Support is available to help councillors navigate the world of digital and technology.
Digital tools and ways of working – including improving the quality of data and how we use it – represent a significant opportunity to change the way our councils support the communities we serve and to enhance the positive impact we can have on the lives of our residents and businesses. For many councils, the COVID-19 response – necessarily using remote technologies – has accelerated awareness of digital’s potential and practice.
Leading a digital/data transformation agenda, particularly as a politician, is not easy, especially with all the other pressures on finances and so many other priorities demanding our attention.
Digital transformation needs to be seen as a cross-council programme, supporting the work of members and officers in their delivery of services to the public. How can we, as elected members, show political leadership of this agenda, creating the conditions in which great digital work happens?
The LGA ran a series of free introductory sessions for councillors earlier this year covering issues such as digital inclusion and connectivity, data and research, and digital in social care. I’m delighted to say you can access informative resource packs for all seven sessions on the LGA’s website.
Together with Cllr Neil Prior, Cabinet Member for Transformation at Pembrokeshire County Council, and Cllr Joyce McCarty, Deputy Leader and Digital Champion at Newcastle City Council, I had the pleasure of presenting at the digital political leadership session. We led an in-depth discussion that tried to answer the question above, about leading digital transformation and making great work happen.
Colleagues in the session shared the importance of failure in innovation, and the key concept of ‘fail fast, fail frequently’. This can be hard in the public sector, as we are rightly under scrutiny as to how we spend public money.
We need to encourage colleagues to come forward and share examples of where their councils have favoured incremental and experimental approaches to explore the art of the possible.
Another colleague emphasised how it is crucial that, as leaders, we create an environment that challenges assumptions and ask regularly ‘why do we do it that way?’.
I believe the most valuable people in a council are often those who have just joined as they find it easy and natural to ask that question, and they bring fresh, innovative ideas to the table.
Members and officers can find it difficult to abandon current ways of doing things, but we have to question whether services can be provided digitally in order to shift resources to human contact, where that is most needed.
It was an interesting discussion that illustrates the flavour of the debates across the entire series.
Digital and data training
Councillors have an essential role to play in the creation of a culture where officers and residents feel empowered to embrace digital and data innovation. Getting this right is often difficult without local and national support.
The LGA’s introduction to digital and data sessions allowed councillors and officers to support each other to understand how the topics covered were crucial to local success, and how councillors can play an enabling role in digital transformation.
The sessions covered digital inclusion and connectivity, smart places technology, digital communications, data and research, cyber security, digital in social care and shielding vulnerable people, and digital political leadership.
You can view the resource packs on our website.