catherine at lgcomms academy – beyond communications: engagement through to democracy
DESCRIPTION
Catherine's session at LGComms Academy 2014 was entitled: Beyond communications engagement through to democracy, where she tackled some really interesting, challenging territory for public-sector communicators. In particular, Catherine pointed out why a networked, digital society demands not better communications but better democracy – and argued why this is an essential battleground for public-sector communicators in the future.TRANSCRIPT
Beyond communications:
Engagement through to democracy
LG Comms Annual ConferenceJune 2014
Catherine Howe, Chief Executive Public-i
My area of interest is in using the social web to do democratic things – my research explores digital civic space. I also run Public-i where we build some of these ideas – and webcast A LOT of council meetings.
Increasingly I am interested in digital leadership and the skills we need to work effectively in the network society
I am also part of the team trying to build NHS Citizen
@curiousc
http://www.public-i.info/blog
Who am I to be telling you this?
Some background
Austerity
Everything is changing
+
We need to change everything
Everything is changing
+
We need to change everything
Social Change
Aging population
Democratic deficit
Political parties are shrinking
Climate change
Technological innovation
3AM worries!
Welcome to the Network Society
Networks as the dominant social structure
http://blog.socialflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/kony-early-network.jpg
Networked
Participatory Culture and a Network Society
Collaborating
ParticipatingSharing
Creating
Connecting
This is the world of Generation Y: The
millennial generation
The networked individual
Open by default: this is open not just in terms of information but also in terms of thinking and decision making
Digitally native: not in terms of age but in terms of the individual adopting the behaviours and social norms of the digital culture
Co-productive: an expectation that everyone in the conversation has power to act and the potential to be active in the outcome as well as the decision-making process
And as the name says, networked: able to be effective via networked as well as hierarchical power as a leader, to blur boundaries and to work across groups
The qualities of Democracy in a Network Society
Why democracy?
Disintermediation: People want action
http://occupylondon.org.uk
No-one is in charge
Decisions are negotiated
Objectives are contested
They are highly networked and agile
Is this intelligence or community policing?
Occupy
Change.org Youth Petitions
We have become brands made up of
many voices
We limit ourselves by simply considering changes to the way we communicate
Do we have shared values?
Do we even have shared language?
What do we mean by Digital?
Disintermediation
Can we really maintain 4 relationships with the citizen?
Communications Engagement
Consultation Politcians
The range of networked behaviours
Communicative Tell people what you have done
We have developed a model of networked councillor behaviours
Collaborative Discuss with people what you are doing
Co-productive Agree with people what you could do together
How do we shift this dynamic?
How do we explore the art of the possible?
Service Redesign Change the system not the process
How do we create a networked organisation?
Look outsideMany professions are addressing this issue themselves
Talk to the members This is a democratic issue
Our working assumption, explored in this work, is that:
a more networked society will need a more Networked Councillor
- able to represent and respond to people acclimatized to a collaborative and networked way of decision-making and taking action.
WHAT!!!
Talk to members!!!!
Citizens do not need us to organise them
What could digital civic space look like?
Networks….of networks
Society not Technology
Digital Civic Space
Open
Co-productive
Place defined by Citizens
Representative
Public
Change our democratic model
ParticipatoryHigh levels of participation at the hyperlocal level
What would networked democracy look like?
DeliberativeMore deliberative approaches for shared problems
Direct representation Direct representation for wicked issues
Different skills are needed
An understanding of networked power
Collaboration skills
Co-design skills
Social media ‘social’ skills
An adequate understanding of the basic lexicon of digital
Horizon scanning and research
Data skills
Digital commissioning
Agile project management
Cultural Practical
As we figure out this stuff within communications as a profession: How do we create a robust evidence base that means we don’t have to keep
having the same discussions again and again? Should everyone be responsible for reputation management? What does a multi voice brand look like? How do we ensure that all staff share the organisational values and understand
that our brand is our message How do we create skills for digital leaders?
How do we keep learning?
There is not magic bullet
Will we just communicate with the public or collaborate with them?
Catherine [email protected]
Thank you for your time