Collaboration, personalisation and online services: they're amongst the key digital issues for councils across the UK. Here we explore what's on the agenda for Local Government when it comes to addressing these issues, some of the key insight from the Digital Communities Report, and some examples of how some councils are using digital to innovate and improve citizen engagement. For more information, please visit: o2.co.uk/localgovernment

1. UK Local
Government
Collaboration, personalisation
and online services:
key digital issues for councils across the UK

2. What’s on the agenda for
UK councils in 2014?
You can probably guess:
Cost savings, efficiency,
doing more for less…

3. So, the O2 Local Government Digital
Forum commissioned some research:
And we work directly with councils.
• Smarter Working Britain, an independent
report published in partnership with the
Centre for Economic and Business
Research (Cebr)
• The O2 Digital Communities Report
• We also supported research by the
New Local Government Network,
called Smart People, Smart Places

4. We found some enlightening
statistics and attitudes…
What’s on the agenda for
UK councils in 2014?

5. The O2 Digital Communities
Report
Nearly half of people interviewed
(48% of a total of 2027 consumers)
said they would like to use digital
services like apps and social media
to interact with their local council.
61% of citizens feel that the digital
services provided by their councils are either
unreliable, or simply unavailable.

6. The Digital Communities Report also found significant
frustrations about the quality and accuracy of
information being delivered by councils:
84% of people claimed that the information they
receive from their local authority is often out of date
82% think the information is incomplete
71% say it’s simply not relevant to them

7. Getting everyone connected

8. Unlocking the benefits
Smart People, Smart Places also told us:
Digital can unlock benefits for councils in three overarching areas:
• The delivery of better and more cost-effective
outcomes, especially through more integrated
and citizen-centred services.
• The engagement and empowerment of citizens
and communities.
• Cleaner, greener and more economically
vibrant places.

9. We also found three key issues that
are really pushing the digital buttons for
UK Local Government…

10. Improving collaboration, between
organisations and between people,
both to boost efficiency and to
deliver a better citizen experience.
1. Collaboration

11. Members of Buckinghamshire County Council presented their benefits calculator to
the Local Government Digital Fund judges. It has been developed in partnership with
a variety of third-party organisations, and gives frontline staff a powerful tool to show
people the whole picture of what help is available.
Collaboration
“Each of the partners has
been involved from a very
early stage, so they’ve
informed the development
of this…”
To find out more watch the video on the next slide…

12. 2. Digital service delivery
Getting closer to citizens and
providing better service –
ideally using digital channels.

13. Newcastle City Council are developing a SelfTrav app, which uses tracking technology
to help young people with learning disabilities travel safely on public transport.
Digital service delivery
“We feel this will
revolutionise how we
deliver our special
educational needs and
disabilities transport…”
To find out more watch the video on the next slide…

14. 3. Digital inclusion:
getting everyone connected
Bridging the digital divide – getting
more people connected, including
the 10 million+ aged over 60, and
those who may not have easy
access to the internet.

15. Members of Scarborough Borough Council proposed a programme of digital
mentoring, where young people share their digital skills with older people in more
remote parts of the community, helping them to get connected.
Digital inclusion
“We want it to be seen as
something that benefits
their whole life… and really
tackles improving
wellbeing across the older
population…”
To find out more watch the video on the next slide…

16. What’s at stake?
According to the Smarter Working Britain report :
Better connectivity could save
the ‘average individual working
in Local Government’
153 hours a year.
Better access to digital services
could lead to improvements in
services worth
£1.6 billion a year.

17. The way forward

18. Collaboration
Digital service
delivery
Digital services take away the
barriers to communication,
allowing Local Authorities and
public sector bodies to work
together to address local
government challenges.
Councils can get better
insights into what really
matters to the people they
serve, and make sure the
services they provide meet
those needs and expectations.
Digital inclusion
Efficiency, cost
reduction, doing
more with less
Everyone needs to benefit if things
are going more digital – councils
need to make sure that all sectors
of the population have ready
access to digital services.
This still matters, and achieving the
first three points will make a vital
contribution to delivering savings
and process improvements.

19. Find out more
The O2 Digital Communities Report
Find out more and get the report >
Smart People, Smart Places
Find out more and get the report >
The Local Government Digital Fund
o2.co.uk/lgdf
Smarter Working Britain
Find out more and get the report >

20. Thank you
Visit
o2.co.uk/localgovernment
0800 955 5590
publicsectorteam@o2.com