We just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came and took part in Monday’s Networked Councillor roundtable. It was a great event and, very soon, we’ll be writing more about what happened and what that all means.
But before we do that I wanted to just highlight some of the great contributions we’ve already seen in writing:-
- Dave Briggs has talked about the event and the need to think about redesigning the councillor role. He said: “…we need to put some thought into what the councillor role should be. I think much of what success looks like for councillors will depend on their original motivation for doing it in the first place. For me, as a parish councillor, I see the role making certain tools – processes and structures and procedures – available to me that wouldn’t be otherwise. So it’s a means to an end to get stuff done for the community.” Read the full post here.
- Among a number of excellent points, Carl Whistlecraft said that identity and reputation are important. He wrote: “In particular [councillors] want to better understand the rules of engagement in instances where they are interacting with “anonymous” users and those who are “challenging” – trolls. I would hope that, as the Networked Cllr work progresses, thought is given to striking a balance between equipping councillors with the confidence and support to be effective whilst not binding them with protocols or frightening them off completely.” Read the full post here.
- A very thoughtful post by Puffles2010 starts by picking up on what he says was the overall theme of the day – that “Social media activities should complement what you do offline, not act as a replacement.” He said: “There is a risk with social media advocates – myself included – that we see social media as the be all and end all, rather than the tools that they are. Hence some of the negative stereotypes about ‘so-shall meed-jah’ types wanting everyone to be subconsciously connected up to each other via wireless devices implanted into our brains.” Read the full post here.
I’m sure there’ll be a lot more said – and I’d really encourage everyone who’s interested in the Networked Cllr debate to read and comment on these posts if you can. There are more opportunities to talk about Networked Councillor coming up, not least the sessions we’ll be involved in at the LGA Conference that starts on the 2nd of July. We wrote here about them, but just to remind you they are:-
- LGA networking session ‘Skills for the Networked Councillor’ – 17:50-18:20 Tuesday, 2nd July. This will be a great opportunity to ask questions and discuss the practical skills needed to be a more networked and digital councillor. The agenda will be built on the day by the participants and we will have a range of social media experts – including elected members – there to answer your questions.
- LGA fringe event with EELGA – 08:00-09:00 Thursday, 4th July
- LGA Innovation Zone session – 12:00-12:45pm Thursday 4th July
The Networked Councillor 