WIREDGOV

A survey of over 800 elected Councillors investigates the attitudes and perceptions of Councillors towards digital technology and leadership

Councillor Theo Blackwell, Cabinet Member for Finance, Technology and Growth, Camden Council in collaboration with the LGIU surveyed a total of 809 councillors from 279 councils in England, to understand the views of local government political leadership towards the impact of digital transformation on public services, which forms the basis of the ‘Start of the Possible’ report.

Among the respondents, 373 were identified as “digital enthusiasts” - councillors who saw the benefits of big data, automation and technology - and 118 “digital sceptics” who had more negative views on these or remained to be convinced.

The survey identifies a number of areas of concerns for a ‘small and vociferous cohort’, with digital exclusion and the fear if the digital divide being a major issues that could impede “impede progress or the pace of change so therefore remains a major digital leadership issue, not just a practical ‘channel-shift’ concern.”

The report concludes that local councillors are not ‘digital dinosaur,’ and hold strong and positive views about technology, automation and data and how public services can benefit from them.

Other key findings include:

• Digital is not usually led by the very top decision-makers in local councils and is expressed through a variety of approaches and plans.
• Connectivity continues to be a concern and there is a strong and widespread view that current data-sharing arrangements are not effective.
• Digital is important to meeting council objectives and is seen in the coming years as having the greatest impact on making use of services online easier, making efficiency savings and enabling information to be shared better,
• There is clear backing for digital to be included in thinking around devolution.
• Councillors strongly agree that councils should procure technology functions together.
• Councillors to be better supported to understand more about technology and transformation in all its forms.

Georgina Maratheftis, Programme Manager for Local Government at techUK said:

“This is a very important and welcome piece of research. Elected leaders play a key role in driving forward transformation and articulating future ambition. As such, it is crucial councillors have an understanding of the role digital, as an enabler, can play in transforming outcomes and services for citizens.

With the advent of devolution, and a shift towards a more place based approach, digital has a key role in supporting a more collaborative way of working and delivering services across the place. It’s encouraging to hear councillors strongly back digital to be part of current and future devolution settlements. techUK’s Digital Devolution: A Guide for Mayors highlights how digital devolution can really transform outcomes and create better and smarter places that citizens want to live, work and thrive.

The report also sets out a five-point action plan for local government, which focuses on increasing innovation and collaboration. One of the actions echoes the key recommendations made in our Digital devolution Guide calling for procurement to be more strategic and result in solutions to ‘place based’ and combine purchasing powers to deliver more efficient integrated services across the region.

Councillors have an important role in driving forward innovation, and this report highlights the importance of having the right digital leadership in place. To accelerate the pace of transformation and local government should collaborate with wider public sector partners and tech industry to create the environment that enable innovation to flourish.”