Mobility, instant access and the digital citizen

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Mobility, instant access and the digital citizen

• Socitm, Newport, October 08

Presented by Alex Butler
13th October 2008
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Understanding the connected citizenIts a
rapidly changing world

• Social media is a global phenomenon, happening in
  all markets regardless of wider economic, social
  and cultural development. If you are online, you
  are using social media.
• Asian markets are leading in terms of
  participation, creating more content than any
  other region.
• All social media platforms have grown
  significantly video clips quickest growing (now
  almost 83 penetration in some markets).
• The widget economy is real. 23 of all social
  media users have installed an application.
• Blogs are a mainstream media now. 73 of people
  have read a blog.
• 18 listen and download podcasts every day.
• Universal McCann Wave 3 report on Social media
  2008.

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A mobile population?

• Access is universal world-wide
• Consumers in the connected world have access to a
  massive range of portable devices regardless of
  local market economic, social and cultural
  conditions.
• Audio devices currently dominate.
• 41 have an audio player versus 20 who have a
  player with video capacity.
• Mobile phones are evolving from voice to data
  devices, driven by messaging and data.
• In Japan just 24 of mobile usage is phone calls,
  compared to 65 in the USA.
• 3G is the number one in demand portable
  technology
• 43 want to adopt. This is ahead of all other
  platforms, including media players, portable
  gaming and laptops.
• Source Universal McCann 2008

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Mobile content

• Portable technology is driving the rise of
  User-Generated Content (UGC)
• Digital cameras are the most popular portable
  device after mobiles
• 81 have one
• Camera phones are nearly as popular, 76 have
  access.
• Despite the huge amount being created, UGC is the
  least popular form of content to consume.
• Professional content producers are not about to
  be superseded on future media platforms
• (Figures Universal McCann 2008)

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What does that mean for public sector?

• Citizen side
• Millions of people engaged in online mutual
  support using simple yet powerful tools
• How can we enable more self help?
• Supply side
• Innovative public services using new yet simple
  web and other digital techniques
• How can we enable more innovation?
• All at ultra low cost and risk

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Networking is changing our relationships

• The internet is being used by a vast range of
  people to set up new communities of interest
• The range of applications includes information
  sharing, political campaigning and social
  networking
• Word of mouth from friends, colleagues and family
  is the most trusted form of communication
• Personal advocacy has thrived on the internet
  with easy access to authentic reports from
  real people

Peer review sites such as villa renters and
Tripadvisor offer users the chance to review
products and services in a self-sustaining model
Why not ask 40,000 people if they know a good
place to stay?
Which are the most influential sources?
Based on positive brand recommendations
Thanks to the internet, I feel part of a virtual
community
Very relevant
Very convincing
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Personal
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contacts
46
50
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Online word of
40
36
mouth
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Independent
press/reviews
MobileActive is a global network of activists and
campaigners using mobile phones for civic action
and engagement.
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Company led
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Source Millward Brown
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49
50
64
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Source HCHLV
Netmums is a family of local websites set up and
run by mums. Each site is set up around a local
community and is totally interactive with much of
the information on the site coming from local
mums. It has over 250k members in the UK.
Facebook.com is a networking platform targeted at
people within companies, schools and colleges.
Local residents in Kings Cross have set up a
community web forum to tackle antisocial
behaviour.
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..In conversation with communities
"Netmums has become a National Institution" The
Daily Telegraph "Netmums is the new Mothers
Institute" The Sunday Times
National Framework local networks and
voice 345,000 registrations Sponsorship funded
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Do we need to take this seriously?

• If 30,000 mothers came together in a park or a
  football stadium to discuss parenting the
  government would sit up and take notice. When
  this happens on line we shouldnt ignore it

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The Power of the community
Mum asks question at 2.15 How do I get my child
to pay attention. Caught in destructive pattern
1st supportive answer in 8 minutes
2 posts within the hour giving practical advice
and support
Original mum logs at same time following day.
Case closed.
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The Power of the community
Jacy asks a question here rather than ring the
student bursary
Helpful response pointing right direction
Comprehensive answer trustworthy as comes from a
respected member
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People trust each other to sort out governments
complexities
Technical question on import taxes posted to
lay people rather than HMRC
Jason, resident in Midlands and Switzerland,
gives initial thoughts and narrows down the issues
Jason then comes back and clarifies with added
detail. Query resolved in 1 hour 30 mins
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Not just citizens, but advisors.
Laura asks highly technical question asked about
an aspect of pension credit
Laura free to do help others until answer comes in
Laura alerted by email that there is a response
asks a follow up question
Specialist knowledge now captured for posterity
and findable through Google
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Getting stuck in

