December 2011

IN THIS EDITION...

The first two weeks of December have been very significant for Socitm Insight with important new policies related to the publication of the first material relating to Planting the Flag (Dec 1), the launch of the new Government Digital Service (Dec 8) and the main survey results from the new top task-based approach in Better connected (Dec 11).

In between there have been two workshops for Benchmarking user satisfaction (Dec 7 and 13) and one for the Website take-up service (Dec 9), all reminders of the value of some of our 'business as usual' services.

Planting the flag - ICT leadership

Pocket guides

Since the launch in May of Planting the flag as a strategy for ICT-enabled reform of local public services, Socitm has held workshops in almost all its regions across the UK to discuss its implications for local public services. Working alongside these events and using them for feedback, Socitm Insight has started to produce a series of pocket guides focused on six strategic capabilities that need to be in place if ICT-enabled local public services reform is to be achieved in any given locality.

• Leadership
• Governance
• Organisational change
• Strategic commissioning
• Shared services
• Professionalism

The first such guide on leadership was launched at Socitm 2011 (Nov 30 and Dec 1). It focuses on what is meant by ICT leadership, specifically the role of the chief information officer (CIO). The job title is much less important than the role. The guide sets out six steps for those carrying out the role. It distinguishes the leadership role from the management role, and examines the demand side and supply side of that leadership role.

Contact: Chris Head

The season's greetings

The Socitm Insight team wishes all its subscribers a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. We look forward to working with you, and for you, again in 2012.

Practitioner's view

Complementary to the leadership guide, we also launched a practitioner's perspective entitled A.. B... CIO: a personal view of leadership from Jos Creese, Past-President. Jos opens the guide by setting the CIO role firmly in a strategic context:

Like the agricultural and the industrial revolutions which came before, the 'digital age' is fundamentally changing the way we all live and work. It is the role of the CIO to translate that potential of new technology into business benefit.

He then goes on to identify eight principal areas for the CIO to concentrate on:

• Focus on business value, not IT cost.
• Remember it's not about the technology (mostly).
• Give IT a reputation for business innovation and efficiency.
• Don't neglect the 'bread and butter'.
• Understand the water reed principle.
• Be an advocate for the business, not just for IT.
• Build up the necessary experience.
• Develop a thick skin.

This adds up to invaluable advice from one of the most influential CIO leaders, based on practical experience at one of the largest local authorities in the UK. Make sure you read it!

Contact: Martin Greenwood (or, of course Jos himself)

Government online in 2012

The new Government Digital Service (GDS)

I am still reeling from the energy, excitement and talent that is now being deployed to make public sector services better. It's pretty simple for me. The government in the UK has the opportunity right now to not only create a world class tech team that builds extraordinary digital talent and services but also to transform the lives of millions of people by encouraging them online.

Martha Lane Fox, UK Digital Champion

The new policy

The launch of the GDS on Thursday 8 December marks the start of a new era in the journey of online government services. Those who heard the excellent talk by Mike Bracken, the CEO for the GDS at Socitm 2011 will have had a foretaste of this new approach.

It all stems from the report by Martha Lane Fox that was commissioned by Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, in 2010 and created the 'digital by default' policy. One of her recommendations was the need for a senior manager to have complete control ofonline government services.

The new vision

That person is Mike Bracken who is putting together the team to deliver this objective through the creation of a single web domain for government websites, based on:

· A strong focus on meeting user needs (not building websites!)

· An obsession with user feedback and constant user testing

· A determination to achieve a consistent user experience for all parts of online government.

In particular, the means of achieving this consistency will be through what the new team calls the global experience language which will define all aspects of online design (eg use of words, buttons, layout, fonts etc).

The implementation

The vision is strong and clear. Will it be implemented? Will it work in practice? Only time will tell; for sure, it will not be easy to get all parts of the civil service to give up much of their control of their websites.

What does all this mean for local government? The talk was about central government, but the impact should and, will inevitably, spill over into all parts of the public sector, and certainly into local government. How this might happen is not yet clear, but its force is too powerful to ignore.

