Month: May 2009

Ofqual’s new commentable report

I’ve being doing some work over the past few months with Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications in the UK. Much of the work has been around how they could use social web technology to work better internally, but I’ve also been advising on external online engagement stuff too.

One strand of that work has now become public, in the form of the consultation on the Chief Regulator’s Report, made commentable thanks to Steph’s Commentariat WordPress theme.

Chief Regulator's Report, Ofqual

The lovely design was done by the internal web team at Ofqual, lead fearlessly by Phil McAllister.

I’m really pleased with this, because I see it as being the result of some real digital enabling. I didn’t really do anything to make this happen, other than planting the seed of the idea in Phil’s head, and then providing some web space so the site could be hosted quickly and easily, and doing the initial WordPress set up.

That’s all that Phil’s team needed to get going. Had they been left to try and procure some web hosting through traditional routes, this site may never have seen the light of day. So I’m pleased to have helped a new, young organisation step out into the world of online engagement, however small my personal contribution.

And once again, well done to Phil and his team for an excellent implementation of Commentariat!

Technologies for participation

I had the pleasure of bumping into Fraser Henderson at the recent Digital Inclusion Conference, where he mentioned an event he was helping to organise with the Consultation Institute, called Technologies for participation. It’s on 21st May at the Holiday Inn near Kings Cross.

Sadly I can’t attend as I will be taking a much needed break up in Edinburgh. However it looks like a really interesting day:

This seminar offers both IT specialists and those responsible for public engagement the opportunity to consider what’s possible , what’s new, and what’s best. Hear from solution suppliers as well as experienced analysts, and consider how to overcome some of the known barriers to their successful implementation.

The Local Democracy Bill will require councils to offer ePetition systems ‐ and other public bodies will follow suit. Social Networking applications are also having a major impact upon our ways of interfacing with citizens.

The event will be suitable for staff from all public service agencies – central and local; it may also be of interest to elected members committed to innovative engagement methods.

Visit the event site to find out more and book yourself a place!

LocalGovCamp a sell out

I’m delighted to be able to say that all the tickets for next month’s LocalGovCamp have been claimed. This is remarkable: all gone in just over a week! Many thanks for the enthusiasm so many people have shown.

If you haven’t got a ticket but would like one, just email me and I will add you to the reserve list. I’m hopeful that we will be able to get everyone that wants to come into the building!

The focus now shifts to making sure we have stuff to talk about on the day. I’m delighted that we have had a couple of suggestions already on the blog: one from Steve Dale about the Local Gov Knowledge Hub project he is working on; and one about strategy by Alan Colson from Solihull MBC.

Keep the ideas flowing, people!

Finally, the support from potential sponsors has been outstanding. You can find the latest on the Supporters page. There is more to come.

PSFbuzz: Facebook applications

Image credit: Steven Tuck

I had a remarkably fun time up in Manchester last week, chairing the Public Sector Forums event at Old Trafford about local government web 2.0 strategies.

There was a whole lot of Twitter action during the day, which you can take a look at in this Google Spreadsheet. The tweets and other social media bits were all pulled together on the PSFbuzz site.

Also on that site, you’ll find a whole bunch of video interviews which Liz Azyan took. Do have a look through – they are rough and ready in a true social reporter style, but really give a flavour for the day and how delegates responded to the event.

As well as chairing, I was presenting on the subject of Facebook and how Councils are using it, and putting some ideas forward as to how they could do it a bit better.

Effectively, my argument is that applications are a great way for public bodies to engage with people within social networks. The main advantage for me – and one that is particularly pertinent for Facebook – is one of vocabulary, because an application won’t demand that you become its friend, or fan.

I’m currently working up some specifications with a developer of Facebook apps to provide a hosted service for local authorities to have their own Facebook applications at a very reasonable price. If you’re interested in this, then please do get in touch.

Cultural agoraphobia

John Naughton’s Observer piece this morning is a good one:

The cultural agoraphobia from which most of us suffer leads us always to overemphasise the downsides of openness and lack of central control, and to overvalue the virtues of order and authority. And that is what is rendering us incapable of harnessing the potential benefits of networked technology. Industries and governments are wasting incalculable amounts of money and energy in Canute-like resistance to the oncoming wave when what they should be doing is figuring out ways to ride it.

Well worth checking out in full.

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