• http//www.myspace.com/wantrespect
• http//www.bebo.com/theroyalairforce
• http//www.youtube.com/royalairforce

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Connect and participate

• Use social media to create a dialogue with
  consumers.
• Track opinions in the blogosphere.
• Exist inside Social Networks Create profiles,
  develop networks to distribute content and employ
  advertising and sponsorship to drive engagement
  with consumers.
• Allow consumers to interact with you User
  generated content, branded blogs and ongoing
  feedback are expected.
• Move away from siloed sites In a world of
  interlinked platforms and content, the stand
  alone site is not as engaging.
• Embrace social platforms as part of your
  communications mix blogging platforms, social
  networks, video and photo sharing sites are where
  consumers spend most time and where the greatest
  opportunities for engagement exist.

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Principles for participation online

• Be credible
• Be accurate, fair, thorough and transparent.
• Be consistent
• Encourage constructive criticism and
  deliberation. Be cordial, honest and professional
  at all times.
• Be responsive
• When you gain insight, share it where
  appropriate.
• Be integrated
• Wherever possible, align online participation
  with other offline communications.
• Be a civil servant
• Remember that you are an ambassador for your
  organisation. Wherever possible, disclose your
  position as a representative of your department
  or agency

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Where has this suddenly come from?

• Massive increases in computer power and the
  internet make it easy to combine two data sets (a
  map and the crime stats)
• Ten years ago would have required special
  computers and statisticians. Now someone sitting
  on a park bench with a laptop connected to the
  internet can do it.
• Sometimes called data mashing take two or
  more sets of data mash them together in a
  website to create a new product

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Citizen-led transparency agriculture.
Site set up to track who gets what from CAP
Data lifted from government sites no permission
needed, just lifted straight from web
Not all governments publish data list published
to place pressure on them
Shows contribution and ranks within the EU

• Data from 20 countries
• 2,927,246 searches since 1 December 2005

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Is crime rising in my area?
Two layers of detail and call to action
Force badge is post code sensitive
Links to SNT mini site or page on Force website
Post code driven
Slider to set time period for comparison
Computer generated heuristic text based on data
Where SNT produce info it can be displayed here
SNT police can email in top priorities set by
Safer Neighbourhood Panel and is automatically
displayed
Simple vote on SNP priorities
DUMMY DATA
Rising
Falling
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Data mashing the public information role

• Considered the number one calculator on the
  internet for calculating earnings, proving an
  invaluable tool alongside any small business
  accounting solution or corporate payroll
  software.
• Calculates tax paid and national insurance, it
  is constantly updated with new features and the
  most current tax rates and bands figures from UK
  budget decisions.

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How do we unlock that creativity?

• Any data published should be reusable
  electronically
• New protocols for publishing data
• Data must conform to an electronic version of
  Plain English - have the right internal grammar
  and vocabulary
• In many cases as simple a publishing raw data in
  an Excel Spreadsheet
• Allow your data to be manipulated by third
  parties on your website allow the passengers
  to drive the bus
• Acknowledge loss of control and promote
  creativity

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We asked the public to show us a better wayway..

• Plain English
• No technical knowledge required
• Prize
• Cast net very wide
• 400 entries
• Global coverage

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This is what they came up with

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and this
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The new publishing model
Citizen has choice
Diversity of products for different customer
groups eg www.Parliament.uk or
www.theyworkforyou.com
Official public sector product
Third Party Product(s)
Interface (API) that manipulates your data made
openly available to independents eg ONS API
API
Raw data (from your website) made openly
available to independents eg publish crime
stats in a spreadsheet as well as a map
Data/Information
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How do we make all this work?

• Think content not just marketing or service
  delivery. Public sector has plenty but leave
  it to your expert customers to decide how to
  use/reuse it.
• Define a more positive relationship with
  consumers.
• Portable technology allows you to create and
  distribute or provide access to content,
  applications and services that offer true
  benefits.
• Encourage creation of content.
• Integrate mobile platforms with social media.
• Champion simplicity this doesnt need extensive
  IT infrastructure just with customer insight.