The new Better connected

People do not visit government websites for pleasure; they have a task in mind and it needs to work!

Tom Loosemore, architect of Betagov

Common ground with GDS

There is a clear role here for Socitm to support local public services through the implementation of this radical new approach, and nowhere more so than through Better connected. Those who follow our advice can be reassured that the strategic direction based on top tasks that we have recommended over the past two years fits in very well with this new approach. The language might be a little different, but the ideas are the same.

The key points of common ground include the focus on the user need, expressed by the task to be carried out, and the importance on the user experience. Implementing top tasks and getting the customer journey right are so much more achievable if the resources are centralised, because the work involves specialist skills and experience in understanding what works and what does not.

It is unlikely that these changes will be implemented without the leadership, governance and priority within the local public services organisation that Whitehall now seems to have. We will be saying much more about this in Better connected 2012 (to be published 1 March 2012), which takes us to this year's survey...............

Changes in Better connected 2012

The main survey this year has just been completed and the results are now being processed. It is an opportune moment to remind everyone that this year's survey is significantly different from those of previous years. We are concentrating almost exclusively on up to eight top tasks (depending on type of council), how easy they are to find and then to use.

One impact of this change of approach is that inevitably there will be some disruption to the ranking of sites. In other words, a site ranked say three star last year and which has since not changed very much might be ranked two star, or just possibly four star, purely because of the way in which we have changed the methodology and the assessment criteria. Those who have been able to implement a new version during 2011 in line with the top tasks philosophy may make an even bigger jump in the rankings than they would have if our assessment criteria had not also changed.

So, be prepared for some turbulence!

Contact: Martin Greenwood

Website take-up service event

On 9 December we held in Birmingham the second of this year's two workshops in 2011for subscribers to our service. Three topics are directly relevant to the new era for online services described earlier.

Channel shift at East Riding

We invited Amanda Wilde from the East Riding of Yorkshire to share her council's story about channel shift. Building on a strong commitment to customer service, since the council was created in 1996, the East Riding has implemented a corporate programme for channel shift that covers all services and all channels.

One specific idea of many that Amanda mentioned was the concept of the virtual customer centre for the council's new website. Think of the website as a customer centre with people asking questions about information and services. Take a look at www.eastriding.gov.uk and see how they have implemented the top tasks approach using the framework of 'Today's most popular questions'

Web team resources

Ian Watt from Aberdeen City Council presented the results of a first-ever survey across UK local government into the resources of a web team, an exercise supported by Socitm but managed by Ian searching for a business case to improve resourcing. The encouraging response of 109 councils gave some useful comparative information, but the data left unanswered some interesting and challenging questions. What makes the optimum size of a web team? Can this, for example, be related to web visits and visitor satisfaction?

Website rationalisation

The third major session was led by Socitm's Vicky Sargent who provided results from a November survey into the size and number of websites managed by each organisation, eg is there an optimum size for a council website? (69% of web managers think theirs is too large) and how many websites should an organisation allow? (Only 19% have complete control over new websites )

Socitm award winner

This was also an opportunity to hear from Julian Scarlett, web manager at Eden DC and winner of the best council of the year award at Socitm 2011. This award is based on success in Better connected 2011 and with the Website take-up service. Vicky Sargent interviewed him about the secrets of his success. One strong message for the audience was the absolute necessity of getting the content right.

Contact: Martin Greenwood

Benchmarking of ICT

• Constantly measure and publicise performance.
• Express IT's performance in terms that connect to the performance of the business.
• Never convey cost without conveying value and performance.

(Source: The real business of IT - How CIOs create and communicate value, Hunter & Westerman, 2009)

Benchmarking business value

Responding to a mid-2011 review of our benchmarking services, we have developed and piloted a new service for benchmarking business value.

The whole issue of obtaining business value from ICT is something of a holy grail, being very difficult to measure objectively, yet many senior managers ask for the answer! It has defeated many commentators and academics who have searched for answers.

