. It’s time for transformational change

8. The Opportunity
• The big question facing ALL local councils right now
is.
"Will this eat up my time and make me
less productive, or make things more
efficient?"

9. Potential Uses
Survey by SocITM of Public Sector IT Managers ‐ 2009

10. Improving Communication
• Empowering and involving
• Mobile and real time
• Internal and External
• PR and reputation management

11. Enhancing Democracy
• Collaborative action
• ePetitions and Campaigning
• Real time election updates
• Reaching disengaged audiences (young people)

12. Building Communities
• A sense of place
• Reconnecting neighbourhoods
• Connecting People to People
• Fostering active involvement

13. Knowledge Sharing
• NOT knowledge management
– Communities of Practice
• eLearning and professional development
– Informal
– Formal
• Social Collaboration / Networking
• Ideas management
• People Finder/Staff Directory

14. Communities of Practice
• A space to grow knowledge
• Share experiences
• Connect with Peers
• Accelerate learning
• Creates opportunities for innovation and
ideas

15. Social Collaboration
Cost Saving Opportunities
• Savings in the time spent looking for
information you require (productivity gain)
• Fewer and higher quality meetings (venues,
people, resources = £)
• Less email (productivity gain)
• eLearning (venues, people, resources = £)

16. The challenges
• The big question here is?
“With all the opportunities these new tools
present, why isn’t everyone using them?"

17. Risk Relevance Reputation
• Social web in “considered” immature
• Digital Inclusion
• Organisations still block access
• Information Security (or compliance)

18. Getting Personal
• Who am I? (professional vs personal)
• Training, awareness and guidance
• Lessons from the past

19. Organisational
• The “social organisation” challenge
• Challenging hierarchy
• Culture change
• Recruitment and retention of staff

20. Political
• Online Civic Spaces
• What about Elected Officials?
• Citizens have a louder voice
• Citizens have a direct route to service
planning and budget setting

21. Final thoughts
• Cost savings can be made but processes need
to be changed.
• Improvements can be made if the tools are
embedded in what people do.
• You know your business best – look for the
opportunities and mitigate the risks

22. Thank you
• Twitter: @carlhaggerty
• Blog: http://carlhaggerty.wordpress.com
• Email (work): carl.haggerty@devon.gov.uk
• Email (personal) carlhaggerty76@gmail.com