View the training sessions for the Councillor introduction to digital and data training.
Councils have begun playing a central role in ensuring communities are digital connected through widespread infrastructure programmes while also building accompanying digital inclusion programmes for those suffering within the digital divide to learn the correct skills to take advantage of opportunities or council services, particularly so over the covid-19 pandemic.
What is the Cllr role in improving local digital inclusion and connectivity?
Speakers from Good Things Foundation, Stockport Council, DCMS and Wolverhampton Council.
Book your place: Digital Inclusion and Connectivity training session
Emerging technologies are helping councils revolutionise the way they deliver services. Fleets of vehicles using sensors to identify potholes or struggling high streets understanding the footfall of residents and businesses. Cllrs have a part to play in engaging with residents, understanding and implementing smart technologies to improve resource management and the day to day lives of communities.
What is the Cllr role in understanding the impact and increasing the uptake of Smart Places Technology in their local area?
Speakers from Digital Catapult and Sunderland City Council
Book your place: Smart Places Technology training session
Covid-19 has forced unprecedented change and channel shift on communities, workforces and members. Cllrs need as much support as possible to navigate the emerging technologies now required to continue fulfilling their democratic duty to residents. Digital communications and new forms of engagement will be important to master as more and more services move online.
How can Cllrs embrace the new forms of digital communication?
Speakers: Brent Council, Royal Holloway University of London, Sevenoaks Council
Book your place: Digital communications training session
The potential for data is continuing to grow in importance. It guides council decision making adding a quality of evidence and reliability, however it is somewhere the sector can improve greatly by learning lessons from each other, combining knowledge and brainpower to focus on successful strategies and overcoming national concerns.
This session looks at the better use of data within councils from the perspective of elected members. How can the councillor role encourage the safe and constructive use of data in council operation and decision making? It will consider ideas, potential, strengths and risks in using modern data analytics techniques to drive change and improve outcomes.
The event will include discussion sessions led by GeoPlace, Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation CDEI), the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and leading local authorities. Focus will be give to: setting the landscape, myth busting on perceived barriers to encourage more wide spread data sharing and practical guidelines for the ethical and legal use of advanced analytic techniques.
We hope also to include a case study or two from local authorities to understand and learn from the positive journey to improvement that they have made.
Speakers TBC
Book your place: Data training session
As digital and online technology only becomes more developed within councils, members must also take note of the increasing threats that emerge from using digital and data tools. Cyber security roles must be taken extremely seriously and embedding this from a member perspective is crucial.
What is the councillor role in ensuring that your council cyber secure?,
Speakers: TBC
Book your place: Cyber Security training session
25 March 2021, 10.00am to 12.00pm
As residents become more and more dependent on councils for their social care and support during the covid-19 lockdowns, but also wish to live at home independently for longer, councils have needed to respond in the most responsive and effective way. Assistive living technologies and services orientated for vulnerable shielded people are becoming a core necessity for local government to support residents under the fluctuating covid-19 restrictions. So, as a Cllr what does this innovation look like and how can it be supported from the political arm of councils within a highly pressured service area and environment?
What is the Cllr role in the implementation of digital solutions for the most vulnerable and shielded residents?
Speakers TBC
Book your place: Digital in Social Care and Shielding Vulnerable People training session
Time: 10.00am-12.00pm
Digital tools and methods, including better use of data, represent a significant opportunity to change the way our councils work, and they have an impact on the lives of our citizens and our businesses. For many councils the Covid-19 response - necessarily using remote technologies, has accelerated awareness of the potential and practice.
Leading a digital/data transformation agenda as a politician is not easy, especially under austerity and with so many other possibilities calling for attention. Digital transformation is cross-council and is demanding of colleague members and of officers.
How, as elected members, do we show appropriate leadership of this agenda, to create the conditions in which great digital work happens?
Three very experienced elected members will report back from the coalface of their own activity, and there will be time for discussion.
Speakers from Sevenoaks Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and Newcastle City Council.
Book your place: Digital Political Leadership training session