Catherine's session at LGComms Academy 2014 was entitled: Beyond communications engagement through to democracy, where she tackled some really interesting, challenging territory for public-sector communicators. In particular, Catherine pointed out why a networked, digital society demands not better communications but better democracy – and argued why this is an essential battleground for public-sector communicators in the future.

1. Beyond
communications:
Engagement through
to democracy
LG Comms Annual Conference
June 2014
Catherine Howe, Chief Executive Public-i

2. My area of interest is in using the social web to do democratic things – my
research explores digital civic space. I also run Public-i where we build some
of these ideas – and webcast A LOT of council meetings.
Increasingly I am interested in digital leadership and the skills we need to
work effectively in the network society
I am also part of the team trying to build NHS Citizen
@curiousc
http://www.public-i.info/blog
Who am I to be telling you this?
Some background

3. Austerity
Everything is changing
+
We need to change
everything
Everything is changing
+
We need to change
everything
Social
Change
Aging
population
Democratic
deficit
Political parties
are shrinking
Climate
change
Technological
innovation
3AM
worries!

4. Welcome to the Network
Society

5. Networks as the dominant social structure
http://blog.socialflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/kony-early-network.jpg

6. Networked

7. Participatory Culture and a Network Society
Collaborating
ParticipatingSharing
Creating
Connecting

8. This is the world of
Generation Y: The
millennial generation
The networked
individual

9.  Open by default: this is open not just in terms of information but also in terms of
thinking and decision making
 Digitally native: not in terms of age but in terms of the individual adopting the
behaviours and social norms of the digital culture
 Co-productive: an expectation that everyone in the conversation has power to act and
the potential to be active in the outcome as well as the decision-making process
 And as the name says, networked: able to be effective via networked as well as
hierarchical power as a leader, to blur boundaries and to work across groups
The qualities of Democracy in a Network Society

10. Why democracy?
Disintermediation:
People want action

11. http://occupylondon.org.uk
 No-one is in charge
 Decisions are negotiated
 Objectives are contested
 They are highly networked and agile
 Is this intelligence or community
policing?
Occupy

12. Change.org Youth Petitions

13. We have become
brands made up of
many voices

14. We limit ourselves by simply considering
changes to the way we communicate

15. Do we have shared values?

16. Do we even have shared
language?

17. What do we mean by Digital?

18. Disintermediation

19. Can we really maintain 4 relationships with the
citizen?
Communications Engagement
Consultation Politcians

20. The range of networked behaviours
Communicative Tell people what you have done
We have developed a model of networked councillor
behaviours
Collaborative Discuss with people what you are doing
Co-productive Agree with people what you could do together

21. How do we shift this dynamic?

22. How do we explore the art of the possible?
Service Redesign Change the system not the process
How do we create a networked organisation?
Look outside
Many professions are addressing this issue
themselves
Talk to the members This is a democratic issue

23. Our working assumption, explored in this work, is that:
a more networked society will need a more Networked Councillor
- able to represent and respond to people acclimatized to a collaborative and
networked way of decision-making and taking action.
WHAT!!!
Talk to members!!!!

24. Citizens do not need
us to organise them

25. What could digital civic space
look like?

26. Networks….of
networks

27. Society not Technology

28. Digital Civic Space
Open
Co-
productive
Place defined
by Citizens
Representative
Public

29. Change our democratic model
Participatory
High levels of participation at the hyperlocal
level
What would networked democracy look like?
Deliberative
More deliberative approaches for shared
problems
Direct representation Direct representation for wicked issues

30. Different skills are needed
An understanding of networked
power
Collaboration skills
Co-design skills
Social media ‘social’ skills
An adequate understanding of the
basic lexicon of digital
Horizon scanning and research
Data skills
Digital commissioning
Agile project management
Cultural Practical

31. As we figure out this stuff within communications as a profession:
 How do we create a robust evidence base that means we don’t have to keep
having the same discussions again and again?
 Should everyone be responsible for reputation management?
 What does a multi voice brand look like?
 How do we ensure that all staff share the organisational values and understand
that our brand is our message
 How do we create skills for digital leaders?
How do we keep learning?
There is not magic bullet

32. Will we just communicate with the
public or collaborate with them?

33. Catherine Howe
catherine.howe@public-i.info
Thank you for your time