Broadcasts

Weekly Broadcast  Thursday 27 January 2011

New Insight briefing-  Value from radical transformation : grasping the nettle

As a result of the severe financial cutbacks prompted by the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), many, if not most, public sector organisations are embarking on major transformation in the way that they deliver services. Yet the track record of such ambitious programmes in the public sector is poor as organisations struggle with issues of leadership, capacity and methodology. Here is one approach that is working.

This case study is contained in a new 4-page briefing on  a different and successful approach to achieving value from  a programme of radical transformation, available to Socitm Insight subscribers at www.socitm.net.

Publishing spending information by 31 January

With the January 31 deadline for publishing by councils of all spending over £500 online in accessible formats nearly here (see GLG press release), there is guidance from Socitm, LGID and others available at LG Group Transparency Programme. A draft practitioners guide on publishing new contracts and tenders information, which is not subject to the January 31 deadline, but which will be required, according to CLG 'in due course' is available at:
LG Transparency: New Contracts website. Further information and discussion can be viewed in the Local Open Data Community of Practice. The LG Group's Data and Transparency Team can be reached via transparency@local.gov.uk.

Content from the UK Govcamp 2011

Last Saturday's UK Govcamp was a gathering of around 200 people working in the public and civil society sectors on topics like social media, open data, web development, digital communications, hyperlocal websites, online communities. The event generated a huge amount of content that is now available online - see UKGovcamp Buzz Aggregator. A session from Chris Chant, the new interim Head of Digital in the Cabinet Office, although unofficial, provided some good pointers for future direction of digital policy.

Weekly Broadcast  Thursday 20 January 2011

IT Trends 2010/11 out now

IT functions in local public services are delivering more despite cuts in resourcing of 2.6% since 2010/11 and predicted fall in staff numbers of 4% says the latest issue of IT Trends, Socitm's annual survey. IT budgets and staff cuts have in fact been much lower than expected, supporting other survey evidence that local public service providers are at last recognising the importance of IT investment for the achievement of wider efficiency and modernisation goals.

The IT Trends 2010/11 is available to order now from the Socitm website, free of charge to who replied to the survey, (£295 for Socitm Insight subscribers, £450 for Socitm members and £495 for all others).

Socitm publishes response to Liberating the NHS: An information Revoution

This consultation is part of the Government's agenda to give people more information and control and greater choice about their health and social care.  The intention is to transform the way information is accessed, collected, analysed and used, to give patients in England more access to data and more control over their records, including allowing online access and sharing with others. Socitm's response to Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution - Making it happen says that, in a change to past practice, as GP commissioning is introduced, councils should be leading on systems to support health and care resource allocation. You can read the full response to Liberating the NHS and the press release about the Socitm response on the Socitm website.

Weekly Broadcast  Thursday 13 January 2011

Local Government Group consultation on publishing new contracts and tenders information

Following work on spending and salaries, the Local Government Group and key partners, including Socitm, offer for consultation a practitioners guide on publishing new contracts and tenders information, as required by the Coalition Government's transparency agenda. The draft practitioners guide on publishing new contracts and tenders information is available at:
LG Transparency: New Contracts website.

This is an open consultation. The guide will be available for comment until 21 January. Comments can be submitted directly on the transparency programme site or the LG Group's Data and Transparency Team can be reached via transparency@local.gov.uk.

Socitm's new membership structure - your personal invitation to take up an accredited designation

Personal letters with full details of options available for taking up an accredited designation with post nominal letters have now been mailed to all current members. The letters are accompanied by guidance on the new membership structure and the steps to follow to advise us of your choice.

More information on the new membership structure and enhanced membership development services including CPD and mentoring will become available on the Socitm website over the coming period.    

Update your personal details on-line

Did you know that you can update your details on-line through the members' area of the Socitm website?  Just follow the link socitm.net

Weekly Broadcast  Thursday 6 January 2011

Local Government Group consultation on publishing new contracts and tenders information

Following work on spending and salaries, the Local Government Group and key partners, including Socitm, offer for consultation a practitioners guide on publishing new contracts and tenders information, as required by the Coalition Government's transparency agenda. The draft practitioners guide on publishing new contracts and tenders information is available at: LG Transparency: New Contracts website.

This is an open consultation. The guide will be available for comment until 21st January. Comments can be submitted directly on the transparency programme site or the LG Group's Data and Transparency Team can be reached via transparency@local.gov.uk.

Socitm's new membership structure - your personal invitation to take up an accredited designation

Personal letters with full details of options available for taking up an accredited designation with post nominal letters have now been mailed to all current members and should arrive on Friday 7 January 2011 or shortly after. The letters are accompanied by guidance on the new membership structure and the steps to follow to advise us of your choice.

More information on the new membership structure and enhanced membership development services including CPD and mentoring will become available on the Socitm website over the coming period.    

Update your personal details on-line

Did you know that you can update your details on-line through the members' area of the Socitm website?  Just follow the link socitm.net

PASC inquiry into Government IT - your views requested

The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) is undertaking an inquiry into the way in which Government develops information technology (IT) policy and the strategy for its implementation. The inquiry will examine the Government's overall approach, how it identifies business needs, the effectiveness of governance arrangements, and procurement policy and practice. The PASC's Good Governance: the effective use of IT - Issues and Questions Paper invites views and comments on these issues. Socitm will be making a submission to the PASC and there is more about this in the Socitm Blog. Please send individual responses to martin.ferguson@socitm.gov.uk by 9am on 13 January 2011.

New Insight briefing: cloud computing is key to better, cheaper public services

Only a move to the cloud can make affordable the ICT-enabled automation and increased efficiency that is needed to keep public services affordable says Heading into the cloud,the latest briefing from Socitm Insight. Public sector ICT strategies must therefore be rewritten now with cloud adoption as a central theme, and investing now in new or enhanced data centres is not advised, says Socitm, while outsourcing the ICT service could delay the benefits of moving to the cloud. These messages are contained in a new 4-page briefing on the benefits and possible downsides of cloud computing, available to Socitm Insight subscribers at www.socitm.net.