Local by Social: Andy Gibson

Now it is Andy Gibson’s turn. He wrote the Local by Social book!

• Andy is hoping to provide some perspective on all the digital stuff
• As railroads transformed the way we work and our society, so will the new online tools
• Imagine a London with no public transport. Would be very different, service provision would be much harder.
• Comms is fundamental to everything that we do. Move away from broadcasting into a two way conversation.
• Enabling communities to come together and help themselves
• Potential to reinvent democracy
• Opportunity for involvement of service users in design of those services
• Budget crisis in public services – radical streamlining of government. Crisis is a good time for innovation!
• Budget issues has brought impetus – the need to do things differently is here, now
• Money decisions are an indication of priorities.
• Pressure to innovate means people need to have ideas at the ready. Attitude to risk may shift – do something in a risky way, or don’t do it at all
• Need for agility, eg in procurement and in development
• Need for government folk to horizon scan and build the arguments. Need to be ready for when the change happens.