Author: Nick Booth

#madwd Making a difference with data: Cllr Darren Johnson

Darren Johnson – London Assembly Member and Lewisham Cllr – green Party

Notes on his comments at Making a Difference with Data.

  • data is essential as part of our scrutiny role.
  • we find getting hold of data takes up a good chunk of our time – and our support staff.
  • generally we have problems – officials often reluctant to release raw data to members and meners of the public
  • I’ve started to request that all data I ask for goes on the London datastore so it’s shared [great thing to do]
  • changing the way we make policy – all data we use to make policy is getting shared, which speeds up the analysis of the policy by scrutiny easier.
  • Sharing tree information across London changed tree planting approach – but three years ago it is still like pulling teeth to release the data again.
  • need open and complete information on publicly owned land.
  • on average it costs £300 to answer and Assembly members question.  With open data fewer questions will be asked and so less admin needs to happen – he hopes.

Social (media) reporter training with Take Part Pathfinder

We spent a great morning working with a group of active citizens from the Black Country Take Part Pathfinder programme, coordinated by Dosti.

The aim was to introduce social reporting – quick and simple ways of sharing what’s going on around you with other people, using social media tools. Sharing information; getting a message across.

A social reporter might shoot a simple video about their neighbourhood. She might make notes at a meeting or conference and share notes with other people online while the event is taking place.

This post rounds up discussion and links created on the day.

Read more

A quick and simple public sector reform to save some money

Please government can we stagger end of financial years?  Can Local Government end theirs in April, Central Government in July, the NHS in October, etc etc  – can publicly funded organisations like social landlords do something similar too?

Public money can and does get wasted in the unruly rush to the end of March.  You could improve that.

Local by Social Midlands and neighbourhood blogs

John Samuels had a good day on Saturday. Not only did he become a grandfather (again) he became a blogger for the first time. We ran a social media surgery as part of the first Local by Social event – the Midlands one. (Local by Social is a Futuregov and IDeA programme to get local government using the web in neighbourhoods)

John set up  http://unityactionforum.wordpress.com/ to help give his group a voice.

We seek to represent black and ethic interests in the WEHM – the Wood End, Hanley Green and Manor Farm neighbourhood in North East Coventry.

Whilst another group produced  http://deedmore.blogspot.com/

“..a small residents group wanting share information about what’s happening. up to date news and gossip”

Sadly I have a favourite.  

henleygreenresidents.wordpress.com was set up by a couple of people with the opening blog post:

Henley Green’s Charity Psychic night for Help for Heroes.

All are based in the former North East Coventry NDC area – which is now served by a social eneterpride thre Moathouse Community Trust.  The passion of the people we worked with is what always draws me to working directly in neighbourhoods with active citizens.

For example, we have been working Tracey Thorne,  the neighbourhood manager in Handsworth, to help her blog about her neighbourhood.  We built this site for her and gave her training and support. In less than a year she’s posted more than 100 posts and there have been nearly 70 comments.  Tracey’s site has been visited by nearly 5000 different people this year, with them looking at around 32,000 pages.  Two thirds of those visits are from the Uk – and of those more than half are people in Birmingham.

This is testament net to Tracey’s determination make her site work ann to the benefits of thinking long term – Sites like hers are a journery – sometimes you can do that on your onw – sometiems you need the support and encouragement of others.

We have also run a short series of 4 social media surgeries with Tracey.  The outcome of that has been

plus a couple more that are coming on soon.  As Tracey puts it:

I really wish them luck with these blogs and encourage them to blog as much as they can about Handsworth…the more we all blog about it the more we raise the profile and allow the rest of the world to see the wonderful spirit of people in Handsworth

Keep these sites going will take commitment and I suspect some extra support.  But I love helping people head down this path. If you think we can help get your community groups online then contact us.