The document discusses plans to develop a digital engagement platform in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire to help address issues like unemployment, deprivation, and lack of digital skills. It outlines objectives to use social media to build stronger communities and improve service delivery. A partnership with a local center will be formed. Existing social media and hyperlocal sites will be audited and built upon. The platform will be co-created with the community and have clear roles for community managers, champions, residents, and agencies. Anticipated outcomes include improved information sharing and targeting of resources to address priority issues.

1. Local gov digital engagement – In at the deep end! Michele Ide-Smith Paul Henderson

2. Our challenge Wisbech – market town in North Cambridgeshire Poor Place Survey results – NI 1, NI 4, NI 17 High unemployment, economic deprivation Large migrant community - Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian Low educational attainment and IT skills Slow broadband access, lack of computer ownership Hard to engage migrant communities, youth, older people, disabled people, time pressured 25 – 40’s using neighbourhood panels, community fairs

3. Our objectives Use social media to help build stronger communities and improve cohesion – shared visibility of community issues and culture Identify areas where issues are prevalent, in order to focus Agency service delivery and help set priority outcomes Offer an alternative channel to communicate and educate communities on priority issues

4. Partnership working Rosmini Centre Wisbech

5. What about hyperlocal? Few active hyperlocal sites (we did an audit) Some Parish Council sites – but not social Facebook and Gadu-Gadu are the most popular social sites (from community survey) We need to stimulate hyperlocal activity to build an active online community to engage with

6. Community management – pro’s Democratic and self-moderating Sustainable model – owned by the community Building community skills in social media, use of digital media and social reporting Public service providers have less liability Low / no cost technology and flexibility to try a range of different tools

7. Community management – Con’s Lack of control, service providers fear criticism Reliance on a few motivated individuals, could be hijacked by one community group Lack of motivation and interest from community Lack of skills in digital and social media Unclear how service providers intervene if there are tensions or conflict arises Reliance on continuing existence of providers of free social media platforms / tools

8. Using existing groups/networks

9. Approach Build on success of existing e-democracy models Develop strong partnership working ethos Use existing social media tools where possible Co-creation and community ownership – engage community throughout the design process Clearly defined roles and agreements Community Manager Community Champions – enthusiasts, voluntary and community sector, Parish Councils Residents Public Sector Agencies Councillors

11. Outcomes Reduced avoidable contact (NI 14) More representative view of priority issues (NI 4) Improved information, targeting of resources Outreach reaches wider geographical audience Better information for residents Residents have visibility of issues raised by others (cohesion - NI 1) and can raise issues confidentially Councillors can pro-actively engage residents Increased social media literacy and skills

12. Links with other projects Talk2Croydon (CVS run e-democracy site) E-democracy Forums CitizenScape (Public-i EU funded project) Harringay Online and other hyperlocal sites Networked Neighbourhoods research Local 2.0 (Young Foundation) Citizens Advice Bureau Advicehub project Any others??

13. Process and techniques Survey Focus groups Stakeholder workshop

14. What do you think?  Don’t like Like 

15. What did they think? Like   Don’t like

16. Blogs Needs to be brilliant to catch attention lots of information on progress Informative Easy to follow Can see pictures of other people who write about problems and you can see how they were fixed Keeping you up to date impressed at how up to date it was Doesn’t catch your interest enough, it’s too plain Problem page would be better How is it being made? Like the layout Very up to date Dull Impressed with site Can groups and individuals set up blogs? Notes problems and safety issues Is it safe? Safety of my information Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

17. Google maps Easy/clear instructions Amazing details you can get directions straight away where you want and it shows by car, walking and on public transport Don’t like someone seeing my own back garden Very clear and detailed pictures Had used it for directions but didn’t know about public transport times Easy to understand and use Liked you could zoom right into your house Easy to use love it I like this site All had used it Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

18. FixMyStreet very good Probably better off reporting straight to the Council/police etc Very good easier than traipsing to somewhere to report a problem No-one heard of it Does it really work? Now I know about it, will probably use it Easy to use easy to use and a good site Like it, good to know it’s there Very good for people who want to move to an area could be useful you can’t see when the problem is likely to be fixed not much being fixed Basic (very) Why do they want my email to report a pothole? Anonymous settings confusing Not always sorted in good time, my report is still waiting to be dealt with after 6 months and even a year I like this site Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

19. Pledgebank helps you if you have a problem Not interested No-one heard of it Not used an online petition You can write your own things, problems and chat to people to get things done Very good idea and needs more publicity bad pledge fails to get enough subscriptions Never heard of it Good idea Basic- no confusion Easy to use/understand Only loudest voices being heard, not the majority Wouldn’t use it A do-gooders website Don’t think I would join in Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

20. WhatDoTheyKnow Positive: none, unless you want information from a specific authority Never heard of it No-one heard of it Don’t believe you would get the real information Slow/boring not what I expected very plain boring site Not sure that you could trust statistics from the council Wouldn’t use it, boring Don’t think we would use it Not interested Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

21. Twitter What’s the point? Never been on it irrelevant information Annoying- what’s it for? Need to be careful what you say on there –especially politicians Interested in it – but not got time for it Everyone heard of it/ no-one used it Very childish Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

23. Will and do use simple, well designed sites (eg Google Maps)

24. Don't turn to social media if they've got a problem - yet

25. Need a hand

27. Stakeholders help 'Design' the site (Hat-tip to @davidwilcox and the Social Media Game)

29. CCTV cameras have been put up, but this has just moved the problem to another area of the park

30. Would like more patrols or something to be done to make it safe even during the day

31. Roles

32. Stacy: mum who lives near the park

33. John: partnership member who receives the query via the site

36. Marketing & communications planning

37. Roles and responsibilities of partners

39. Prioritise functions

40. Build and test in the real world