Supported by the Local CIO Council, we believe that the most practical way of assessing value is to capture the perceptions from senior decision-makers of the role, contribution and effectiveness of ICT on business outcomes.

We plan to announce a new operational service in January 2012 for an initial group of participants to find out how their members, directors and others view the value created by its ICT investment.

Benchmarking user satisfaction

Almost all the focus in 2011 seems to have been about cost reduction. It is vital, however, that heads of ICT do not take their eye off user satisfaction. As Jos Creese states in his new publication (see front page), it is critical not to forget the 'bread and butter'. Now everyone is an IT worker, whatever the role or level in the organisation. Managing a service that is credible with all its users is a pre-requisite for achieving influence as a CIO.

Many heads of ICT in Scotland agree with this; hence their participation in a special series during the autumn in response to the McClelland Review. The results workshop was extremely well received with much discussion about what is needed to improve user satisfaction.

Socitm award winner

Recent participants in England heard from Lance Cartwright, Head of ICT at Dudley MBC, winner of best ICT service of the year award, given to the organisation with the highest user satisfaction in 2011, as measured by our service.

Contact: Terry Madgwick

BENCHMARKING NEWS

The 2011 programme

Channel value benchmarking (with Socitm Benchmarking)

Group Title Workshop Date Venue

Two groups running in the Spring and Autumn of 2012 will be announced in January.

New! We are also piloting a simpler service in January for benchmarking customer access, based on the volumes of contacts by the three major channels.

Contact: Sandra Milne-Skinner

Benchmarking the ICT service (with Socitm Benchmarking)

Group	Title	Workshop	Date	Venue
60	London	Launch	Apr 19	London
		Results	Sep 5	London
61	UK	Launch	Jun 19	Birmingham
		Results	Oct 1	Birmingham
63	Scotland	Launch	Aug 23	Stirling
		Results	Nov 22	Stirling

Contact: Steve Hopson

Benchmarking user satisfaction

Series Survey period Workshop Venue

40 January to March 17 Apr tba

41 September to November 4 Dec tba

Contact: Terry Madgwick

The latest publications

Don't forget that you can always find the latest Socitm Insight information on www.socitm.net. You will receive an e-mail alert when reports are available in the online library. For most reports you will receive one printed copy, but can always order more within your entitlement. Printed copies might take another three weeks to reach you.

Commissioned research

Socitm Insight has completed a number of special commissions of research into a wide variety of topics. Whether you are a local public service, government department or supplier we may be able to help you find valuable information requiring independent expertise .

Contact Martin Greenwood

Contact points for Socitm Insight:

• For information about the service in general (eg events, work in progress etc), contact Martin Greenwood (tel: 01926 498703 or e-mail insight@socitm.net)

Other contacts:

• Chris Head (tel: 07880 748299 or e-mail chris.head@socitm.net)
• Terry Madgwick (tel:  01483 855288 or e- mail terry.madgwick@socitm.net)
• Sandra Milne-Skinner (tel: 07717 327796 or e-mail sandra.milne-skinner@socitm.net)  
• Tony Riding (tel: 0113 261 2688 or e-mail tony.riding@socitm.net)
• Vicky Sargent (tel: 07726 601139 or e-mail vicky.sargent@socitm.net)
• John Serle (tel: 01395 576940 or e-mail john.serle@socitm.net)
• Steve Hopson, (tel:  01244 678294 or e-mail stephen.hopson@socitm.net)

Information about administration (orders, subscriptions, copies etc) contact the Socitm Office (see below)

Feedback of your views

Do use www.socitm.net/feedback to give us your comments, not just about the website, but about our recent publications you have read or the ones that we are planning.

The latest publications

Don't forget that you can always find the latest Socitm Insight information on www.socitm.net. You will receive an e-mail alert when reports are available in the online library. For most reports you will receive one printed copy, but can always order more within your entitlement. Printed copies might take another three weeks to reach you.